Saturday 26 August 2017

『映画』/『コンサート』Setan Jawa(セタン・ジャワ)


2017721
Setan Jawa(セタン・ジャワ)」・・・Pesta Raya-Malay Festival of Arts
公開年: 2017
製作国: Indonesia, Australia
監督:  Garin Nugroho(ガリン・ヌグロホ)
音楽:  Rahayu Supanggah, Iain Grandage
出演:  Asmara Abigail, Heru Purwanto, Dorothea Queen, Luluk Ari Prastyo
見た場所: Esplanade Concert Hall

 “Pesta Raya”Arts CentreであるEsplanadeが毎年開催しているマレー芸術祭で、毎年、イスラム教のラマダン月の後、シンガポールの祝日でもあるHari Raya Puasa(ハリ・ラヤ・プアサ、ラマダン月終了の祭日)を過ぎた頃に開催されている。シンガポールのマレー系の人々はたいていイスラム教徒であるため、ラマダン開けのお祝いも一段落して、一息ついた所で開催するようになっているのだと思う。今年は720日から23日までの日程だった。

 “Pesta Raya”の期間中、Esplanadeでは有料無料の様々な催しが実施されるが、今年の目玉の一つがこの、「Setan Jawa」の上映・上演だった。上映・上演というのは、モノクロのサイレント映画を、歌唱隊つきのガムラン・オーケストラと、西洋楽器のオーケストラとともに上映するからである。サイレント映画を生演奏と一緒に上映するという催しはたまに見られるが、この「Setan Jawa」は、インドネシアの映画監督ガリン・ヌグロホが撮った最新作で、演奏される音楽もこの映画のために作曲されている(インドネシアのRahayu SupanggahとオーストラリアのIain Grandageが作曲)。オーストラリアのThe Asia-Pacific Triennial of Performing Artsで初公開され、オーケストラつきという上映・上演形態で各国を巡演しているらしい。


上はプログラムの表紙から。こちらはフライヤーからの写真。

 ガリン・ヌグロホの作品では、過去に一度「Opera Jawa」を見て、非常に感銘を受けた覚えがあった。「Opera Jawa」はカラー作品であるが、ジャワの伝統音楽と踊りで構成された作品で、やはりセリフがない。「ラーマーヤナ」にインスパイアされたという物語はシンプルで、村の貧しい若夫婦と、その妻に恋をした村一番の金持ちとの、三角関係の顛末を語っている。「Opera Jawa」を見て私が思い出したのは、寺山修司の遺作「さらば箱舟」だった。「さらば箱舟」が沖縄を舞台としており、「Opera Jawa」の世界観にどこか似通ったものがある(単なる南国つながりだが・・・)のも確かなのだが、それだけでなく、「この監督、寺山修司みたいだな」と思ったのだった。一つには、時代設定がいつともしれない感じなところ。1920年代のようなレトロ感はあるのだが、かといって歴史物では決してない。また、音楽が作品の重要な要素となっているところ。この「Opera Jawa」の音楽もRahayu Supanggahによる作曲である。そして最後に、これが寺山修司を思わせる最大の要因なのだが、美術が作品と切っても切れないところ。しかもその美術がきわめて独特で、伝統美を生かしたものでもSFやファンタジー小説的な空想世界に類するものでもない。一番近いと思うのは、伝統(あるいは伝統とまではいかない過去)をモチーフとしたコンテンポラリー・アートで、なんとなくどこかのビエンナーレで歓迎されそうな佇まい。そこが寺山修司っぽい。

