For the Love of Trailers - The How-To-Cope-With-It Edition

What to look forward to (or not) as Louise-Afzal Faerkel casts her eye over the trailers for upcoming releases Tiny Furniture, Rabbit Hole and Biutiful...

TINY FURNITURE

I am cynical, sceptical person. The glass is always half empty for me. My reasoning is for thinking like that is in order to surprise myself if I happen to enjoy a movie. I mostly assume the worst about serious pictures. I do get excited about films, but the ones I genuinely look forward to are few and far apart,. They must present something incredibly innovative or be part of a franchise I have respect for me to give a toss. In this context, Tiny Furniture is in a very grey area for me. It looks incredibly wordy and unnecessarily smug. And yet it looks quite the opposite.

It is a very contemporary and relevant picture (especially for someone like self-pitying yours truly, a recent graduate). It is a coming of age story about a young lass in a bit of a post-graduation-life-trauma type of situation. She moves back home, gets a job as a restaurant hostess and falls for a YouTube phenomenon video maker, and then starts getting into the whole video making thing herself. To put it blandly.

The trailer does not present it as wholly self-righteous but it is very much on the edge. For instance with the use of a younger, holier-than-thou sister character. I have always had a problem really believing in the unexplained natural maturity these characters have (especially in indie movies, e.g. (500) Days of Summer most recently). When she belts out phrases like “You were not gonna marry him, he’s like a little spec of granola on a bowl of homemade yoghurt”, I get what she means, but it is a needlessly odd image. It is not cute nor original. It is just weird. Not good weird; unnecessarily-wordy-and-pretentious-weird.

But somehow therein lies the charm of the movie, as far as I can see from the trailer. It tells the truth and sometimes the truth does not make sense. It does not seem like it will be an easy watch for neither cynicists nor idealists (it feels pretty brutal in places) but that does not matter. This film could contain elements that not only exposes our current culture but could be telling the truth about what we cannot perceive to be the reality of things.

The trailer itself is a mishmash of random quotes in an order that kind of makes sense and simultaneously confuses you as to its structure. It dips into the oddity of modern relationships but it does not feel like it will bring anything new to the table.

I cannot make my mind up about this one. Lovely readers, please watch it and help me out here.


RABBIT HOLE

John Cameron Mitchell (Hedwig and the Angry Itch, Shortbus) has an uncanny ability to make his characters and actors express themselves physically and verbally. They are just as good at being on their own as they are at being awkward in social situations. They learn to deal with themselves as much as they learn to deal with others around them. Their journeys are interesting, compelling and we are invited (read: lured) into recognisable yet unfamiliar situations (to most of us).

Rabbit Hole deals with life after Becca and Howie (Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart) lose their young son. It is a film about how to make sense of things. Or rather, how to simply move on with life. It is possibly a difficult film to watch, not just for its subject matter but also for its performances.

There is evidence of this from the first scene of the trailer where Nicole Kidman’s character protests the allegation that her co-sufferer’s daughter died because “God needed another angel”. It presents the film as a piece that is not going to be positive or glossy. It will concentrate on performances (given that it is based on a play, it is no surprise).

What I truly like about the structure of the trailer itself was its minimal use of music. More often than not, trailers will contain epic, quirky or dreamy pieces of music throughout their presentation of the film to affect the spectator’s mood. Here, I found the moments of silence to be more efficient (thank you!) and more meaningful. One scene that felt a bit too much, but was needed to attract a global audience was Becca’s speech about how she is not “feeling enough”. It is a bit too dramatic in context. The more subtle the trailer, the more I want to watch the film.

Nonetheless, the trailer is itself so intense, it could potentially work on its own as a short film (with a few adjustments). The music almost having its own life lets the film speak a lot for itself, which is so refreshing. Keeping in line with distinctive approaches to film promotion, there is a lack of intense, high-pace, 3-frame editing, annoying displaying montages (which are only really forgivable for action movies). There is the typical actor name and face montage at the end, but it takes its time and is not self-involved. By not sticking to convention all the way through it is easier to appreciate the work put in the trailer.

