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The Extraordinary Adventures Of Adele Blanc-Sec (2010)

February 1st, 2021

I’ll start Février Francais with a movie that made me return to reading European comics. It is quite hard to find much Adele Blanc-Sec in English, as they only released four of the stories in two bumper volumes, and they’re in quite a limited stock (Some used copies on Amazon, one new Volume two, and nothing on eBay). So the other option is to get them on comixology in french and either read them in french or translate each panel into your native language as you go along. Google translate on your phone (and in camera mode) isn’t bad at doing this, so it’s quite possible, but slower…depending on your fluency. Anyway, regardless of the comics, this was recommended to me. This is the Extraordinary Adventures Of Adele Blanc-Sec.

Set in November 1911 (from November fourth at one in the morning onwards), we experience what could be best described as the director, Luc Besson, either imitating or paying tribute to Jean Pierre Jeunet by focusing on a character who becomes a key witness to a small series of events that would flow throughout the movie. While feeling the impact of a twelve year old whiskey, he sees two things that the eyes have difficulty comprehending: First, he sees a Pterodactyl…yes, a Pterodactyl – at this time of year, at this time of day, and in this period in history. Localised entirely within the Peripheral vision of a Parisian Drunk. He then sees said Pterodactyl attack a car. The car ends up driving off the bridge and into the Seine. Inside were the founder of Christian Aid, his driver, and a Burlesque Dancer, who was still in one of her more revealing outfits. For the rest of the film, the always hangry Inspector Albert Caponi tries to find the flying beast, while also, in a Luis Bunuel fashion, spends the whole film trying to get something to eat (Which occasionally leads to some misunderstandings and even a spanner in the gears). Meanwhile, Adele Blanc-Sec is in Egypt before returning to Paris with the Mummy of Ramses II’s Physician. We can suggest that this is part of her being an explorer and collector. But in reality she has a long term want…With the help of the Mummy…somehow…she can get her sister back.

Now to look at the components.

The acting, much like the Jean-Pierre Jeunet films we’ve watched up to this point, are more or less cartoon characters. Or more specifically, Band Desiree Characters. Everybody is a little over the top, and the best performances radiate a lot of charisma. The casting of Louise Bourgoin as Blanc-sec…she was literally the best choice. Honestly, if she played her character in real life and you had a chance to talk to her, you would probably blush. Along with Audrey Tautou as Amelie, Brad Pitt as Tyler Durden, and Anthony Quinn as Zorba, Louise Bourgoin as Adele Blanc-Sec is one of my favourite performances in Cinema History.

The characters…If you like Lara Croft, Adele Blanc-Sec is more or less the Pre-War French Equivalent with a different backstory and occupation (Lara’s an Archaeologist, and Adele’s an Investigative Journalist). She’s beautiful, charming, humorous, shrewd, and it would be easy to fall for her (I’m using this language, because this is how a number of men behave around her throughout the film). But then you realise that much of what’s on the surface was created from five long years of suffering and a cynicism that makes it hard to know what she really thinks of everybody. The Love Letters she receives from the Museum Curator Andrej Zborowski show an evident one-side relationship, and she will literally do anything to get what she needs. The supporting characters play off her very well as either foils or distractions or friendly steps. Either way, she carries her scenes really well.

The Story is based on several volumes of Jacque Tardi’s comics with the same name – in particular, it is a mixture between volume one (Because of the Pterodactyl) and volume four (Because of the Mummies), and with a little bit of Volume two in the opening. We get carried along by its great characters and witty dialogue, more so than anything to challenge us as human beings. It has a sense of humour that walks the line of either getting a laugh out of the family or by celebrating the french identity with its beautiful eccentricities and at times surrealist moments. At times the third act can feel a little drawn out, and we can be left asking questions when it came to what happened to some of the characters off-screen. But I still got a lot out of it.

The art style could be described as a Hollywood Adventure movie through a french lens (more or less Luc Besson’s trademark style in a nutshell). I’m reminded of several other movies, books or shows that could inspire it, other than, obviously, Jacque Tardi’s original comic. I can see bits of Indiana Jones. Bits of TinTin. Bits of the 1999 movie The Mummy (which borrows from the old adventure movies from the 1930s), bits of Jean Pierre Jeunet (in particular, Amelie and A Very Long Engagement, perhaps), bits of Guy Richie’s Sherlock Holmes – it’s all there. Or at least this is how I convey what I’ve seen. And of course, we could suggest a hint of Jurassic Park – But the Dinosaur itself is evidently CGI. The make-up, costume design and location choices were all top notch.

The CGI and Special Effects are very good – in particular the practical effects. The make-up that went into turning some of these actors into their respective characters is very well done. The appearance of Mathieu Amalric as Dieuleveult (Adele’s Arch Nemesis in the comics) was especially surprising, because here is one of the biggest french actors out there (Bond villain, Diving Bell and The Butterfly, etc), and here he is in a small role, buried under a ton of prosthetics. You wouldn’t even know it was him. I certainly didn’t. The Pterodactyl, as said, was CGI. But it was pretty good CGI on top of that. Keeping in mind it was created on roughly one sixth of the budget for Christopher Nolan’s film Inception, which came out in the same year.

The music was done by Luc Besson’s go-to composer Eric Serra, who provides a fantastical charm throughout the viewing. A vintage, yet adventurous sound that transports you to another world. A sense that we’re actually hearing a comic book, not just listening to film scores (The film does involve Adele going to Egypt and the Museum in Paris, after all).