 例えば、「Opera Jawa」の一場面で、金持ちの誘惑に負けた妻が、彼の邸宅に赴くシーン。村の道に赤い絨毯が金持ちの家までずっと敷かれており、そこを自転車に乗った妻が進んでゆく。途中に大きなドアがドアだけ立っていて、それをくぐり抜けてゆく。もちろん、インドネシアの片田舎に赤い絨毯が敷いてあるのでも、建物がなくドアだけ放置されているのでもなく、映画の演出であろう。では、このシーンは(作品の中の)現実世界ではなく、幻想シーンとして描かれているのかと言うとそうでもない。登場人物の目の迷いでもなんでもなく、文字通りに赤い絨毯とドアであるとともに、金持ちに誘われて好待遇を得ることになる妻の状況を表現したメタファーでもある。一般的な劇映画は、映画の中の世界を「現実」として扱いたがる(幻想シーンについては、登場人物か誰かの幻想であることを明示したがる)。しかし、この作品は「現実」と「幻想」(あるいはあからさまな表象表現)との切り分けを持たない。そういう意味で、作品がミュージカルである云々以前に、「Opera Jawa」は舞台劇に肌合いが近く、そしてそれを成し得ているのが、その独特の美術であると思う。舞台美術のようでもあるし、また、コンテンポラリー・アートのようでもある。実際に赤い絨毯と自転車が置かれていて、背後のスクリーンにその絨毯の続きが田園風景の映像とともに映し出される・・・こんな感じのインスタレーションは、いかにもありそう。

 「Setan Jawa」は、Esplanadeの四階席まであるConcert Hallで上映・上演された。舞台の前面にガムラン・オーケストラ、その後ろに指揮者の率いる西洋楽器のオーケストラ、そして背後に映画スクリーンという配置。サイレント映画ではあるが、スクリーンは横長で、両端がオーケストラを囲うように少しカーブしている。映像の端が歪曲するので、たとえ写実的なシーンであっても、それだけにとどまらない独特の面白さがある。

開演前。スクリーンの絵は、財産を得るかわりに家の人柱になるという悪魔との契約を描いている。

 今回の作品も物語はシンプルである。20世紀初頭、オランダの植民地下にあるジャワ島。窃盗で捕まった貧しい少年が牢獄に入れられ、彼の不幸な魂は悪魔(Setan)となる。このプロローグの後、物語は、高貴な家の娘(Asih)に恋をした貧しい村の青年(Setio)へと移る。彼女にふさわしい結婚相手となるために、SetioSetanと契約を結んで金持ちになるが、その代わり、自らが自分の家の人柱となる運命にあった・・・というもの。映画はいくつかの章に分かれていて、各章の始まりに章題が字幕で挿入されるが、セリフを字幕で入れることはない。ガムラン・オーケストラとともに時々歌が入るのだが、その意味を字幕等で教えてくれるわけでもないので、ほぼほぼ音楽と映像で物語を進めている。

 とは言いつつ、やはりこの「Setan Jawa」も寺山修司っぽいので、物語を把握することはそれほど重要ではない。上記の筋を理解できれば、それで十分ではないかと。後は、繰り出されるイメージとライヴ演奏の競演を堪能すれば良いと思う。「Opera Jawa」もそうだったが、独特の美術とともにある映像の美しさは卓越している。例えば、青年Setioが森の奥にある怪しげなマーケットを訪れ、Setanと契約を交わすというシークェンス。そこに集う人々は、伝統文化からくる神秘的な装いをしているようでもあるが、6070年代の舞踏ダンサー的でもある。正しくは、舞踏ダンサー的な前衛感が、2017年にアップデートされてより洗練された感じ。最終的にSetioは、このマーケットで大野一雄氏のような呪い師に出会い、Setanとの契約の儀式を行う。

 このシークェンスのようにあきらかに日常ではない、怪しさ満載の場では件の美術が大活躍なのだが、そうではない場面においても、終始見る者の目を楽しませる美しい作品である。例を上げると、SetioAsihを見初めるシーン。Setioが商売をしている小さな市場に、馬車を乗り付けてやって来るAsih。白塗りの男女二人の道化をお供に、買い物をするAsihの姿が優雅にとらえられている。それにしても良家の乙女のお供は、白塗りの道化(道化の召使い)。この取り合わせは、単に上品な美しい娘が登場する以上のインパクトがある。一種の異様の美しさである。その一方で、Setioが他の村人達と箒作りをして働いているシーンはきわめて写実的。しかし作品全体として、写実的な部分と、伝統と前衛の境界に花咲かせたような美術による部分とは、バランスがとれて統一感がある。結果、「現実」と「幻想(表象)」との切り分けを持たない、独特の世界観を持った作品となっている。

