Jeanine Meerapfel's MY GERMAN FRIEND: See an excellent, undiscovered film from 2012

It is possible that, despite the current pandemic's making the making of movies more difficult, the flip side of this is that a number of older films, earlier passed over for any kind of international distribution, are now getting their chance to shine -- even if tardily. On the basis of how intelligent, unusually put together, and ever-timely is the newly released movie titled MY GERMAN FRIEND, I would say that, as is often the case when bad things happen, there can be an occasional surprising and worthwhile upside.

Written and directed by Jeanine Meerapfel (shown at left), the movie tracks, beginning in the 1950s, the hugely changing relationship between childhood friends who live just across the street from each other: Friedrich Burg, the son of German Nazis relocated post-war to Argentina, and Sulamit Löwenstein, daughter of well-to-do Jews fleeing Europe for Argentina to escape the Holocaust. 

We're with Sulamit and Friedrich as young children, adolescents, older students and finally adults (Celeste Cid, below, right, and Max Riemelt, below, left). The two have loved and cared for each other all along the way, and yet their paths toward adulthood -- including career, philosophy, priorities -- could hardly have been more different. 

By refusing to take sides but instead showing us how each of her protagonists thinks and feels and thus why they behave in the ways they do, Ms Meerapfel is able to give us a wonderfully expansive and very real love story, without for a change slighting the necessary themes -- politics, protest, history, economics, education, rebellion (and its consequences), even feminism -- that should figure (but so seldom do) into any genuine love story. (Think of this one as The Way We Were, but set in Argentina and Germany, and without all the soap suds.)

The film begins on a train as Sulamit makes her way toward... something, though we don't yet know what. We only learn this as the movie is more than halfway along, as the present moves to the past, catches up again, and plows onward. 

My German Friend is indeed a love story, but it is one that offers so much more than simple romance, a little lust and some feel-good filler. It shows us different forms of love and how help and support figure into all this. 

And if the filmmaker will win no awards for style and/or breaking new ground, she should win a few for showing us life's broader perspective that include what is going on in our world politically, economically, culturally, and freedom/repression-wise. 

By the time of Meerapfel's lovely conclusion -- in which anything simple-minded or obvious has no role -- we are made to realize that love is in ongoing thing in which small battles must be fought, won or allowed to be lost in order to keep the relationship healthy. This movie is a small-but-genuine "find."

From Corinth Films -- which has been giving us a lot of lesser-known but very-much-worth-viewing attractions -- in German and Spanish (with English subtitles) and running 104 minutes, My German Friend hit DVD and streaming earlier this week -- for purchase and/or rental. Amazon Prime members can watch it free of charge.

Ryan Murphy and his well-chosen cast help THE PROM go on to bigger, glossier things

There are those who say that Ryan Murphy (shown below), director of the new film version of the Broadway musical THE PROM has de-charmed the thing, removing spontaneity and genuineness from the proceedings. Others -- those who don't understand or appreciate musical comedy -- will counter that those attributes were never present in the first place. Bullshit. The Prom, in either aspect, has plenty of both -- and many more amazements, too. In fact, it defines what musical comedy is and simultaneously redefines it for our current age of inclusivity/diversity (as well as the unfortunate and ever-present desire and need to wipe these off the face of the earth). In short, it couldn't be more true to its 2020 time period.

TrustMovies didn't see the original Broadway show, but he did catch its musical number from the telecast during the Tony Awards a couple of years back. Based on what he saw of this and the other nominees' numbers, The Prom was the only show whose musical score and lyrics he wanted to hear more of. So he brought the Broadway cast album and by now has just about worn it out from mucho multiple plays. 

And, yes, TM was worried, given Mr. Murphy's off-and-on track record, that he might gussy things up past the boiling point. But, no. Sure, he's a little busier than he need be now and then, but the show's distinct charm, energy and sweetness, as well as its delightful digs at the narcissism of theater folk, remain front and center. 