The Cinematography by Besson’s go-to, Thierry Arbogast, was excellent. Usually presenting each scene like a collection of panels in a comic book.

Would I recommend The Extraordinary Adventures Of Adele Blanc-Sec? Yes I would. It’s flawed in its pacing and there are some small holes in the script. But I really enjoyed the characters and the journey. In particular Adele Blanc-Sec herself – She is easily one of my favourite protagonists in both cinema and comics, and God willing, Luc Besson could adapt another album or two into a sequel.

Acting: ****1/4 (***** for Louise Bourgoin)

Characters: ****1/2

Story: ****

Art: ****1/2

CGI/Special Effects: ****1/4

Music: ****

Cinematography: ****1/2

Overall: ****1/4
Laid Back Camp S2 E3

January 28th, 2021

It is now Episode three of Season two. If you are here and you are not up to date, I will let you know now that Spoilers are on the horizon. I ask that you go watch the other two episodes, plus this one, and then I will see you again in about an hour and a half (assuming you will binge them).

So I said in my last review that I hoped to see more of Nadeshiko this time, after she spent the whole of episode two giving everyone else some screen time, and tonight she plays a role so prominent that Chiaki and Aoi don’t appear in this episode until the post credit scene (where Aoi tells Nadeshiko a story about Mount Fuji) and Ena doesn’t appear at all. Instead we see what happens to Rin after finding out that snow and frosty roads make it too dangerous to come home right away. Meaning she had New Years Day and January Second to ‘waste’ in Shizuoka. However, she receives a ray of hope: Nadeshiko is visiting her Grandma in Hamamatsu (The city in the western side of the prefecture) on January second and third, and is also seeing a childhood friend. Rin jumps at the opportunity, and decides to camp in Hamamatsu on New Years Night, leading to the first time since Season One when the Show’s opening theme plays, the credits roll and a journey is taking place. In Rin’s case, it’s the journey to the camp by the beach, which she happily reserves for 420 yen. So the episode is translated as “Surprise Camping and Some Deep Thoughts”, and some deep thoughts they are. For the next few minutes, we witness a lovely quietness to her morning, as she simply sits at the beach, watching dog walkers and fishermen, reading and staring at the sea. Her thoughts were so deep in that moment, we might never know what they were. Perhaps it was simply an awe of the moment. Afterwards she goes to a Hot Spring Bath, then she follows through with another first. She saw the first sunrise in episode two, and here she sees the first sunset. Meaning she had a fuller experience of her time away.

Meanwhile, Nadeshiko gets up early to go to her Granny’s by train (Because Snow and Ice on the roads). But before going there, she meets up with Rin after arriving, and introduces her to a huge flock of Black-head Gulls on the tracks (For those wondering why these Gulls’ heads are white; despite their name – their heads are black in summer, but mostly white in winter, with the exception of the dark marks behind the eyes). Deciding to stop for lunch before heading to Granny’s, Nadeshiko invites Rin to get some Eel…and with only 1290 yen left in Rin’s pocket…it’s going to be a challenge to save face. And a challenge it is…Nadeshiko orders two top-grade portions – and like a scene from a Tex Avery cartoon, Rin’s eyes literally come off her face in shock (4000 yen each, they are). After numerous scenes in the program, which includes chibi designs and slight distortion of features, this is easily the most cartoony moment in the whole show (so far). Scared out of her wits over the situation, Nadeshiko, like a Boss, slams a 10,000 yen note on the table. All expenses paid. Allowing Rin to activate Foodie Mode.

Now to continue with what may or may not be a trend this season. We spoke of death being introduced somehow in the last episode…well here, we see an eel being turned into food, and it clearly suggests that the animator/s referred to a video of the meal actually being prepared (and perhaps even filming it on location over a night out with Beer). To say the least, the scene that follows is a great advertisement for eating eel. I found this scene surprising, but it was done with a degree of respect for both the viewers and the practice itself.

We then meet Nadeshiko’s Grandmother (who has a very judgemental black cat!) and Ayano Toki, Nadeshiko’s friend from middle school (Who may end up joining the girls in later episodes for a camp trip. She has that look about her). Through Ayano, we learn more about Nadeshiko – in particular, why she rides her bike everywhere, can eat like a horse, and is the only character who can break her older sister’s stoicism (Proper tough-love right there). The girls and Granny hang out all day, and we experience the passage of time without actually feeling it ourselves. In the end, they witness the next sun rise of the year – in which Run reflects on the Christmas camp. She realised how much she loves camping alone (based on what she sees and hears, and doing it at her own pace), and how it makes her appreciate aloneness (I know the english subtitles say loneliness, but I’m not sure if that’s what they mean). In the end we receive another full circle moment – Curry Pot Noodles in cold weather, before Rin goes home with her Grandpa.

So we’ll definitely be seeing more of Ayano in later episodes – suggesting the possibility of a spring or summer camp out, as she has made it clear that this is when she’ll pop up again. I found this episode especially enjoyable. In particular when it came to Rin’s Eel experience, Nadeshiko’s back story, meeting Ayano, and of course…the Judgemental Cat. I will also bring up the post credit scene…Much like Rin’s eyes popping out, Aoi has an experience as well.
Lazy Masquerade (YouTube)

January 26th, 2021

https://www.youtube.com/c/LazyMasquerade/featured

Okay – so how I found Lazy Masquerade goes all the way back to 2015. While rummaging through a box of memories, I came across an old PC CD that I enjoyed as a kid. Without going into too many details on it – one thing that really stood out was the fact that voice acting legend Maurice LaMarche (Brain from Pinky & The Brain) narrated scary stories as a reward for completing word search puzzles in it. Even though the stories themselves are tame and obviously for a younger audience – the production and his delivery of these stories have literally been stuck in my memory for a lifetime. To say the least, I enjoyed them enough that I wanted to see if someone on YouTube was doing the same thing. The search led to some great results in spooky fiction. But then I started to find Channels with a different crop of horror narration…Enter Lazy Masquerade.