お金持ちになったSetio(御者の後ろに立っている若者)の元に、二人の道化をお供に嫁ぐAsih(中央)

 美術ばかりを強調したが、演技もまた作品の世界観に寄与すべく、特徴的。サイレント映画的、あるいは舞台劇的に大仰(というか勿体を付けている)と言えなくもないが、むしろダンスのようである。前述した道化達もそうだが、Asihの動きなども一度一度ポーズを取っているように見える。また実際に、ダンスのシーンもいくつかある。Asihの家の豪奢な居間を、敷居越しに正面からとらえると、長椅子などの家具を背景とした額縁舞台のように見える。そこで彼女の母が踊る。また、Setanのために祭祀的なダンスがなされ、Setanの手下達はSetioの新居に窓から飛び込んで来る。

新婚夫婦の新居に飛び込んで来る悪魔

 Asihに恋をしたSetioは、彼女が落としていった簪を、自宅でこっそり自分の髪にさして踊る。一方、落とした簪をSetioが拾ったことを知っていながら、あえて返せとは言わなかったAsihは、やはり自宅で召使いに足を洗わせている。この二人のシーンがクロスカッティングで交互に見せられるのだが、恋をしている人達の非常に美しく官能的なシーンである。Setioが簪をさして女性のように踊る姿を、カメラは彼の体に迫り、舐めるようにとらえる。外見上は男らしい男性であるSetioが、愛する女性と一体となるかのように、かくもセクシーに踊ることができるとは。一方Asihは、立ったまま足を洗わせているのだが、官能に強ばらせているかのような足の上を、召使い(女性)の手が太ももの方まで上って行く。これがまたとてつもなく官能的。もちろんただ単に足を洗っているだけなので、何かあるわけではない。しかし久しぶりに見た、何が起こるわけでもないのに非常にエロいというシーン。「アート」映画と構える必要は全くなく、このクロスカッティングのシーンを見るだけでも、結構エンジョイできると思う。

 演技がダンス的なので、感情表現も身体全体を大きく使ってなされている。Setioの命乞いに来たAsihに、Setanは恋をしてしまう。Setanに体を要求されたAsihは、どうしたらよいのか苦悩する。覚悟を決めつつ、バスタブで行水をするAsihの苦しみを表現するのに、単なる表情や日常的な動きは用いられない。Asihは、足を持ち上げてそれをバスタブの縁に出し、ポーズを取る。このイメージのインパクトと官能的な美しさ。また、結婚を申し込みに行って、貧しいゆえにAsihの母に追い返されたSetioが、やるせなく箒を作っている。悲しさ悔しさにたまらないSetioは、箒の穂を頭にかぶる。穂先を下に穂をかぶったSetioの顔は見えず、人であって人でないような異形の何かに見える。そしてこの後、SetioSetanに会いに行くのである。

 最後に音楽について。全般的にガムランの方が大きく聞こえるので、最初のうちは、二種類の音楽が合っているのかどうか、西洋楽器が必要なのかどうかよくわからない。実際Setioが訪れる怪しげなマーケットのシーンなど、ガムラン・オーケストラしか聞こえていないようなパートもある。しかし、聞いているうちに、やはり両者が揃っていなければできないこともあるな、と思ったのだった。例えば、AsihSetioの命乞いをしに、Setanに会いに行くシーンでは、西洋の弦楽器の音がはっきりと聞こえている。バイオリンの哀切な響きが、Asihの優しい(勇猛さのない)自己犠牲的な思いにふさわしく、観客の感動を誘う。そして見ているうちに、二種類の音楽が、それぞれの特徴を生かしつつ調和しているように感じられてくる。

