By: Henry J. Fromage –
This week I checked out several films directed by folks more known for their acting plus a few Korean picks.
769. Urchin
Harris Dickinson landed a spot in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard section and won the FIPRESCI Prize there for his directorial debut. He casts himself in a supporting role, but generously yields the lead to Frank Dillane, who plays a junkie and general ne’er-do-well as he tries and fails and tries again to get his life back together. It’s a bruising and heartbreaking performance Dickinson wisely foregrounds, although he’s got some stylistic tricks up his sleeve demonstrating ample skill if he wants to keep working this side of the industry. Two Beers.
770. Day of the Fight
Here’s another actor getting in the director’s chair for the first time, although one from a family not unused to its burdens- Jack Huston. He chooses to shoot a gritty black and white boxer drama for his, also yielding the lead to a former coworker- Michael Pitt. He plays a boxer on, well, the day of the biggest fight of his life, as he goes around New York trying to make amends for the choices he regrets that led him to prison and back out to where he’s at now. While the basic building blocks of the story are as old as the genre itself, the way Huston slows things down, reorders them, and builds momentum to the climax shows a deft filmmaking hand. Having this kind of cast in the rolodex sure doesn’t hurt, either. Two Beers.
771. Big Deal
This complicated financial-legal thriller tells a fictionalized version of the corporate struggles for control of Korean soju giant Jinro in the late 1990s, at a time when the Korean economy was reeling and IMF loans were in the immediate horizon. It’s a complicated and convoluted tale, both in the particulars of the proceedings and in the double and triple dealings of the cast, led by Yoo Hae-jin as the put-upon CFO of the soju giant and Lee Je-hoon as the hot-shot financial consultant hired by the company to help them restructure and who instead used it as a trojan horse to seizing management control for his own firm. A polished game of corporate thrones. Three Beers.
772. Tropic Thunder
When they say “you couldn’t make a movie like this anymore”, they really mean it with this one- and arguably they shouldn’t have been able to make this almost twenty years ago, either. And yet, it’s still absolutely hilarious, with a lot of its more questionable choices justified by the object of its satire being overinflated Hollywood egos in practically every facet of the industry, plus the outright all-in ridiculousness of it’s absolutely stacked cast. A comedy classic. Two Beers.
773. Fists of Legend
This Hwang Jung-min starrer is focused on a rather cruel reality show in which former fighting legends of the playground and the streets (well-known or self-styled- it seems to be a mix) have to survive two minutes in the ring against a real MMA fighter, then get a shot to fight other amateurs for a cash prize. Predictably, it’s generally hilarious to watch middle-aged schlubs get dominated, although it gets melodramatic fast as it starts to time hop between the high school experiences of its main characters and the present day when they’ll soon be pitted against each other by a craven TV producer. A bit overlong and overwrought, but hits its spots well. Three Beers.
774. Between the Mountain and the Sky
This documentary profiles Maggie Doyne, a woman who’s devoted her life to a Nepalese orphanage, even winning 2015 CNN Hero of the Year in recognizance of her efforts. Hearing someone call kids who aren’t their “my children” always comes across a tad cringey to me, and she’s definitely the unwavering focus of the spotlight despite several just as dedicated Nepalese staff who’ve worked alongside her all this time, but all of that fades away as you see the genuine connection she’s forged with these children and the clearly quality young men and women they become over the 20 years this documentary was filmed. Three Beers.
775. Girl Climber
While climbing is undoubtedly a male-dominated sport, there are plenty of incredible women in the sport, and this documentary profiles one of the best- Emily Harrington- as she attempts to free climb one of El Capitan’s more difficult routes in 24 hours, a feat only accomplished before by four men (including free soloing legend Alex Honnold, who assists her efforts) and zero women… so far. Despite many a set back and reconsideration, this girl climber won’t be denied. Two Beers.
