Of parentage, parenting and naughty genetic experimentation: Anders Thomas Jensen's wacky/remarkable MEN & CHICKEN

The poster quote comparing this very odd film to a combination of The Three Stooges and The Island of Dr. Moreau is actually not that far afield. MEN & CHICKEN, the Danish/German co-production written and directed by Anders Thomas Jensen (Adam's Apples, The Green Butchers) offers more proof, if any were needed, that Mr. Jensen's inclination toward the bizarre remains in full swing. In his latest oddball wonder, the filmmaker takes two rather weird brothers, having discovered that their suddenly dead dad is not their biological father, on a road trip to a very un-populated island on which they meet, greet and get to know their whole-lot-weirder extended family.
Further discovery ensues.

Granted that Mr. Jensen, shown at right, has peopled his movie with an array of characters so far from what most of us would call "normal" that it takes some adjustment to weather this movie. The adjustment is worth it, however, for beyond the very dark comedy and search for sexual outlet of the first maybe two-thirds of the film, the final half hour is so increasingly full of surprise, shock, dismay and hope that, should you persevere, you will leave the movie in quite a different state of mind and heart than you found yourself, even a short time earlier.

Much better-liked in England and on the continent than over here in the USA, the movie offers a combination of philosophy, religion, morality and education all wrapped up in black comedy, mystery and family that results in the kind of intellectually horrifying climax (in which the mystery we've been wondering about for most of the movie is finally solved -- but, don't worry, it's not via blood and guts) followed by a denouement that gives new meaning to the idea of "the other," while simultaneously proving almost unbearably moving -- all the more so because it is not "pushed."

The expert cast is led by two fine Danish actors, the peripatetic and versatile Mads Mikkelsen (above, left) and the not-so-well-known but equally fine David Dencik (above, right). The supporting cast of family "brothers" -- Nicolaj Lie Kaas (below, left),  Søren Malling (center, two photos below) and Nicolas Bro (below, right) -- is equally good, though their countenances are obscured by very effective make-up (all our boys here have a tendency toward the hare-lip and other varied deformities).

Because the movie spends a lot of its time on matters related to sex, along with the inability of this family of men to get any, it may strike some viewers as too crass or gross. Again, stick with the film. Its decision to rub our noses in certain things does have a point. (Dad's nickname, it turns out, is "The Sausage of Death," and not without good reason.)

A word must also be said for the Oscar-worthy set design and the amazing location in which much of the movie was filmed. This is a house to remember,  The special effects, too, are first-rate -- often barely there, and just for a moment or two, so that you may find yourself from time to time asking, Did I just see what I think I saw?

TrustMovies missed this film at the time of its theatrical release, as I suspect many of you also did. No matter. You can catch Men & Chicken now, via its Blu-ray/DVD/Digital copy debut from Drafthouse Films.and MVD Entertainment Group. Running 104 minutes and in Danish with English subtitles, the movie hits the street this Tuesday, October 25 -- for purchase and/or rental.

Blu-ray/DVDebut: Phillip Noyce's THE GIVER is a young-adult film a lot better than you've heard

As dystopian fantasies go, THE GIVER -- directed by Phillip Noyce from the novel by Lois Lowry (screenplay by Michael Mitnick and Robert B. Weide) -- is more believable and intelligent a film than The Hunger Games twaddle (but with a lot less violence, and so commensurate box-office) and infinitely superior to the also-young-adult-oriented and godawful Twilight series, which substitutes vampire-lite mythology for teen sexual hunger and in the process makes hash of them both. Because Lowry's novel is already 20 years old, its movie version did not come quite so filled with Internet acclaim as the other two and did not have the hoped-for billion-dollar ticket sales. It is nonetheless a most interesting, if flawed, work worth seeing.

Australian director Noyce, shown at right, has a resume indicating that he knows his way around a lot of different genres -- from mystery to politics to action to socially-conscious movies -- and his work here is professional and smart. The screenplay lets us down a bit on some particulars (I haven't read Ms Lowry's book so can't compare): for instance, just how powerful is this "Giver" and why would the powers-that-be keep him/her around, when the Giver pretty much represents their possible undoing? You'll have to cut some corners to make all this make complete sense, but the film is generally worth it. It is very well cast, too, with Brenton Thwaites (below, left) and Odeya Rush (below, right) representing the younger generation trying to show their older counterparts what really matters (a plot factor true in all these young-adult books and movies).

That older generation is represented by the likes of Meryl Streep, as the person-in-charge, and Jeff Bridges (below, left) as someone who's only "sort of" in charge. Less old but still living in thrall to the accepted philosophy of their seemingly rational but deeply dysfunctional community are "parents" Alexander Skarsgård and Katie Holmes.

The movie is much more subtle than the usual teen blockbuster (hence, perhaps, its failure among this generally brainless and web-driven crowd). Horrible things are going on in the name of community spirit and equality, but the now sheep-like populace, over generations, has been lulled into near-total acceptance. Uniformity is virtue; difference is wrong.