悪魔に会いに山奥に分け入ったAsih

 この作品をライヴ演奏なしで(音楽は録音で)上映することは可能だと思う。ただ、生演奏を聞いている時のような興奮や熱気は得られない。では逆に、映画ではなく、オーケストラ付きの舞踏劇だったらどうだろうか。これまた可能でないこともないが、全く違う作品になり、もはや「Setan Jawa」とは違うものになってしまうだろう。この作品の演技も美術も舞台劇っぽいのだが、観客を巻き込むような舞台の熱気を刈り取って、映画のスクリーンに封じ込めた結果、同じ内容であっても恐らく舞台劇では感じられないような洗練が、そこにはある。怪奇なものも野蛮なものも、フィルターを通して見ているかのような。しかも、モノクロのサイレント映画のため、一応20世紀初頭という設定ではあるが、いつとも知れない時代、どこか夢のような遠さがある。舞台が与える高揚感と泥臭さ(俳優が生で演じることによる)がないかわりに、知的に怪異のドラマと美を楽しむことができるようになっている。そういう意味で、映画らしい映画なのではないか、と思ったのだった。2017730日)

カーテンコール。監督、作曲家、主演女優さん達とともに。

Esplanadeの野外劇場では無料のコンサートが行われていた。Pesta Rayaの賑わい。

Tuesday 22 August 2017

[Film] The Girl Without Hands (La Jeune Fille Sans Mains)


21 May 2017
“The Girl Without Hands (La Jeune Fille Sans Mains)”---French Animation Film Festival
Release Year: 2016
Country: France
Director: Sebastien Laudenbach
Cast: Anais Dumoustier, Jeremie Elkaim
Location I watched: Alliance Francaise

This year, Alliance Francaise organised the 6th French Animation Film Festival. 6 films were screened, but I only managed to watch this film. “The Girl Without Hands” is adapted from the Brothers Grimm’s famous fairy tale. It was a very good film, but unfortunately the audience was quite small. Perhaps it was because of its M18 rating even though it was a fairy tale adaptation.


The touch of “The Girl Without Hands” is like a watercolor sketch. The images are simple drawings, without details. The drawing is constantly flowing and new images appear, one after another. Even a fixed shot is like a beautiful sketch. Furthermore when the shot starts moving, we realize that is why animation is called animation. Images in this film are literary animated. For example, after the protagonist, the girl, lost her hands, she wanders in the mountains and finally finds a garden the prince owns. The garden at night, illuminated with twinkling lights is an incredible enchanting scene.

The story basically follows the original Grimm’s fairy tale. God (in this film, the God of the river) sometimes helps the girl and some miracles also happen. However, the film takes more time showing the girl’s hardship and endeavors. The touch of the images is gentle and has less details, but the girl’s struggle to live---without her hands, how she changes her baby’s diaper or how she sows vegetable seeds and so on---is elaborately described. As the result, the film became a story about a pure girl, while receiving divine favour, carves out her life for herself and finally gets happiness in her own “hands”. The content, not just the visual images, is beautiful. It is an elegantly powerful film. (28 June 28, 2017)

The ending song, "Wild Girl" is also beautiful.

Tuesday 15 August 2017

[Film] Planet Single (Planeta Singli)


20 May 2017
“Planet Single (Planeta Singli)”---European Union Film Festival
Release Year: 2016
Country: Poland
Director: Mitja Okorn
Cast: Maciej Stuhr, Agnieszka Wiedlocha, Piotr Glowacki
Location I watched: National Gallery Singapore

Story from the programme booklet:
Ania is charming, romantic, though not too self-confident teacher who is looking for her ideal man on internet dating sites. On Valentine’s evening, she meets Tomek who hosts the most popular and controversial TV show in the country. Admiring her innocent romanticism, the showman offers her to become a heroine of his program. She will make dates online and he will reveal true faces of the men flirting in the net and ridicule these naïve women who seek their princes online. Ania’s crazy dating adventures turn out to be an instant hit. However, one day Ania unexpectedly encounters her ideal boyfriend.