Horror Narrators on youtube usually fall into three main categories: Fiction, Non Fiction, and Grey Area. Lazy focuses more on the Non-Fiction and Grey Area sides – with some videos being from People saying they encountered or nearly met Ghosts and Skin-walkers. His choice of music, the flashlight-under-the-chin vocal delivery (paired up with his Surrey English Dialect), and the stories he covers in general, make for some of the best horror experiences that you can find on the internet.

Many narrators cover similar topics and add their own spin and style on the delivery, with some having less common subject matter to tell. In Lazy’s case, he occasionally covers True Detective Stories – and since his move to Japan from his home in England, he has started to cover a lot more interesting stories from the East, and has become a literal master at delivering Yandere and Yakuza Horror Stories. Some of his stories are also region locked outside of his telling of them. As in, they only appeared in local news, but not internationally.

If you are looking to hear a scary story that took place in the real world, is presented well, and covers a wide range of the real, chilling, and surreal, this is a great channel for that sort of thing.
Micmacs (2009)

January 25th, 2021

So after nearly a month of Jean-Pierre Jeunet movies, this will be the final scheduled ‘Jeunet’ Review, as both The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet and the upcoming Netflix film Big Bug will be Wild Card Reviews showing up when you possibly least expect them, and Alien Resurrection is being reserved for another list entirely. It has been a good month’s viewing, with plenty of reason to return to them in future (and reference from time to time here). But until then, let us wrap this up with a film that is as Jeunet as Jeunet gets. This is Micmacs.

Set in a fantastic version of the modern day (2009) our story revolves around a man named Basil (Played by Dany Boon). Basil has had an interesting life to say the least. He came from a happy, well-off family that was sadly torn apart when his Father, a soldier, was killed by a Land Mine in the West Sahara in 1979. His Mother, now a shell of her former self, sends Basil to a Catholic Boarding School where his situation was so bad that he smuggled himself out and then spends the next 30 or so years living on his own. When we meet Basil again, he is working in a Video Rental Store, where he mostly ‘tests’ the movies while squeezing the processed goo from Cheese Triangles into his mouth and lip syncing movie dialogue (in this case, the 1946’s ‘The Big Sleep’). However his life is forced into change yet again when a shootout happens outside the shop, and Basil gets a bullet in the head. He survives. But is left with the bullet lodged in his cranium that could kill him any time. The incident cost him both his Home and his Job. But at least the girl who replaced him provided some…clues. He ends up living on the streets as a Busker, finding ways to live hand to mouth and putting his performance skills to good use (Seriously, the guy’s a creative genius). One day he meets an ex-con called Slammer (played by the late Jean-Pierre Marielle), and Slammer brings him to Tire-Larigots, a shelter buried under recycling material, where he is introduced to his new family…a bunch of homeless eccentrics with unique talents and are all skilled for a good quality salvaging. Basil then finds out that the company who made the Landmine that killed his Dad and the manufacturer of the Bullet that took his Home and Job were across the road from each other. Basil’s goal in life was clear…He was going to put an end to the arms trade…and he was going to do it like Ocean’s Eleven.

Now to salvage the qualities that either make or tear down the machine:

The Casting of Micmacs’ characters provides us with a whole range of new actors and actresses with fewer (or perhaps simply more subtle) returns from previous films than before. Jeunet apparently tried to get Audrey Tautou to appear as Amelie for an Easter Egg (as Amelie’s future self), but sadly it wasn’t happening. However we got one for Delicatessen, which was lovely. Jeunet staple Dominique Pinon is here playing Buster, a former Human Cannonball. Amelie’s Landlady, Madeleine Wallace (Yolande Moreau) also returns as Mama Chow. André Dussollier, the Narrator of Amelie, plays Nicolas Thibaut de Fenouillet, who runs the Landmine company, and lastly Urbain Cancelier (Collignon, the green grocer in Amelie and The Monk in A Very Long Engagement) plays the security guard of François Marconi’s home. Marconi (played by Nicholas Marie) being the CEO of the Bullet manufacturer. The Acting and the characters can be summed up in three words: Live Action Cartoon. Much like other Jeunet films, everyone plays the equivalent of a very zany cartoon character with their unusual quirks and interactions…and yet their performances are far from cheesy and are genuinely funny. I enjoy Basil. I enjoy Elastic Girl (Julie Ferrier), Buster, Remington (Omar Sy), Calculator (Marie-Julie Baup), Mama Chow, Tiny Pete (Michel Crémadès) and Slammer. A big bunch of characters that would brighten everybody’s life if they actually existed. And I also enjoyed the villains, who are just as bizarre as our heroes…the way it should be.

The story…I’ll put it this way. Mic Macs’ story is a bit weaker than other Jeunet films, but the plot, execution, pacing and characters are good enough to disguise this (and possibly distract us from this fact). You are never given time to be bored, and nearly every scene has a hint of madness. When we ask ourselves what the characters want, we know that Basil wants to take down two weapon companies and their respective CEOs. But the other characters are rather more obscure in their pursuits. We could say that their goal is to help Basil, because if he didn’t come into their lives they would still be salvaging recycled materials and creating stuff – and if you left it at that, you would be satisfied. But if you sought deeper meaning in a way, the question can be answered by the even broader spectrum of supporting characters. So here goes; Love, or the desire for it, wins the war, or at least defeats evil. Elastic Girl (who is very instrumental in the espionage scenes) is drawn to Basil. Key employees in the two weapon companies were responsible for destroying them, because one wanted to watch the couple across the road through the security camera, while the other took his visiting girlfriend to a quiet place, away from the action.

