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Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

Avengers: Infinity War holds a unique place in my cinematic adventures. Infinity War is a unicorn, a film that I have seen more than once in the movie theater. Admittedly, the second screening was a bit under duress although it did manage to clear up a few plot points and details. But overall it did not do much to sway my opinion.

Of course I have put it rather late to post my reaction to the film, but I think that it is still a worthwhile exercise that will serve to help me for whenever Avengers 4 comes out. And – YES – I know that the official title has been released along with a few other spoilers, but I figure it is best to leave well enough alone 🙂

Due to my delay, I will keep my recap to subheadings and short list items …

Avengers: Infinity War

Overall Thoughts on Avengers: Infinity War

  • I liked it. Personally I think that the Russo Brothers did a good job in gathering all of these characters and their uniquely crafted standalone stories into one cohesive story. As a person who has seen most (but not all) of the films in the MCU, I think that is a big win.
  • I know some are critical of the lack of full continuity with the most recent MCU entries (Thor: Ragnarok and Black Panther). For me, any incongruities are inconsequential since I expected as much – within reason. In my opinion, it is a credit to Marvel and Disney that they give each artist some leeway in how they tell the story, as long as the “big stuff” remains fairly consistent. A little ‘retconning’ it is okay with me.

Things that Worked in Avengers: Infinity War

  • Chris Hemsworth’s Performance. This turned out to be a pleasant surprise. His arc as Thor really ran the gambit of emotions – from the lighthearted comedy to the semi-defeated warrior who is at the end of his rope with nothing left to lose. That is quite a range to pull off in the same film and he did the thing!
  • Bring on the Theories! Because of where we leave the story, there are lots of unanswered questions – we know things cannot end or move “forward” in their present state. Over the past several weeks since seeing Infinity War, it has been fun, if not frustrating at times, to discuss what it all means.
  • A Feeling of Stakes and Consequences. The impending sense of peril and loss were quite pronounced throughout the film. It was clear that for our heroes, not only was the fate of the universe a big deal, but the personal stakes also weighed heavily in motivating their (in)actions.

Things that Did Not Work (as Well as They Should Have)

  • Post Credits Clip. This one has bugged me more than many others in the past. It was a direct reference to a character that I have never seen. And without any in depth knowledge of the machinations of the MCU, left me a bit perplexed.
  • Thanos. He just annoyed me. To the creators of Infinity War, I guess ‘mission accomplished.’ After all, the point of creating a villain is to get your audience to generally loathe them. Full marks on that account! As a baddie, Thanos comes off more like a petulant man-child wanting his own way more than anything.
  • Just Say No (to 3D). This does not have anything to do with the film itself, but it is worth noting. Having seen Infinity War in both cinematic dimensions, I do not think anything is ultimately lost in seeing this in 2D. The only loss I suffered was in my wallet after shelling out the extra cash for the additional ‘D’.

So that’s it. I enjoyed Avengers: Infinity War and look forward to seeing how events will unfold come May 3, 2019 (subject to change).

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Tribeca Film Festival ’18 (Part 2 of 2)

Here is Part II of my adventures at Tribeca Film Festival, 2018 (Part I is here).

Netizens

I have to admit that for as much as I am on various social media platforms during the day, I have not heard this term, netizen. But I guess it is a thing (and makes sense too).

In the wake of #MeToo, many are welcoming the long-overdue conversation we need to have as a society about how we interact with one another in public and private online spaces. As any extended period of time in these spaces will show you, it is not the “world community utopia” which many hoped it would be. At best, online trolling, etc. is merely annoying. At its worst, the interactions can be harrowing and life-altering, as examined in Netizens, directed by Cynthia Lowen.