Dinner at Tomek's house. Uncler what they are eating

Planet Single” in this film is a fictional dating application that is similar to “Tinder”. On Valentine Day, the protagonist, Ania made the first date with a man who became acquainted through the Planet Single application, but he never appeared. A popular TV host, Tomek happened to be in the same restaurant where she was waiting for her “boyfriend”. He spotted her and immediately understood her situation. He spoke to her, a total stranger for him, in a conceited and rude manner and she really got angry with him. Their first meeting was the worst. But as they know more about each other, they gradually become attracted… It is the perfect pattern for a romantic comedy. The story does not only concentrate on Ania and Tomek, but many characters also appear and develop their episodes. While I was watching, I wondered how all the episodes would conclude, but they somehow came together at the film’s ending after all. However, the film had so much high spirits that the duration is a little bit too long over 120 minutes. It is a weak point of the film, I think.

Tomek has his own show on TV with puppets he designed. To boost the audience ratings, his boss orders Tomek to reveal the real identity of his puppet heroine, which is actually Ania, in the last episode of the show. I thought the live broadcasting of the last episode would be this film’s climax. For example, Tomek proposes to Ania during the broadcasting and although it is different from the boss’s initial intention, the audience rating gets high. However, such a terrible cliché did not happen. I felt evaded by Tomek at first, but actually it is a reasonable conclusion. Tomek keeps his promise for her never to reveal her identity till the end, taking a risk to sacrifice his career. The real climax comes later in the film and it makes the audience laugh and happy.

This romantic comedy creates laughter from situations and body expressions more than from dialogue. As that works well, the film is sometimes quite funny. One of the most memorable scenes, Tomek desperately asks for help to his friend and business partner, Marcel, shouting his name outside his apartment at midnight. Finally Marcel came out, wearing Japanese Yukata (casual Kimono clothes, sometimes used as nightwear) printed with a Japanese hotel name and disposable slippers…When you stay in a hotel in Japan, you can take the disposable slippers. But please do NOT bring that Yukata back to your home. It belongs to the hotel… Another good point is that Ania has an irresistible charm. It is a lovable film.

This screening was in conjunction with the Polish Food Festival. So before the film starts, there was a reception with Polish refreshments. But when I reached the venue, the food was almost gone. Anyway, in the film, many nice restaurants, cafés and bars appear as a venue where Ania dates with her Internet boyfriends. However, since the situation is always a first meeting, she does not eat almost anything. While we see various eating places, we do not see actual eating scenes. It is a unique concept, but we cannot know what Polish cuisine look like by this film. As a promotion for the Polish Food Festival, I am not sure if this was good or not. (23 June 2017)

Monday 14 August 2017

[Film] The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Maki (Hymyileva Mies)


12 May 2017
“The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Maki (Hymyileva Mies)”---European Union Film Festival
Release Year: 2014
Country: Finland
Director: Juho Kuosmanen
Cast: Jarkko Lahti, Oona Airola, Eero Milonoff
Location I watched: National Gallery Singapore

Story from the programme booklet:
The true story of Olli Maki, the famous Finnish boxer who had a shot at the 1962 World Featherweight title. Immensely talented and equally modest, Olli’s small town life is transformed when he is swept into national stardom and suddenly regarded as a symbol of his country. There’s only one problem: Olli has just fallen in love. Inside of the ring, it is Finland v the USA, but outside, boxing and romance become unlikely adversaries vying for Olli’s attention.

This scene looks like a boxing film.

Boxing is one of film’s favorite sports. There have been many dramas about victory or tragedy from hardship with ambition and maybe love. In “The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Maki”, the boxing scenes do not cut corners. Olli Maki, also known as “The Baker from Kokkola”, is working hard. Especially His struggle to lose weight clearly shows the cruelty of boxing. Nevertheless, this film is actually not a drama about boxing. His title challenge in the summer of 1962 was shot like a film of those days on black and white 16mm. The film does not stir the audience’s emotion unnecessarily. It observes Olli as a humble and easy-going young man who is far from the ordinary image of a boxer. Olli’s confusion and the excitement of those around him are described with controlled humour and modest satire.

