Review: Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter

As if in tribute to the film it was inspired by, KUMIKO, THE TREASURE HUNTER was helmed by two brothers: David and Nathan Zellner bring us a gorgeous story of a Japanese woman whose mind becomes cracked by the tug-of-war between societal norms and the allure/whisper/dream of her own path.

While all the other girls are young and vibrant and friendly, Kumiko (Rinko Kikuchi) is reserved and shy and somewhat against pleasantries. She spends her time going off by herself, exploring and cross-stitching treasure maps and feeding her pet rabbit, Bunzo. At one point early on, she describes her desire to be like the Spanish Conquistadors who discovered America and its riches. In great contrast, her job as an office assistant has become a point of contention, as most women over 25 have either gotten married or are aspiring to further their careers (she is 29 and doing none of those things). The one solace that Kumiko clings to is an old VHS tape of the movie, FARGO, which she believes will lead her to the treasure that the plot reveals.

To anyone else, a little red flag would be appearing right about now. It is pretty common knowledge in the US that, though the introductory titles of FARGO state that the film is based on a true story, it is, in fact, fictional... but perhaps someone who did not grow up with the film in their backyard (perhaps, say, someone living in Japan) may not know this. So begins Kumiko's journey, as, completely oblivious to the truth, she steals her boss' company credit card and sets off to find the treasure.

It's a little bit of a stretch that Kumiko could honestly believe the treasure will be sitting on the side of a highway in Fargo, waiting for her; but to her credit, perhaps she can't live with the idea of not believing in the treasure. Kumiko's mother (and the rest of society, for that matter) keep pestering her to either get married or go home, and she has no other goals to strive for, so maybe this treasure really is her last resort.

Not only is this film visually stunning, but it's a chilling commentary on society. The first half of the film makes some strong statements about society's expectations for women; and the second half of the film switches over to the topic of racism. Abandoning the more commonplace stigma that a woman needs to be outgoing and extroverted to forge her own path, Kumiko serves as a pioneer -- or conquistador, shall we say -- for introverts everywhere: regardless of whether or not she succeeds, her story will be passed on.

KUMIKO is now playing at the Midtown Cinema. This is not a film to skip out on -- come watch it and tell us what you think!

Review: While We're Young

Noah Baumbaugh offers a structurally messy but overall enjoyable flick in WHILE WE'RE YOUNG, a film that broaches the subject of age and of authenticity.

"Documentary is about someone else; fiction is about me." Documentarian Josh (Ben Stiller) uses this quote from Jean-Luc Godard to begin a class he teaches at the local university, expressing his disagreement -- that documentaries, if done well, can in fact reveal something about the person who made them. Josh, who years earlier had produced a well-received documentary, now teaches while working on another documentary -- one that should have been finished ten years ago. His wife, Cornelia (Naomi Watts), is also a documentarian, producing documentaries for her father, the famous Leslie Breitbart (Charles Grodin).

Josh and Cornelia have hit their 40's. They go to bed early; their friends have started to have kids (they haven't, due to complications). Just when they're accepting their transition into middle age, they meet Jamie and Darby, a couple who audit Josh's class (played by Adam Driver and Amanda Seyfried). Jamie and Darby are the epitome of hipster youth, regarding the old as modern and the new as outdated: as Josh and Cornelia constantly check their phones and play games on devices, watch Netflix before bed, etc., Jamie and Darby watch VHS tapes, play board games, and take satisfaction in not Googling words that they can't remember ("Let's just not know," as Darby says). As Josh and Cornelia become infatuated with their new friends' youth, they begin to lose touch with friends their own age, scrambling to rediscover themselves.

But beyond their desperate attempt to "return to their youth", there is something else that isn't quite right with their new friends. Jamie is also a budding documentarian, and as the film progresses, we see him taking advantage of Josh and Cornelia's more malleable qualities. While Josh dreams of putting himself into his documentaries and presenting the honest truth, making it more about the process than about being successful, Jamie wants to present truth wrapped in fiction in order to make it more pallatable. He is a man of perceived process but in reality, he's bent on success -- which means that what his work reveals about him is just a fabrication of himself.

This is not your typical Ben Stiller role, and though the acting starts off a little shaky, by the end of the film the characters are able to come to life in all their complexities. This is a pretty dense story sprinkled with comic relief... It is clear that Baumbach has a lot to say in this film, though it may be a bit overloaded: to be honest, the idea of authenticity is the strongest theme throughout the film, but the "young vs. old" conflict muddles the message. It's one of those tricky situations where there is too much going on in the plot, but if it all didn't happen, the film would be found lacking... but regardless of its crowded structure, WHILE WE'RE YOUNG is an enjoyable watch. Come check it out this week at the Midtown Cinema!

Review: Woman In Gold

If you're going to make a film based on someone's life, the goal is to do that life justice. Unfortunately, that's a harder task than it looks -- as can be seen in the case of WOMAN IN GOLD, which tells the life story of Maria Altmann. From a director whose portfolio mostly consists of TV movies (Simon Curtis), and written by a first-time screenwriter, it isn't too surprising that the film doesn't quite match up to its potential.

Maria Altmann (Helen Mirren) lived as a Jew under the Nazi regime in Austria until she was able to escape with her husband and find a home in America, putting behind her a life full of fear -- but in doing so, leaving her family and her whole life behind. Years later, Maria wants to take back the collection of art that the Nazis had stolen from her family, most notably the painting of her aunt, entitled The Woman In Gold. However, the legal issues regarding these paintings are sticky, and so she requests the help of a young lawyer, Randol Schoenberg (Ryan Reynolds), whose history is also steeped in Jewish heritage. They are aided by an Austrian journalist, Hubertus (Daniel Brühl), who gives them some tips on how to take on the Austrian government, and gives his moral support.

The true story is a magnificent tale, but the film falls flat. The first scenes rob Maria of any character development, instead reducing her to an expository conversation about her soon-to-be lawyer and the statement of conflict. Nowhere in this film do we see motivation from either Maria or Randol; sure, they talk about it (over and over and over), but the audience is never allowed any proof that they actually feel what they're saying. A combination of poor writing and poor acting (my deepest apologies to all you Helen Mirren fans) leaves the film feeling very sterilized and bland. There is nothing wrong with the acting in the series of flashbacks scattered throughout the film however. Tatiana Maslany and Max Irons steal the show, giving the characters a shade of memorability.

WOMAN IN GOLD is not a complete flop, but it isn't going to be on any "must see" lists anytime soon. For those who are interested in Maria Altmann's story, you can get the gist from this film, but that's about it.

WOMAN IN GOLD is now playing at the Midtown Cinema.