Although Patricia Rozema’s on-screen adaptation of Jean Hegland‘s novel Into the Forest is light on the science fiction and heavy on the drama, it hardly feels like a genre product. The world has fallen apart and nobody really cares. Most of the plot is centred around two young ladies, Nell (Ellen Page) and Eva (Evan Rachel Wood) learning how to fend for themselves.
No detailed explanation is given in either version as to why the world power grid failed. A war somewhere in Europe is alluded to but none of that fallout is going to be noticed in the woodlands of North Eastern USA — well, unless an electromagnetic bomb went off in the atmosphere or NASA failed to report one massive solar flare that has taken out much of the continent.
Unless audiences are from Hong Kong or is familiar with Chinese pop culture, the anthropomorphic pig named McDull (麥兜) may not be as well-known internationally. He’s very popular in parts of China, with plenty of merchandise to collect, and the appeal for this character is because of his perseverance to succeed. Love for this piglet is probably just as big as Japan’s Hello Kitty. Both are cute in their own way but the needs of a piglet do not outweigh the irresistible power of a cat.
At least in the latest film, McDull: Me & My Mum, a look back at this swine’s origins is in order. He is older and perhaps a bit wiser. He’s now a respected detective and is recognized by the name of Bobby Mak instead of his baby name. When he is called in to solve a death, his quick powers of observation save the day. If his deduction is true, no homicide took place. Everyone at the mansion is required to wait, and when the kids arrive, somebody has to entertain them. Mak recounts his life to them and he particularly emphasizes the closeness he had with his mother. From his days as a kid to his formative young adult years, she’s protected, given her sage advice and raised him like any mother would. She even tried to be a superhero, but an astronaut she is not. The metaphors are obvious, because the hospital she goes for that “space training” means she is ill. To a very young mind, to process certain situations can be tough.
The movie The Girl in the Photographs fondly recalls films like Halloween in it’s no holds barred approach to possibly reigniting the slasher genre. This detail makes this film worth noting. It’s directed by Nick Simon, a relative newcomer to the scene and it was the last movie that Wes Craven (Last House on the Left, A Nightmare on Elm Street) had his hands on as an executive producer. Most of his films have a trademark style to them and while it’s sad he’s passed on, the lessons Simon learned will most likely carry on in the next project he works on within the horror film genre.
In 2014, the Albertan punk-metal-country band The Smalls reunited for a true farewell tour and for directors Trevor Smith and John Kerr, they nicely captured the rawness and love Western Canada has for this group in their documentary The Smalls: Forever is a Long Time. Through candid interviews with the band and industry observers, viewers come to understand where each member has come from, where are they now, and why they decided to perform one last time. Whatever the reason was behind the break-up, the explanations are alluded to instead of spelling it out point-blank.
This documentary does not focus on the negative. It sweetly looks at the positive. This product also nicely works as a primer to those who have not grown up with The Smalls. Not everyone was exposed to their music when they were at their height in the 90’s and to follow the scene means being a die-hard enthusiast.
In what this movie presents is a very great look at their work from their rise to their sudden disappearance in the scene. A few conversations include why they did not do as well in Eastern Canada, and as for whether they had a world-wide influence, that’s for the fan to decide. Not every detail is spelled out for viewers to take note of, but at least in terms of how they ended it, the framing of this narrative is on the nose. The Smalls were indeed a phenomenon and when the music ends, what they have given are fantastic, lasting memories. That’s no easy feat.
Haoran Xiao (middle) and Chouchou Ou (right) at VFF’16 World Premiere
On Monday, Feb 8th, the 2016 Victoria Film Festival saw the world premiere of The Grand Song. This film was made in Southwestern China and it highlights the ethnic musical traditions of the Dong, a group of people who live in the Guizhou, Hunan and Guangxi provinces. On a day which also marked BC Family Day and Chinese New Year, two traditions blended into one harmonious moment to witness live music from a very gifted pianist Ricky Chiu. As audiences are entering the theatre, he’s playing Chopin, and he is later accompanied by his instructor, Shoko Inoue in a duet.
Before the screening, the director of this film Chouchou Ou announced that she is donating $1,000 to the British Columbia based Rainbow Kids Foundation which aids underprivileged children, and Rain Li, in behalf of her company Shanghai Rain Holdings Incorporated, added $10,000. After much applause and thank you to many benefactors for helping to bring this film to this festival, a short Q&A examined a few details of the movie and Ou sang “Miss You” to audiences. The young Chiu closed off the afternoon with his rendition of “Over the Rainbow.”
In a visually gorgeous movie as this product, The Grand Song will most certainly delight audiences curious about the unique cultures located within China. The Dong are said to have been descended from the ancient Guyue people, and as for how the blood lines relate, that’s best explored by anthropologists.
Linguistically, just how each sub-ethnic community communicates also evolved. Not every culture passes on their knowledge written down. In this film, the story lies in the music, and much of the deeper meaning is buried in the ballads heard. But this movie is more about the love between two, if not three souls, destined to never be together if their stubbornness does not change. The musical group The Supremes and composers Charles Hart and Don Black certainly nailed the idea of how you can’t hurry love or how love changes everything well before Ou crafted this film. Nafu (Haoran Xiao) is a well-educated man who decides to come home to see his family. In a less than spectacular fashion, he meets Alain (Jia Wang), a local woman, and he instantly declares his love for her. No matter how hard he tries, she rejects his courtship and declares her affection is for another young man, Qianshu (Li An Wei).
After the fun-filled Gala at the 2016 Victoria Film Festival, I was ready to head to the aisles to view this show’s weekend selection in the best of what independent cinema has to offer. But first, one of the staples that is a must-attend for me, especially when I want to learn more about the behind-the-scenes work, is Springboard’s In Conversation series hosted by Richard Crouse. He’s the voice of Canada’s movie and entertainment scene. From the big blockbusters to the indies, he’s covered them all and his knowledge is vast. I was hooked about four years ago and I find it’s best not to miss these talks.
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