“You don’t have to take the responsibility for others’ selfish dreams.” Olli’s girlfriend, Raija cheered him up. This film is not a drama about boxing. This film is a story about how to live your life. Victory and love can sometimes come together, but sometimes it does not. The important thing is not to lose yourself. If you do not lose yourself, even when victory does not come, happiness may come. The English title of this film is ironic and at the same time, it is true. That day of the title match, the 17th of August in 1962 became the happiest day for Olli.

“When we get older, will we become like them?” Raija said to Olli, as they notice a passing elderly couple taking a walk peacefully on the harbour. That onscreen couple is the real Mr. Olli Maki and Mdm. Raija Maki.

By the way, there is a sequence where Olli takes Raija to a “show” in Helsinki. The show is very simple. There is a big water tank on the stage. Two women in bikini are lying on the board set up at each side above the tank. When the show starts, the audience throws tennis balls at the pole supporting the board. If the balls hit the target, the women splash down into the water. That is all. The show finishes in a few minutes. That is a vulgar and sad reflection of Olli’s summer days in his peaceful hometown. I am not sure that such a lame “show” really existed or not in Helsinki in the 1960’s. Anyway, as I personally like circus or tent show very much, that scene was quite curious and attractive. (13 June 2017)

Sunday 13 August 2017

[Film] Beyond Sleep (Beyond Sleep)


12 May 2017
“Beyond Sleep (Beyond Sleep)”---European Union Film Festival
Release Year: 2016
Country: The Netherlands
Director: Boudewijn Koole
Cast: Reinout Scholten van Aschat, Pål Sverre Hagen
Location I watched: National Gallery Singapore

This year, European Union Film Festival had 27 films from 27 countries, but I watched only 3 films. It was a shame. The venue changed to The Ngee Ann Kongsi Auditorium in National Gallery Singapore from this year. National Gallery is an enchanting place, but the auditorium is not suitable for screening at all. As the screen is too far from the seats, only the rows from the first to third are good ones. Anyway, here are my small reviews for the films I watched.

Story from the programme booklet:
Young geologist Alfred ventures out into the swampy North of Norway to research meteorite craters, trying to continue the work his father left off when he died during a similar trip. He searches, stumbles and suffers only to find redemption on the very edge of madness. Based on the iconic, bestselling Dutch novel “Nooit meer slapen” by W. F. Hermans.


During the last 10 years, climbing or hiking in mountains is getting popular among young ladies in Japan. But as I watched this film, I thought that I would never want to go on a hiking trip. The protagonist, Alfred, a geologist from the Netherlands, goes on a research trip to the fiords of Norway. The grand nature is extremely beautiful under the weak white light of the summer sun that never sets. However, Alfred’s journey is quite tough physically and mentally. He walks deep into the fiords area with his guide and two researchers. Except him, all three members are Norwegian. For Alfred, it is his first experience of research in a swampy fiords area. While the other members are used to walking there, Alfred has to struggle to keep up with them. Besides, Alfred can only communicate with them in English, but once they start talking in Norwegian, he feels a sense of alienation. Nature is beautiful, but severe for him. Even when he sleeps, nature sends mosquitoes to his tent. In addition to those painful situations, unlucky accidents happen one after another on him. He is gradually losing the mental balance. Finally he becomes almost mad, mixing up the present with his traumatic past… Now you know why I do not feel like going hiking after watching this film… Anyway, in overcoming this hell tour, Alfred finds an ironic ending waiting for him. The lyrical scene with a girl just before the end of the film leaves an enigmatic echo against his hardship and sorrow. (8 June 2017)

Sunday 6 August 2017

[Film] The Dark Valley (Das finstere Tal)


22 May 2016
“The Dark Valley (Das finstere Tal)”---European Union Film Festival
Release Year: 2014
Country: Austria
Director: Andreas Prochaska
Cast: Sam Riley, Paula Beer
Location I watched: Golden Village Suntec

Story from the programme booklet:
A remote high mountain valley towards the end of the 19th century. A stranger, Greider, arrives at a clannish village community and asks if he can take shelter for the winter. He knows the villagers’ gloomy secret. A mysterious series of deaths ensues.