The artistic approach remains exquisite. It has Jeunet’s usual trademarks, but in this case it is set in the modern day rather than being a fantasy world or a period piece. Everybody wears clothes that never go out of fashion (as far ass I know), have haircuts and styles that wouldn’t be too out of place in the last 40 years (Sweaters, dresses, Work shoes, converse trainers, the like).

The music was a combination of classical and original score with a hint of other film music. The original score was done by Raphaël Beau, a music teacher. This was the first time he composed for a film, and also recorded music professionally. He did a really good job. The film also borrows music by Max Steiner, which was originally composed for the 1946 film The Big Sleep (starring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall).

The cinematography by Tetsuo Nagata is a small step away to a degree from what we can come to associate with Jeunet’s work. He brings his own style, while still using the warm filters that brings out the reds, yellows and greens (while making blue appear specially). He had gained some traction after providing working on La Vie en Rose (starring A Very Long Engagement actress, Marion Cotillard) and his seemingly effortless camera work brought in many great shots.

Would I recommend Micmacs? Yes I would. But I would recommend seeing some other Jeunet films first in order to get a feel for the style. Because this film is Jeunetism turned up to eleven. All of the weirdest, brightest, quirkiest, most colourful and most nostalgic qualities of his previous films have been thrown into this one with an unapologetic boldness. Jeunet himself even said in an interview (in retaliation to people not liking his style) that what he does is his product: “I sell Fish. If you want Vegetables, go to that guy over there!”, more or less. It knows exactly what it is, and even though it has the weakest story of all the Jeunet films we’ve seen up to this point (minus Alien Resurrection), it remains a highly enjoyable experience that I continue to adore. If possible, I would love to see more stories involving the Micmacs crew, because I see great potential there. A Band Desiree, perhaps?

Acting: ****1/2

Characters: ****3/4

Story: ***1/4

Art: *****

CGI/Special Effects: ****1/2

Music: ****1/2

Cinematography: ****1/2

Overall: ****1/2
Laid Back Camp S2 E2

January 21st, 2021

If you’re reading this review, chances are you have seen Episode One. But I will say it anyway. This Review will contain spoilers. So if you haven’t watched this episode yet, please do, then come back.

We continue on from the previous episode with the story more or less divided in two and a little bit of a third story thrown in to set up the ending. Its New Years Eve, and Rin is off to a beach camp site near Shizuoka to not only do a solo camp, but also to see the first Sunrise of the New Year and visit her second Dog Shrine in the series. She goes to a Tea Shop (with a cafe on the second floor) where she finds out that the Hiker who gave her a bag of tea on the Mountain Trail in Season One is actually the owner, which is an odd but lovely nod to little scenes that could be overlooked. She buys her tea within a 2000 yen budget (Special Tea!), then tries out the Cafe, which includes Green Tea Tiramisu (The cafe was recommended by her Mum, who continues to show off her Mum-being-Mum moments by putting an extra 1000 yen in just for that experience). Afterwards, Rin goes to the Dog Shrine, where she hoped to meet the sacred dog known as Shippei The Third, who lives on the premise…only to find out that the Dog has passed on several years before, so she was visiting a grave instead. This scene is quite pivotal to the show, because up to this point, something like Death was not addressed before (outside of thanking cows for their wonderful Beef). Her texts to Ena bring up the question on whether she is scared about losing Chikuwa eventually…to which Ena simply replied “I’ll be sad when it happens, but until then I’m going to give him the best life” – which is all we can say, really. After a whole season and spin off of coziness and human error, we’re presented with this hint of seriousness…and you know what? I’m okay with that. Sitcoms have been doing it for generations, so it’s not something to get down about. After buying another Dog Shrine figure, you might notice what could be Shippei The Fourth watching on…who knows.

Meanwhile in our second story, Chiaki, Aoi and Minami Toba (The Girls’ Outdoors Club Supervisor, aka Miss Chug) are also seeing the New Year Sun Rise, and they’re going together with Aoi’s little sister Akari, who was presented as sweet and innocent in Season One, but here we see her dark side, as she’s exceptionally mischievous towards Chiaki. They go to the Mount Monobu Summit by Cable Car to see the sunrise from there (while tucking into seasonal treats and praying at the shrine, as is traditional), then decide to try and see the Diamond Fuji (Both an experiential and photo opportunity where the sun surrounds the tip of Mount Fuji like a gleaming diamond on top), which leads to a great scene that borrows straight out of Initial D (quite literally. It was a big surprise, but I laughed out loud when it happened. Good job!). While this side of the story is a little more low key than Rin’s, it is good to see some extra layers to these characters (Such as how Minami is perhaps the Drunken Master of Drift Racing…if that has ever been a thing before, as I’ve seen more than enough “Never drink and drive” adverts at Christmas time to ever find out…and then again, it’s “Sober Toba” behind the wheel here, so take note, she’s a model rummy).

Which then brings up the all important question as a follower of this show…What is Nadeshiko doing? Well…she’s working. While out doing her shift, she notices some dark clouds in the distance…and with the exception of replying to the girls’ group chat, she is building little snowmen and seeing Rin’s photos of the seaside (apparently a common trait of people who live in landlocked Prefectures). She was low key in this episode, but we will see what she does next week.