How all this is conveyed -- Noyce uses a palette initially drained almost of all color, into which that color returns only gradually as our hero (Mr. Thwaites) begins to feel and experience more. What caring and parenting really means is called into question, as is the need for action and even some violence to protect our most basic rights.

All this should make the Y.A. crowd maybe sit up a little straighter, take some notice and even start thinking a bit. One hopes that the movie, which comes out this Tuesday, November 25, on Blu-ray, DVD and digitally -- via Anchor Bay Entertainment and running 97 minutes -- will finally find its deserved audience among home viewers.

The surprise "find" of the year so far: Darren Paul Fisher's enchanting, original FREQUENCIES

This new film, as it moves along, sprightly and efficient, may remind you of everything from Primer, Pi and Pontypool to Never Let Me Go and 1984. That's quite a range, I know, and in the end, FREQUENCIES, doesn't necessarily rise above any of those fine and groundbreaking works, but it makes its own mark as an original sci-fi rom-com with a theme that questions whether we humans act as sentient beings who possess free will or are simply machines that can be persuaded to do the bidding of -- guess who? -- yeah, that one per cent.

In fact, how the film's writer/director, Darren Paul Fisher (shown at right) chooses to present the powers-that-be (or their representatives) is especially clever and interesting. But then, just about everything in this film is clever and interesting and simply beautifully assembled and acted. Other than Rob the Mob, Frequencies is now my biggest movie pleasure of the year -- with not a trace of guilt (as in guilty pleasure) to be found. Because TrustMovies had not heard of of Mr. Fisher previously, nor of anyone else connected to the film (including its excellent cast), I assumed this must be his and their "first time out." Wrong. The film's lead actors have made a number of other movies, and beginning back in 2001, Fisher himself has written and directed Inbetweeners and then Popcorn (2007), neither of which caused much fuss.
Frequencies surely will.

Taking place in either some future period (or maybe one of those alternate universes filmmakers seem to love), Fisher's tale tells of a time when one's "frequency" (which seems to be some kind of physics terms as used here), like one's IQ in our own time, is used to predict what level in life one can achieve.

Class is preserved via the fact that low frequencies can never hope to mingle with their high-frequency betters -- which makes it not a little difficult for our two kids -- who are immediately drawn to each other but kept separate, for, of course, their own good and that of society's at large. Indeed, when they do try to connect, furniture rumbles, the earth begins to shake, and who knows what else might happen when frequencies mix.

The movie follows these kids -- Zak and Marie -- from childhood (two photos up) through adolescence (above) to young adulthood (below) as they and one of Zak's best friends, Theo, try various projects and experiments to make the relationship work.

The movie is by turns funny and sweet, poetic and sad as it offers up science and philosophy, music and words, in a world that so closely resembles our own as to be perfectly understandable yet just out of reach. There has not been a movie in quite some time that hits its audience so firmly via the imagination, mind and heart.

And, oh, those performances! The two sets of kids are fine, but the young adult versions of Zak and Marie, played by Eleanor Wyld (above) and Daniel Fraser (below) are simply stupendous. It's rare enough to see young actors so vitally attuned to the moment. And when these moments are full of oddity and swift, sudden changes, it must be even more difficult to convey. Thanks to Wyld and Fraser and to the filmmaker's splendid use of their wonderfully expressive faces, we live through every one of these changes to the fullest.

Enchantingly smart and stylish in its approach to 1984-type mind control and the possibility of love, Frequencies uses science, sound waves and even pronunciation (shades of Pontypool!) to marvelous effect. In one scene alone, the slight change in the color palette speaks volumes and produces wonders.

The movie, intellectually stimulating as well as romantic, will keep you riveted -- with pleasure as much as suspense and wonder. And if the journey is more spectacular than the destination, I am happy to report that there is indeed a destination. Even if it the solution doesn't actually solve much, that may be the point of this witty, charming, ambitious piece of popular entertainment/art.

From FilmBuff (that very-smart-about-independent-film distributor, the entire existence of which is more than paid back by giving us this one movie), via the U.K. and Australia, and running 105 minutes, Frequencies releases in theaters this Friday, May 23. Here in NYC it's at the Cinema Village, at the Los Feliz 3 in Los Angeles (only on Thursday, May 22), and the Loraine Palace in Cleveland. Next week it'll open in Dallas, Houston, Denver, Atlanta, and San Francisco, with a wider rollout to follow. For those of you not living in the aforementioned cities, the film will hit VOD and iTunes this Thursday, May 22. So you've simply no excuse not to see it.

UPDATE! Frequencies is now available to stream on Netflix. 

So there's absolutely no reason for you not to see it.