A wanderer arrives at a small village in a valley between deep mountains, saves a young girl in trouble by the evil master of the village and leaves again. This should be a familiar Cowboy Western plot style. But when this plot is set in the extremely cold climate in the Alps together with vengeance against the blood ties of a clan, the film becomes something different. An isolated village, brutal murders and tragedies caused by secret blood relations…the film is like an Alps version of Detective KINDAICHI Kosuke series (***) with gorgeous gun action scenes. It is an enjoyable film. (26 May 2016)

Mr. Greider (Sam Riley)-a photographer/gunman

***Detective KINDAICHI Kosuke is one of the most famous fictional detectives in the history of Japanese mystery. The author of the original novel series is YOKOMIZO Seishi. The series have been adapted for films many times. Director ICHIKAWA Kon’s works (“The Inugami Family (Inugami-ke no Ichizoku)”, “The Devil’s Ballad (Akuma no Temari-uta)” and so on) are the most famous and acclaimed.

Friday 4 August 2017

[Film] Boss Wants a Happy Ending (Patron Mutlu Son Istiyor)


17 May 2016
“Boss Wants a Happy Ending (Patron Mutlu Son Istiyor)”---European Union Film Festival
Release Year: 2014
Country: Turkey
Director: Kivanc Baruonu
Cast: Tolga Cevik, Ezgi Mola
Location I watched: Golden Village Suntec

Story from the programme booklet:
Sinan is sent to Cappadocia by his boss, Isfendiyar to write a screenplay. As he waits for inspiration, Sinan finds himself running first into Eylul, the daughter of Izzet, who owns the hotel where he’s booked to stay, and then into soap opera star Faruk, his former good friend and present enemy.


At Cappadocia, a world-famous tourist spot, Sinan, a scenario writer falls in love with Eylul. However, she is getting married to an actor who used to be Sinan’s friend. Although “Boss Wants a Happy Ending” is not a musical, the film’s presentation and atmosphere reminds me of a Bollywood entertainment film.

This film’s title, “Boss Wants a Happy Ending” becomes a key point of the film itself. Sinan starts writing a scenario based on himself and Eylul. But, he thinks that he should not realistically spoil others’ wedding and returns to his home in Istanbul. His scenario also means ending with his broken heart. However, his boss, a studio tycoon is really unsatisfied with Sinan’s scenario. The boss said, “The audience never wants such a sad ending. Once you wrote about yourself, in order to write a happy ending, you must win this love!” While this sounds logical, but actually it does not make any sense at all. The boss gives Sinan his speech purely from money and business, while in the steam bath, surrounded by almost naked beauties. Anyway, Sinan is encouraged (?) by his boss and returns to Cappadocia in order to make a reality that he and his film wants. It is a romantic and funny metacinema. (18 May 2016)

Thursday 3 August 2017

[Film] Phoenix (Phoenix)


14 May 2016
“Phoenix (Phoenix)”---European Union Film Festival
Release Year: 2014
Country: Germany
Director: Christian Petzold
Cast: Nina Hoss, Ronald Zehrfeld
Location I watched: Golden Village Suntec

Story from the programme booklet:
Narrowly escaping with her life but severely injured, Nelly (Nina Hoss), a Jewish concentration camp survivor returns to Berlin to piece together the fragments of her past. In the care of her friend Lene, Nelly recovers from her facial reconstruction surgery, after which she bears a mere resemblance to her former self. When she meets her husband Johnny, he fails to recognize Nelly, convinced that his wife is dead.