Tragic but beautiful. And tipped for the Oscars.


BIUTIFUL

Here is a trailer that is never explicit about anything and does not take the audience of a fool. Here is a trailer that is more or less a two-minute montage of mute clips supported by a soundtrack but is not patronising. And here is a trailer that knows what it is and it is in fact doing what most trailers fail to do: it gives you a minor but powerful taste of what is to come.

Biutiful has already played at Cannes, London Film Festival and a multitude of other festivals around the world. It has won numerous awards and has been hailed as director Alejandro González Iñárritu‘s (21 Grams, Babel, Amores Perros) best film to date. It deals with the story of a man who is in a difficult position in his life. I will not tell you why, you must watch the trailer yourself. Simply telling is tampering with the beauty of this trailer.

For all too often trailers focus on the story so much they reveal everything about the movie, if only audiences pay enough attention and put the pieces together. The trailer for Biutiful is not one that fools you about its narrative, nor does it tell you what it is directly about. It demands work from the audience, and despite being stuffed full of quotes from reviews and the CV of the director, at its core it is simple.

It could be that the structure of the trailer will work against the movie. Either it will repel people from itself or it prove to be too pompous for its own good. Perhaps it has told the entire story in the trailer and is trying to clever (and I am not seeing it). But I am happy to indulge in it because it serves the nature of the film. It brings across the atmosphere it most likely possesses in the picture itself and it feels like it could leads to something extraordinary – or abominable.

I will refrain from saying more. Let me know what you think.


Louise-Afzal Faerkel

For the Love of Trailers - The Different Edition

What to look forward to (or not) as Louise-Afzal Faerkel casts her eye over the trailers for upcoming releases Marwencol, The Taqwacores and The Tempest...

MARWENCOL

When I was younger, I used to go to my local library to borrow VHS tapes. I would always look for two kinds of movies. The classics (so I could educate myself) and funny, quirky, odd films. Marwencol falls right into the latter category.

Marwencol is a documentary about a village in the USA during World War II inhabited by soldiers. It seems quite normal. The only unusual thing might be that these inhabitants are dolls and their lives are determined by the imagination of Mark Hogancamp. After a brutal attack that left his brain shattered, Hogancamp is trying to resume his life and rebuild his hand-eye coordination by taking pictures of his own creation. These get discovered and a New York gallery wants to show off his collection.

Hogancamp’s dilemma lies in the way he struggles to rebuild his life. A hard enough challenge without some art gallery poking their nose in his business. He seems proud of his creation but what is presented in the trailer is a man who is very aware that this is a therapeutic project – and yet he narrates as if it were a comic book on his life in Marwencol: when does the village take over and Hogancamp stop? He does not sound eccentric, but a bit mad.

This is evidence of the main risk this film may run as it attempts to portray Hogancamp. It could unintentionally brand him as a bit insane. It needs to consistently remind people of the sensitive nature of his condition and they must portray his story accordingly. Every step we are introduced to this fascinating tale, we delve into the sensitive, difficult and heart-felt nature of this unique man. Not only is his village and the work he has put into it admirable, but his struggle to find a normal way of living is truly amazing.

This is an idea of a fantasy world that one can relate to. Fantasy worlds exist. Mark Hogancamp’s one just happens to be very real.


THE TAQWACORES

The Taqwacores is a coming of age story about a group of youths who try to practise their small, private form of Islam as a group of Muslim punks. The film is based on the novel by Michael Muhammad Knight.

Western films focussing on Muslims are not that uncommon anymore. Chris Morris’ Four Lions is about four British Islamic fundamentalists who go to Pakistan to train as terrorists. The Road to Guantanamo follows three imprisoned Muslims in the prison bearing the same name. These films take interest in the question of faith, prejudice and fundamentalism, who they affect and how they are practised.

The Taqwacores is different.

The trailer’s a straightforward presentation of plot and characters, including cutaways of the Taqwacores praying in the day and partying at night. It is great to see another perspective of Islam and not just a typical story of choices and dilemmas. It marries a delicate coming-of-age tale with a twist we are not used to seeing in films from this part of the world. Indeed, it is interesting to see a North American perspective on being Muslim in a Western world that seems to be afraid of - if not full of hate for - them.