So far the show is doing what we’re expecting, but also without being predictable. It’s still thoroughly enjoyable and light hearted, even with the serious moment of reflection from Rin at the Shrine. The opening scene instantly reminded me why the art style has improved since Season One. It really has gotten better with progression. Looking forward to the next one.
A Very Long Engagement (2004)

January 18th, 2021

So, we’ve done Delicatessen and The City Of Lost Children. We skipped Alien Resurrection because I might review it as part of a different set (You probably know which one that is) and we have covered Amelie, so now we’re here. This is A Very Long Engagement (No pun Intended).

Based on the novel by Jean Baptiste Rossi and set in 1919/1920, our story revolves around Mathilde Donnay (played by Amelie herself, Audrey Tautou), as she tries to get to the truth. During the war, five soldiers were sent into No-Man’s Land for getting themselves self-mutilated. Among the five men was Manech Langonnet, Mathilde’s fiancé. While it was documented that all five men were killed, Mathilde refuses to give up the hope that Manech is alive and out there…somewhere. Mathilde, a Polio survivor and orphan who lives with her Aunt and Uncle (Played respectively by Chantal Neuwirth and Dominique Pinon) on a small farm near a lighthouse, seeks the help of the Private Investigator Germaine Pire (Played by Jeunet regular Ticky Holgado), in an attempt to find out what really happened on that day, and what happened to the five soldiers.

Now to look at the truth of these components.

The acting is excellent, with a casting element of who’s who in terms of Jean Pierre Jeunet films. Audrey Tautou and Ticky Holgado, obviously (This ended up being Holgado’s last film with Jeunet, and it was released 8 months after his death from Lung Cancer in January 2004.) as well as Dominique Pinon (Honestly, if he’s not there, can this even be called a Jeunet film?), Urbain Cancelier (Collignon, the obnoxious green-grocer in Amelie), and Jean-Claude Dreyfus (both Chapet The Butcher in Delicatessan and Marcel the Circus performer in The City Of Lost Children). The film also brings back the trend from The City Of Lost Children of having an American among them, and it surprised me when I first saw her. It was Jodie Foster. Her role wasn’t big, but it was pivotal to the plot, and she went all out in her performance. On top of this, a major standout was an actress who, at the time was a little less known…Marion Cotillard. She plays Tina Lombardi, a prostitute who is effectively carrying out what Mathilde is doing…only she has blood on her hands, and a different perception.

The characters, on my part, are not quite as memorable as with other Jeunet films, and I believe the reason is because this film is not only grounded in reality, but also, these are not Jeunet’s characters, but the characters of the author Jean Baptiste Rossi. And while it can be argued that he has provided his own spin on them, I have not read the book to clarify this. They, for the most part, play their roles in aiding Mathilde, but they are not there to be the simplicity of your neighbours celebrated. In fact, if you want to see how much ‘Jeunetism’ was cut from this film, about 10 minutes of deleted scenes will show you. Mathilde is by far the best developed character, and is very likeable…and literally incredible without being a Mary Sue. She’s a young woman with Polio travelling to find the truth, while also taking a step back and knowing that this investigation is best done while being with her family and having her own bed to sleep in every night. Can’t be more admirable than that. When we are given back-stories to the five soldiers, they were (for the most part) less quirky, but are still within the Jeunet style flashbacks. We even got another rhythm scene in one.

The story is divided into 2 parts – Mathilde searching for Manech, the Muddy Mystery of what actually happened that day, and, to a much lesser but rather important extent – Tina Lomardini’s journey. There was an unusual coziness to how Mathilde conducts her investigation, because on her part it requires a lot of waiting, especially when it comes to appointments for interviews with ex soldiers or family of the “Bingo Crépuscule Five”, and letters from the wives of the other soldiers. It had been two or three years since that day in No-Man’s Land, and at this point, Manech is either safe on foot or safe in the ground. With everyone agreeing that it’s most likely the latter. It may be based on a novel, but as we know, not every film based on a novel gets five stars every time. It’s still a really good story with a strong mystery that is a little easier to follow when your mother tongue is french.

The Art direction, which included Aline Bonetto’s Set Design, Madeline Fontaine’s Costume Design, and Bruno Delbonnel’s cinematography were incredibly well done! Everything felt authentic, even with the Delbonnel trademark of presenting the film with a very warm lens filter to eliminate white and blue and bring out reds, yellows and greens. And to add more to the who’s who of Jeunet films – Judith Vittet (who played Miette/Crumb in City Of Lost Children) returned, not as an actress, but as an additional costume designer here. Which I thought was a nice little Easter Egg.

The music was composed by the returning Angelo Badalamenti (the sound of Twin Peaks and The City Of Lost Children), who provides incredibly somber and haunting orchestrations for the scenes in the trenches, while also providing some beautifully hopeful music for Mathile’s scenes, and her memories of Manech. What is produced is absolutely top notch, and because of the choice of instrumentals (i.e. a whole orchestra and not just synph keyboard) we end up with melodies were you wouldn’t be able to hear his usual sound if you didn’t know he made it…but when you know it’s him, then that’s when you hear it.