Although “Phoenix” is set in the period just after World War Two, it is a minimal psychological drama, with a small cast and limited locations. A man tries to revive a dead woman using a new woman, but actually those two women are the same one woman. This concept is similar to Alfred Hitchcock’s “Vertigo”. However, the story of “Phoenix” is told throughout only from the woman’s point of view. Unlike Kim Novak as Judy who wants to leave herself dead, here, Nelly, the “dead” woman wants to get back to her past self with the man, her husband Johnny. But unlike James Stewart as Scottie, Johnny wants to leave her dead. He is trying to make the new Nelly his wife Nelly only for getting her inheritance. He does not recognize they are the same person.

An old acquaintance, a housekeeper auntie could recognize Nelly because she was wearing a familiar red dress and made up like before. Johnny, however, could not recognize the new Nelly when he saw her at a nightclub for the first time, even though Nelly was unnaturally staring at him, just a nightclub waiter. Perhaps, it showed his inner desire that Nelly stays dead because of his guilt. Johnny secretly divorced Nelly to save his own life during the War.

The husband’s betrayal was revealed to the audience in the early part of the film, so throughout the rest of the film we observe Nelly uneasily when she finds the truth. That is the central suspense of the film and keeps us drawn. Finally Nelly realized that no matter how strongly she longed for the happy past, it would never return, never revive. The actress, Nina Hoss playing Nelly with strong eyes, sings Kurt Weill’s “Speak Low”, hiding a flood of emotions. Even if she killed Johnny or killed herself, there would not be anything to help her. What Nelly lost by the war, what was more important than her original face cannot be taken back anymore. That is a real tragedy of war in “Phoenix”. (16 May, 2016)

Wednesday 2 August 2017

[Film] Cowboys (Kauboji)


European Union Film festival in Singapore came back in May 2017. Before introducing this year’s films, here are a few film reviews from 2016.

14 May 2016
“Cowboys (Kauboji)”---European Union Film Festival
Release Year: 2013
Country: Croatia
Director: Tomislav Mrsic
Cast: Sasa Anocic, Zivko Anocic
Location I watched: Golden Village Suntec

Story from the programme booklet:
The film Cowboys is a comedy based on a Croatian hit theatre play. It is the story of eight outsiders who are trying to create a theatre play while breaking every rule of theatre craft. Genre-wise Cowboys is between social drama and comedy with an emphasis on clear stories and functionally profiled characters.


Although adapted from a theatre play, “Cowboys” does not seem to have been a play because the story does not go forward only by dialogues. It was an enjoyable film, so I felt sorry for less audience.

In a dull industrial town, seven guys and one lady try to create a theatre play to get back something meaningful in their lives. The plot is similar to the film “Full Monty”. However, unlike other films where losers team up and try to achieve something, “Cowboys” is more pleasant because it does not emphasize the emotional side to make audience weep. It always tries to keep the humour. Even in a potentially weepy scene when the characters, the amateur actors visit their dying theatre director at the hospital, there is a funny gag in the background with a patient in the same room almost getting accidentally killed by one of the actors. There is a likable spirit to the film.

“In 15 years later, theatre art culture will bloom in this town. That is fine. Now I never request you to make a masterpiece. And nobody hopes to become a professional actor.” The theatre prompter told the theatre director. As the result, what has completed is…an unexpected “physical theatre”! To put it nicely, the show by the eccentric amateur actors is avant-garde. To put it badly, the show is like a school play. Considering that all actors are novice, the result has reality. Their western play reminds me of the play by Athens citizens within Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”. This amateur play’s scene looks ridiculous totally, but for some reason, the moment when Thisbe kills herself feels quite touching. Like such a direction style, “Cowboys”’ amateur western was also moving and gave their audience satisfaction at the end, for some reason.

However, in the last scene of the film, the director passed away without seeing his success. Even the scene of his death does not try to make the audience cry. It was just indicated. --- In our life, we just try to do the best what we can do, whatever the result might come. While unleashing silly gags, it seemed that the film has such a cool detached view of life. I like that point. (16 May 2016)