Its presentation of characters is somewhat reminiscent of This Is England, Shane Meadows’ film about a group of skinheads in the 1980s. A similar feeling of not fitting in modern society and sticking together is present. The influence they have on innocent protagonist Yusef (Bobby Naderi) is a topic very much worth exploring.

There is not much else to say, to be frank. The trailer does nothing to challenge the viewer and portrays its characters are I imagine them to be in the film. The graphics used to categorise the individuals are not really necessary but they work. They give each character a personality to fit into. They also give the viewers certain expectations, which does not necessarily leave a lot of room for surprises.

It is a film about Muslim punks in today’s USA. Enough said.


THE TEMPEST

I must be honest. I do not know much about this play. I have read some Shakespeare, but this is one tale that has gone past me unnoticed. So I can honestly say I have no real expectations for it as far as accuracy is concerned.

Julie Taymor is the director behind films such as Frida, which was good, and Across The Universe, which was laughable. I have never been completely convinced by her ability to direct films, but given her background in theatre, I think this is one film she could have nailed.

It is a star-studded cast (notably Helen Mirren as Prospera) and it keeps the original text, which is reassuring. The costumes and set design really make this film unique and wonderfully strange. Its modern soundtrack (note the use of rock’n’roll and Sigúr Ròs) is dark, warm and magical. The challenge with modern-day interpretations of plays is that one might forget the story and transform it into a film with lots of pretty costumes and sets. I doubt this is the case with The Tempest but it is hard to tell just from promotional material.

The trailer is a tight piece of work. But it took me two viewings and a trip to Wikipedia (yes, I know…) to understand the story. I had no idea what it was about and the edit was quite confusing. All I got out of it was that Mirren was a sorceress and Russell Brand a drunken buffoon (a role of a lifetime for him). It is so speedy and disorientating to someone like yours truly, who has no idea what the story deals with. The supposedly indicative one-word-graphics were fairly useless. Nicely executed but unhelpful. It takes a while to piece everything together, which is the major problem of the trailer.

Nonetheless, it is visually stunning and deeply entertaining. The most impressionable scene in the trailer was the last one, which is reminiscent (to put it mildly) of the final scene of Ingmar Bergman’s The Seventh Seal.

It looks like a film for both Shakespeare enthusiasts who don’t mind the strange take on it and filmgoers who enjoy a bit of a twist to Hollywood productions.


Louise-Afzal Faerkel

For the Love of Trailers - The Documentary Edition

Louise-Afzal Faerkel on What To Look Forward To... Or Not...

8: THE MORMON PROPOSITION

To anyone who’s been following the news in the last year or so, this movie will come as no surprise. 8 (2010) deals with the Californian proposition on same-sex marriage that was voted for and accepted in the Constitution – only to be taken away from the people in less than a year. This documentary explores why this happened, and it seems to be pointing in one direction: the Mormon Church’s hatred for homosexuals.

The movie is presented in a straightforward, traditional manner: background, subject-matter, plot. It’s a very traditional structure, but it does the job. And how else should they make it? There’s nothing particularly provocative about the subject and thus just exposes itself as what it is: an investigation into the role of the Church of Latter Day Saints’ involvement in the abolition of the right to same-sex marriage.

Anyone who knows anything about the Mormon Church (anything) will not be shocked at the revelation later on in the trailer that the Church’s members allegedly forked out money to convince the Senate to go back on their decision. A shocking decision - granted, but the set-up here does not make me believe I should pay money to see this documentary. Unless you are extremely passionate about the cause.

It looks more like a BBC documentary than anything else. This is all good and well but not sellable. The trailer does not ask you to expect a lot and so why should you bother? It is essentially an open dialogue invitation, not a cry for revolution or to riot the streets. If I dare say so, 8 will probably turn out to be this year’s Michael Mooresque look-I’ve-exposed-the-bad-guys documentary.

Just like with Capitalism: A Love Story (2009), patiently wait for it to pop up on your telly. You’ll appreciate it more.