Netflix streaming tip: So-so sci-fi via Eron Sheean's ERRORS OF THE HUMAN BODY

Children, family, genetics and rogue science all get an interesting workout in the sci-fi/mutant disease thriller, ERRORS OF THE HUMAN BODY, directed and co-written (with Shane Danielsen) by Eron Sheean. This German/U.S.A. co-production features some bleak German interiors and exteriors, an international cast of some note, one pretty good surprise at the finale, and a story that keep threatening to matter but never quite does. Oh, yes-- and a really fab performance from a white mouse who pulls out all the stops and who ought to get the best animal actor award for this past year's efforts.

This mouse (above and on poster, top) is toyed with, abused, loses its tail and finally all but drowns, and the scene in which it struggles valiantly for breath and life is something to see. Luckily it has no dialog to deliver. The human actors here are not that fortunate, and it proves to be the dialog, as much as anything, that finally sinks the movie. What we hear is serviceable and moves the plot along, but often enough it just doesn't sound much like real conversation.

The plot, such as it is: A relatively young and hunky scientist/doctor Michael Eklund, holding that mouse, two photos above), after the terrible death of his son via some unknown virus that deforms and kills the infant, goes abroad to Germany to work for a new labora-tory involved in experiments that appear to have to do with what killed his son. There he gets involved with some weird co-workers (Karoline Herfurth, above, from We Are the Night) and Tómas Lemarquis (below, and yes! from Nói, the Albino, and Painless), who seems to be compiling quite the resumé of odd characters.

Errors of the Human Body is not at all difficult to watch. It offers several of those buttons that many of us want pushed: the weird, the scary and the moving (there ain't much humor here, however). But it is unable to do more than show us those buttons; when it comes to pushing, the film's fingers go limp. There is that final surprise, however, which is probably the very thing that fueled the fire for the idea for this screenplay. Yet even that surprise, by the time it arrives, seems too little too late.

The movie, from IFC Films and running 101 minutes, is available now from Netflix streaming and probably elsewhere, too. But if you're looking for a really good sci-fi/fantasy/scare movie about genetic tinkering, take a look at Splice.

Kinji Fukasaku's BATTLE ROYALE finally hits a U.S. theater--in New York City, at least....

For all those movie fans who were appalled by the deadly dull, soporific Hunger Games -- who may have wondered why anyone would create a story like this (children forced to fight to the death by their society) and then pull every single last punch so that a tale this horren-dous is rendered fodder for feel-good soap-opera -- well, the answer is upon us. Its title? BATTLE ROYALE.

This incredible, and incredibly difficult-to-watch, movie  came about at the turn of this past millennium and was immediately judged too horrific to be viewed by American audiences (as well as those in some other western countries). Directed by the late Kinji Fukasaku, shown at left) with a screenplay by the filmmaker's son Kenta (from the novel by Koushun Takami), the film posits a society on the brink of collapse that, when it's young people misbehave, takes a pack of randomly chosen kids off to a deserted island and forces them to fight to the death. Sounds familiar, huh? I think there is no way in hell that Hunger Games novelist Suzanne Collins and the people behind the filmed version of her trilogy had not heard of (maybe even read) the original Battle Royale novel and/or seen its filmed version -- before putting together their own watered-down mix (yeah, but it got a PG-13 from our obtuse ratings board!).

TrustMovies finally caught up with Battle Royal on DVD back in 2005 (via Netflix) and was properly shocked. He didn't love the movie. It's too horrible for that kind of response, but he certainly admired its premise and follow-through. It's a dark work -- figuratively and literally -- with lots of night scenes (that I understand come to life much better on the Blu-ray version, which I hope will eventually find its way here). It's bloody, too -- and garish, in its ice-cold manner. Perhaps the most difficult thing about it is witnessing how these so many of these children lose all sense of kindness, and consequently humanity -- something that The Hunger Games doesn't come near.

Apoplexy and paranoia run rampant here as the craziness mounts and everything from coat-hangers to pots and their lids become weapons of choice. As we grow into the mindset of these kids gone berserk, thing go from worst to beyond. When I saw the film I was unfamiliar with any of the cast members -- save Takeshi Kitano, below, center, who plays their martinet of a teacher -- but each actor fills his/her role as well as possible under these odd circumstances, in which violence and death, blood and killing aces out character at every turn.

I suspect that, having watched perhaps five times as many Asian movies in the past seven years since seeing Battle Royale, than I did in my entire life prior to 2005, I might cotton onto some of the specific Japanese cultural tidbits more readily now than before. Even back then, however, I found the movie original, shocking and undeniably prescient. If you in any way found The Hunger Games interesting, you owe it to yourself to see what its ten-times-better progenitor looks like.

The film, running time 122 minutes, is being released in at least one theater -- New York City, IFC Center, starting this Friday, May 25 -- by Anchor Bay Entertainment, before being distributed on DVD and Blu-ray. (It also looks to be coming soon to Landmark's Main Art Theater in Detroit.)