In this documentary, Lowen looks at three subjects whose lives have been affected by online harassment. After watching this film, I even feel like I am letting the perpetrators off pretty easy by simply calling it “harassment” because what is happening is a violation of the most insidious nature and includes a variety of digital abuse, such as:

  • Non-consensual pornography
  • Cyber-stalking
  • Threats of violence
  • Privacy invasions
  • Impersonation
  • Character attacks

For me a main driver of the narrative is the profile of Carrie Goldberg, a New York City-based attorney who has opened a law firm which specializes in Internet privacy and sexual assault and their intersection. For Carrie, herself a victim of cyberharrassment, this truly is a life’s work. This is not stated to underplay or diminish the stories of the other women featured (Tina and  Anita Sarkeesian). In fact, every woman is given equal time to share their terrifying experiences of being the targets of such horrible personal attacks. But Ms. Goldberg’s story seems to lie at the nexus of all the cases of harassment and how we as a society respond to it (or don’t). The ability of these women to be able to come out on the other side with the courage to share their stories is worthy of our notice.

Netizens tribeca film festival 2018

However as I left the screening, I wanted to hear MORE because it felt like there was a lot more story to tell. After some contemplation, I came to the conclusion that this (sadly) is just the beginning and that there will be many more stories for others to tell …

[Read more…]

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Isle of Dogs (Wes Anderson, 2018)

I have a “confession” to make … I am not really a Wes Anderson fan. If I am honest, his films have never interested me. So you can imagine my surprise when I recently found myself sitting in a screening of his latest film, the star-studded stop-motion feature, Isle of Dogs.

Set in Japan in the not too distant future, Isle of Dogs tells the story of Atari Kobayashi, the 12-year-old ward of the corrupt mayor of Megasaki City. The film starts with the seemingly cat-loving Mayor Kobayashi issuing an executive order which calls for the immediate removal of all dogs in the city to a garbage-dump outside the city limits (known as Trash Island). No canine companion is immune from this fate, not even Spot, Atari ‘s companion and guard dog. This action triggers young Atari on a quest to Trash Island to find his lost pet. With the aid of a pack of four-legged inhabitants of the island, Atari’s quest reveals itself to be much greater than simply the story of  a boy searching for his pet dog.

Given my previously stated feelings on all things related to Wes Anderson, you are welcomed to be shocked by my overall reaction (I sure was) – which was overwhelmingly positive. There are many aspects that I enjoyed about Isle of Dogs, chief among them is the story itself (that always helps). The narrative (from a story created by Anderson, Jason Schwartzman, Roman Coppola and Kunichi Nomura) was engaging and struck the perfect balance between a whimsical, childhood adventure liberally sprinkled with a healthy dose of good humor. At the end of the screening, I found myself leaving the theater with a bit of a pleasant smile on my face.

Now I cop to not being the most literate when it comes to Japanese cinema, but I have been informed by friends and acquaintances with a better knowledge of such things, that there is definitely thematic and structural nods in Isle of Dogs to some of well-renowned auteurs. This point was reinforced when, in the past couple of weeks, I got a hint of this when I attended a screening of Kurosawa’s Throne of Blood at this year’s TCM Film Festival (more to come on this soon). From musical transitions, cues etc., it is clear that Anderson wanted to convey how highly he regards storytelling from this part of the world.

On a related note, another aspect that I appreciated about the film is that as much as I could expect with such a film, Isle of Dogs played straight down the middle in terms of accessibility to an international audience. I can only imagine that great care was taken to make sure that the nods to and homages did not veer into the territory of appropriation. But I do understand that my take is more or less a matter of perspective; from my vantage point, Anderson and company acquitted themselves well. On the other hand, the fact that I am still thinking about this even weeks after seeing Isle of Dogs, means it is something that I was overly sensitive to, for better or worse. However, in the final analysis, it ended up being for the better – because in spite of my reservation, I still enjoyed the film.

First in limited release, Isle of Dogs is currently enjoying a wider (but still relatively small) theatrical run. If you can, I would definitely recommend you take a look out for it at your local movie theater as soon as possible; at the time this post gets published, it may be a little harder to find locally. If you find yourself in that situation, it is well worth investing the time for at home viewing.

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