LIVING IN EMERGENCY: STORIES OF DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS

Living In Emergency (2008) follows the daily struggles of the Doctors Without Borders and their work in Africa.

The workers of the organisation do great work, but this trailer doesn’t exactly do wonders to further promote them. It doesn’t focus on a number of main characters, anyone one or two events. It is simply a mess. The traditional red line is missing from the trailer, which is a shame, and turns the trailer into a shambles.

Having said this, the more I ponder on what I just watched, the mission of this film seems to be less about structure and a beautifully made documentary; and more about delivering to the common people pictures of a reality far from their own, and expose the organisation’s work further through a medium most people enjoy in order to promote or even just celebrate their efforts.

You expect the trailer to show a lot more shocking images, but it’s all glimpses of poverty, death, guns and medical equipment. Not impressed. Except by the choice of music, which is surprisingly different. No use of strings to make you cry, no horns to represent the epic proportion of the doctors’ work or xylophone moments to represent a sense of urgency. A gloomy, creepy, dark soundtrack enhances the sad, disturbing, hopeless atmosphere represented in the film.

Other than that, I am not sure how to make sense of it. Let’s hope the film will be a success. Otherwise, let’s wait for Doctors Without Borders: The Movie (starring Josh Hartnett, Eva Mendes and Harrison Ford, directed by Steven Spielberg – any takers?).


RESTREPO

Fans of anti-war films, I salute you! Restrepo (2010), winner of this year’s Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize, depicts honestly and hands-on a year in the life of American soldiers at work in Afghanistan.

Now, you may think “Oh God, another one of those”. I’m not one for lying to my readers, so yes. It’s another one of those. But it looks like a good one of those. It takes on look at how it is to be so close to an enemy you instinctively want to kill, but shouldn’t. It investigates how one is mentally unprepared for the many surprises ahead. It infiltrates itself into the lives of the soldiers and we’re lucky (?) enough to even catch a good glimpse at the Afghans, which increases our desire to watch the film itself – or at least my desire.

As one of the soldiers says, you “hope for the best”, for both the locals and the GIs. Although it basically looks like a Jarhead (2005) with unprofessional actors set in Afghanistan, it manages to entice you with its use of direct interviews entwined in the real-life footage. This may sound like a lot of unnecessary talking heads, but in fact works to its advantage, giving it a more accomplished look, not unlike the style of American news magazine 60 Minutes.

The only risk I can see so far, not having read any interviews with the crew or reviews of any kind, is that it might lack a steady storyline. The trailer presents the film as a series of action-packed shots of soldiers in battlefield, negotiating with the Afghans and the interviews. I don’t think it will be a problem for those spectators who know what they’re getting into, but it might require a lot of concentration and hard work from the average viewer.

Let’s see what happens.


AFTER THE CUP: SONS OF SAKHSIN UNITED

This misleading title hides a most likely brilliant sport documentary. After The Cup (2009) deals with the problems of Bnei Sakhsin football team – a team of Arab players in the state of Israel. Once a successful football team, they are now trying to simply survive the trouble that comes with being outcasts in a state where war and mayhem are part of daily life.

For once a sports film everyone can relate to. Tackling a subject as human as football players combined with a fight for coexistence brings it down to a level the majority of people can comprehend. Thus the filmmakers manage to bring out in the light a subject as delicate as this one without taking sides or being judgemental. Being a sports film that goes beyond the beauty of the sport itself is a breath of fresh air.

Watching the trailer filled me with exactly what I expected: a sense of optimism and hope. Subjects like this one are made to uplift and enlighten us and if they don’t do that at the trailer stage, they’ve failed.

There’s something incredibly moving about the struggle of these athletes. Not only are they pushing themselves physically to get to places most of us can only dream of, but they are dealing with being a minority in a country torn by war since God remembers when. But still, there is the belief that through sport, peace is obtainable- and is that not what sports are about anyway?
Even if this is merely a fantasy, it’s a pleasant one, and an illusion we don’t mind taking with us.

This film could prove that the bridge between Israelis and Arabs is ready to be mended.


Louise-Afzal Faerkel