Would I recommend A Very Long Engagement? Well, it’s good to make sure he or she are the right one. But yes, I would recommend this film greatly. It is by far the most serious Jeunet film up to this point, with less emphasis on Fantasy and Science Fiction, and much more on the realism, as it is technically a period piece, but also not his original story to play around with too much. The film still has some comedy in the “present day” scenes to lift the spirits (especially when it comes to Dominique Pinon), but during the flashbacks it chooses to be as such, that even Jean Pierre Jeunet will take a step back and let the horror of the ‘great’ war be what it truly was…Something that should never have happened. Due to some production issues, a Blu-Ray of this film is only available in France, so at the moment getting it on DVD or buying it digitally on Amazon Prime is the way to go. Unless you’re French and don’t mind that I have written this review in English, to whom I say ‘achetez-le et achetez-le bientôt’.

Acting: ****3/4

Characters: ****1/4

Story: ****1/2

Art: ****3/4

CGI/Special Effects:: ****3/4

Music: *****

Cinematography: *****

Overall: ****3/4
Laid Back Camp Season 2 Episode 1

January 14th, 2021

As I mentioned in my January update; Reviews of Youtube Channels are becoming “Wild Card” Reviews that appear out of nowhere like random Pokemon battles on the original Gameboy. And instead, the prestigious time slot will be dedicated to Anime and has become the Thursday At Six Anime Review (or TASAR!). I also mentioned that this will be the first show/episode/movie that I would be covering, so here goes.

I will also mention that these episode reviews will have spoilers. So, if you can stop reading and go watch it first, you’ll be doing a good thing. Here goes.

Laid Back Camp Season Two Episode One is split into two different stories: Both revolve primarily around Rin, but they are different points in her life. The first ten minutes are Rin’s Prologue (Or Origin Story…where she receives the superpower of Camping and realises the great responsibility that comes with it when she refused to tell her Dad about the Kuma), she would be about eleven, twelve or thirteen I would say. Hard to narrow down, since she has been mistaken for a middle schooler before in Season One. She comes home from school to find that her Grandpa had sent her a gift…His old camping equipment. And for the next ten minutes, we experience her first camping trip.

The second story, the other ten minutes or so of the episode, we continue where we left off from Season One. Christmas Camp is over, and everybody is at work over the Winter Break: Rin still works in the Book Shop, Chiaki still works at the Off-License/Liquor Store, Aoi still works in the Supermarket, Ena works in the Post Office, and Nadeshiko (with Ena’s help) is now a Post-Girl, delivering Letters on her bicycle. Everybody’s working hard, but not everybody gets off at the same time (To Chiaki’s dismay). Rin gets the most time off, and decides to plan a trip – by going to another Dog Shrine, different to the one she saw in Season One. She leaves early in the morning and while at Traffic Lights, Nadeshiko spots her and crosses the road after her “Rin-Chan” call. After finding out that Rin is traveling, we experience a moment that brings us back to the very first episode – Nadeshiko giving Rin a Pot of Instant Curry Noodles as the sun rises.

Now to talk more about the building blocks (so far)

If I told you that they managed to up the art style in Season Two, you might be skeptical. Season One was absolutely beautiful…But Season Two looks like it could be even better! The trees look better here, as are the other textures – more detailed. The character line work is more crisp, the light and shadows are better, and the animation is slightly smoother (and even more expressive).

Season Two also has new music on top of what is already there, and while it sounds a little different, it definitely fits with the tone of the show. The opening theme, Seize The Day, is quite different to Shiny Days – less Jackson Five and more J-Pop in sound. The End theme is more like the original End theme in style, providing that light-hearted and cozy tone.

The Two stories told here are great, and both provide an air of honesty and discovery. For one thing, we see Rin’s Dad (outside of a special episode), who appears in both stories, but didn’t appear in Season One – which, at the time, gave some of us the impression that Rin only lived with her Mum and overly-adventurous Grandpa who cooks legendary steak and picks up stamp cards from the side of the road (see Room Camp). The first story, Rin’s Prologue, is big on the deja vu element. Because here, Rin visits the camping spot where she met Nadeshiko for the first time. But it is clear that the ‘Rin: Camping Expert’, was not born a master at this. She accidentally damages a tent peg, struggles to light a fire (before getting help), and ends up burning her rice while it was boiling – leading to a Mum-being-Mum moment, and another story element…The Emergency Ration of Instant Curry Noodles. What I loved about this part of the episode, was the example that Rin sets. Though she messes (seemingly) everything up on her first go, we know how good and well prepared she gets in a few years time. ‘Fail Early’. Teach it in schools. Write it on the blackboards of every Classroom or Class Zoom Meeting in the world. Let us be fearless in our learning.

I am already recommending Season Two Of Yuru Camp at this point, as everything about this first episode has stayed true to its own overall character and source material. It is clear that the Artists, Staff and Crew working on it have gotten better at their roles, and it is leading to an excellent experience. And because of this, I’m looking forward to next Thursday’s episode.
The City Of Lost Children (1995)

January 11th, 2021

We continue Jean-Pierre Jeunet month by talking about his second film, and what would become his last directorial collaboration with Marc Caro (and also the last time we see Caro in an extras role). It brings up the question on where to go after Delicatessen, and then asking ourselves how deep this rabbit hole can go – This is The City Of Lost Children.

Set in what I could best describe as like a Steam-Punk-Fantasy-French interpretation of a fictitious Venice, our story revolves around several groups of people, which includes two main protagonists and three sets of antagonists. The Protagonists are One (a Carnival strongman played by Ron Perlman) and an unfazed street orphan called Miette (or ‘Crumb’ in english, played by child actress Judith Villet). Our antagonists consist primarily of a Mad Scientist called Krank, who is a clone of a vanished Scientist, living and working with the clones of 2 other scientists, and a brain in a machine on an off-store oil rig. Through the clones (played by Dominique Ponan and Mirielle Mosse) he does business dealings with a cult called Cyclops, who make their followers blind in order to allow them to hear better and wear a electronic visual aids (which Krank provides for them in exchange for children that they kidnap for him), and then…there’s the sinister pair of Siamese Twins (nicknamed The Octopus) who run a Thieves racket with orphaned children as their ’employees’ (and possible kidnap victims). When One’s ‘little brother’ Denree gets kidnapped by the Cyclops (In order to sell to Krank), he seeks help in finding where they went, which leads him to the Octopus’ Racket. When they see that he could move a giant safe that they want to rob (after lifting their copy of said giant safe), they hire him to do the job with the Orphans. But when He and Miette get separated from the other children during the heist, that’s when the adventure really begins.

Now to talk about the make up of this film.

First of all…what a world…What if I told you that this film combines both CGI and practical creation? And that much of the practical creation and effects are…the City itself? Most of that is a set! These days there are green screens everywhere. Many films rely on them to save time, and in the process the presentation of fantasy worlds are prone to looking about as organic as zero-carb noodles when compared to this. Jeunet and Caro’s crew built much of this film’s world. Also the CGI is oddly obscure – usually presenting a flea that plays a pivotal role in the plot. Artistically, this film is absolutely masterful! Along with its stylised cinematography that many-a-times, focuses on faces and their emotions. And over 25 years later this whole thing still looks amazing. I’ll also mention the costumes created by Fashion Designer Jean Paul Gaultier, providing a nostalgic yet eye-popping appeal.

The Acting is excellent, bordering from realistic reactions to the kind of cartoon/comic reactions that Delicatessen had. The kind that don’t get cheesy, but are in fact really endearing and fun. The casting, once again, has as much to do with everybody having the right kind of face. Especially the Villains. Daniel Emilfork (who plays Krank) has a very, very distinct character to his face. There are very few people who can resemble a Vulture, and he did, and it was well incorporated into his tragic role as a self-inflicted boogieman stealing and destroying the dreams of children. This film also sees the return of Jean-Claude Dreyfus (Clapet The Butcher in Delicatessen) as a circus performer called Marcello (who runs the Flea Circus). Dreyfus’ acting and make up is so good that the menace he brought to Clapet was actually gone here, and he was much more approachable on screen. In other words, less scary, more like the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard Of Oz. Everyone delivers a great performance, and it’s clear how creative the directors were, as they were working with children, and obviously Ron Perlman, who didn’t speak French but delivered all of his lines perfectly. Oh, and did I mention that Dominique Pinon plays 5 characters in this film? Four of them are clones, and we experience a hilarious “Happy Birthday” scene because of it. The kind to freak your friends out while they watch it with you for the first time, and making them think you’re mad.

The characters…Yeah, this is amazing. Much like the characters in Delicatessen, you feel like they have been on screen for much longer, or have seen them in a TV show rather than a movie. The Older Man travelling with Young girl dynamic has been around for a long time, and the on-screen chemistry between One and Miette is very good. I also enjoy the loud, quirky and morbid scenes involving the Clones and, much like the choice of faces, the pure aesthetics of characters stand out, with few, if any, being too forgettable (outside of, perhaps, some of the Cyclops and the other Orphaned children). The Octopus are also the stuff of nightmares in their own right – bordering along with the Other-Mother in Coreline.

The story, especially the first five minutes, made me realise that I could have included this film on my Christmas List, due to the scenes where Krank was trying to dream (Yeah, Santa is rarely ever this frightening). The first time I watched this, I felt like it was all over the place. But watching it again, I realised how simple the structure is, and how well the plot flowed. There is a small hint of Alice In Wonderland to this, in the sense that One’s Little Brother Denree quietly takes on the role of the White Rabbit while One is Alice, Miette is the Cheshire Cat and Krank is The Queens Of Hearts. At the same time the villains play symbolic roles in the maturity of a child. As the child grows up, he/she is bled dry by the system in place (The Octopus), Promised the world (Cyclops) and robbed of their dreams (Krank). Other commentators have suggested that this film shows the dual nature of capitalism, as Science, Religion and the Wealthy take advantage of the innocent. But how you interpret it (or word it) is up to you.

Sadly, due to the passing of Carlos d’Alessio shortly before production began, Jeunet and Caro were without the composer of Delicatessen here…so…The City Of Lost Children’s music was instead composed by Angelo Badalamenti…yes. That Angelo Badalamenti! David Lynch’s primary go-to composer, and someone who knows how to make a movie, TV show or Video Game sound dark, tense, broody, and above all else, dreamy and morbidly optimistic. For me, this combination is like a dream team, and it works wonderfully in this film. d’Alessio is missed, but Badalamenti did a fantastic job here.

Would I recommend The City Of Lost Children? Yes I would. No doubt. This is a really good fantasy film with multiple layers, and is very beautifully shot and presented with a metric-ton of imagination. When you consider that this film is one of the main inspirations from the 2007 video game Bio Shock, that tells you how strong the source material is.

Acting: ****3/4

Character: *****

Story: ****1/2

Music: ****3/4

CGI/Special Effects: *****

Art: *****

Cinematography: *****

Overall: ****3/4
The Cottage Fairy (YouTube)

January 7th, 2021

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKx5lHJ6Fr5mbT4TYVLh6ng

This was a Youtube channel I found (recommended to me) only about a month ago, and as of now it has only been going since June 2020. To say the least, I’m pleased. And I’ll tell you why:

Set in the North-East of Washington State, USA, The Cottage Fairy is a Youtube Channel created by Paola Merrill, and is based on her actual experiences, not as a fairy, but as somebody who manages to live the small, cozy, Cottage Life. A simple, low-key day-to-day that some people (especially those in big cities) would love to experience for themselves (even if the hard work to make this life happen isn’t always addressed). The channel was designed in two ways: The first is to provide a pleasing way of advertising for her art, as she runs a shop on Etsy (and some videos show her actually making her pieces). The other way is to provide content that is surprisingly therapeutical, similar to AMSR videos. With sounds and imagery that not only allow you to relax while watching, but also to allow you to escape into her world for 5 to 10 minutes, as you witness her activities throughout the seasons.

Her choice of cinematography is truly fantastic, from her detailed close ups of little natural things, to her drone-shots of the location, as well as her choices in natural colour, light, and other subject matter. Her dialogue is semi-poetic, and coincides well with her soothing voice (which I could describe as like a female Bob Ross, spoken at a more deliberate pace). This is very much a vlog, even if she doesn’t talk to the camera directly – slightly biographical, but also seeking to say something that you need to hear (such as the perception of happiness). There are also plenty of shots of her dog and rabbit/s.

As of this review, her channel sits at 272k subscribers, which is fantastic for one that has only existed for 6-7 months. There are YouTube channels that do similar content – but this happened to be the first one I found of that kind, and so I’m placing emphasis on it today.
Art In Art Out Update: January 4th 2021

January 4th, 2021

So, after taking a bit of time to ponder and plan, I’ve decided to make at least one change to everything that is happening in this site’s year to come. We’ll start with a preview of the full line up for 2021 on Monday:

January: Jean Pierre Jeunet Month – Four films directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet. I have already written about his 2001 film Amelie (1 of my favourite films of all time), so I’ll be covering some of his other directorial works for this month coming.

February: Fevrier Français – Four French Films. This will include at least two animated films, and two films that involve the work of Band Desiree (Comic Strip) creator Jacques Tardi.

March: Robert Rodriguez Month – For this I will be covering the whole of the El Mariachi Trilogy, and two other films by the Director. I will not be covering Spy Kids though. That should narrow it down.

April: David Lynch Month Part 1 – Four Films by David Lynch. He has directed many that I would love to cover, so this will be Part 1. Part 2 will happen in 2022 I’d say. Depending on the circumstances. I would also love to cover Twin Peaks, so we’ll see if that happens this year or next.

May: May In Japan Part 1 – All Japanese films, all live-action, possibly set in May, but definitely made in Japan. There will be at least one Akira Kurosawa film here…Or it could end up being an Akira Kurosawa month. Who knows…? Either way, there are too many to cover, so this is a part 1.

.June: Jim Marmusch Month Part 1 – Four Films by Jim Jarmusch that are difficult to narrow down, because like Lynch, he has a fair catalog. I’ve already covered Night On Earth, and despite this, there is still plenty of black coffee and cigarettes to get through here. So he too will have a Part 2, possibly in 2022. Once again, depending on circumstances.

July: Sergio Leone Month – All Spaghetti Westerns. All Month. All Ennio Morricone as well.

August: Martial Arts Movie August (or MAMA) – For this month, I’ll be watching and reviewing five Martial Arts movies. Probably all of them were made in Hong Kong, but we’ll see.

September: Sci-Fi Month – I have a friend who loves Sci-Fi Movies. Especially those that were made in the 1970s. So for September I’m going to cover some of the films he loves.

October: South Korean Month – All of them are South Korean movies, and also all of them are South Korean movies of the Thriller and/or Horror Genre. It will be a different Halloween lineup this year.

November: Matrix NoVember – You might be thinking “What about doing this in May as part of ‘May-trix’?”. It is because I can cover The Matrix Trilogy and the Animatrix in 4 Mondays, but I have nothing for the 5th Monday of that month, and The Matrix 4 is not out until December…and I am not covering the PS2 Matrix games. I might even call it “Nothing-Is-What-It-Seems-November” just to be annoying. However it’s mostly because The Wachowskis wrote all of these films. Anyway, we will start that month with V For Vendetta as the 5th of November draws closely after that. Then the Matrix Trilogy and The Animatrix will follow it. Because let us be honest, these films are probably more important now than when they came out.

December: Christmas Movies – The title says it all.

So with that said, I will now talk about the Thursday At 6 Reviews by saying that I will be changing the subject from January 14th onwards, and doing one last scheduled review of a Youtube Channel/s on January 7th before focusing on the new topic. What is the new topic? Anime! I will start this new lineup with the first episode of the second season of Laid Back Camp (or Yuru Camp), and continue writing about it every week until its conclusion, before moving onto another show or movie in that slot. I think Season 2 technically starts on January 7th, but as a Crunchyroll member I want to give those watching it for free a chance to see it themselves and follow along. I’m aware that this could change though, due to the purchase of CR by Sony/Funimation. But we’ll look at the bridge when it’s in front of us.

This doesn’t mean there won’t be more YouTube Channels reviews. It is only when they are scheduled. Instead they will be part of what I’m calling a Wild Card Review, which is a random Review that happens anytime and about anything from Books to Movies to TV Shows to Games to Youtube to Locations to Theatre…Similar to what I did before (Then became more organised). I’m doing this for good reason…There are too many Anime and Disney movies and shows that I wouldn’t mind covering. And the more writing I do, the better.

Anyway, I hope we can all have a tremendous 2021, and may you all be blessed.

Aaron.