Best of all, Murphy has kept the score mostly intact and up to snuff. Matthew Sklar's music --  maybe the bounciest since Baby -- combines with Chad Beguelin's witty and full-of-real-rhyme lyrics to keep our ears consistently alert and gratified. The book (by Bob Martin and Beguelin does a grand job of bringing together its two tales -- one about a troupe of near over-the-hill actors seeking some publicity that will kickstart their careers, the other of a high school girl in Indiana who wants to bring another girl to the prom as her date but is stymied by the local PTA.

While I adore the original cast of the Broadway album, we all can understand the need for casting big names in starring roles. And we surely do get them here -- from Meryl Streep (above, center right) as the belting diva ("Can I get softer lighting?") and James Corden (above, left) as her gay co-star to Nicole Kidman (center,  left) as the forever chorus girl who can't get a break and Keegan-Michael Key (above, right) as the sympathetic principal of the school that these kids attend -- the whole cast is first class.

I don't want to give away much more because the situations and songs are all so much fun that you deserve to experience them freshly and first-hand. (That's Ariana Debose, above, left, with Kerry Washington, as daughter and mother on either side of the GLBT divide.) 

But I will just call attention to a couple of brilliant moments of heart-stopping/jaw-dropping intimacy and surprise in the middle of all this joyous bounce: One arrives as Mr. Key sings a quiet song to Ms Streep about what theater -- and her own part in this -- has meant to him over the years. The song sweetly, humorously calls attention to both the mysteries and seeming ridiculousness of the musical form, even as it celebrrates them so beautifully.

The other moment comes as Ms Debose sings to her girlfriend Emma about the many hoops her mother puts her through so that she can become the perfect girl. All this seems both truthful and rueful (witty, too) until suddenly there's a single line -- regarding why mom is doing all this -- that stops you in your tracks. The Prom is filled with these little surprises, as much as it is chock-a-block with feel-good fun. 

 

From Netflix, running 130 minutes, and a much-needed gift for the holidays, The Prom is available now on the popular streaming service. (Above, right, with Ms Kidman and further above, left, with Ms Debose is Jo Ellen Pellman, making her auspicious movie debut as our heroine, Emma. )

Victor Kossakovsky's much-heralded but little-seen doc, THE BELOVS, comes to Film Forum

A dog licks his master's face with a long, wet tongue -- adorable and, considering how long this goes on, just a little weird. Then we get the dog's master's explanation, which sounds both correct and intuitive, followed by "Here's my message to humankind: Leave each other in peace!" So begins THE BELOVS (Belovy) a documentary made back in 1992 by Russian filmmaker Victor Kossakovsky (shown below, whose newest documentary, Gunda, opened here in the USA to almost unanimously positive reviews last week). 

The man we see is one-half of the Russian farm household that includes his widowed sister, herself looking  and sounding initially like part of that hearty, healthy peasant stock that takes life as it is and makes the best of it. Wait a minute: Soon enough we are privy to a whole lot more about this pair, as Kossakovsky fills his film with beautiful images of nature, man and animals, and scores it with music that sounds (to TrustMovies ear, at least) utterly Russian -- until it switches to something probably Mexican or Cuban, and later to what may be an old American or British pop song, thus matching the mood of some of his wondrous images: water and trees to massive boulders, a tractor barreling along the road and a tiny hedgehog (who co-stars with the dog in perhaps the film's most delightful and amazing scene).

It's as though the filmmaker knew what conclusion we would jump to, let us do exactly that, and then threw us for a loop. Again and again. He's a filmmaker who brings to fine life that smart old trope: Never assume. Before long we become aware that the brother, among his other features, is a loudmouth drunk, while his sis can often be a whiny complainer, as well as a kindly old soul who loves animals. (How she converses with the animal life around her is exquisite: charming, funny, caring.)

There's a visit from the pair's two brothers, so very different from our drunken farmer. We get a little politics and philosophy, a lot of arguing and pleas for a quieter tone. Old squabbles resurface, along with the inevitability of aging and opportunities passed by. "The train has left the station. We missed it." When sis tells her brother, "I'm grey from life with you!", we fully understand what she means. 

But there's still time for a sauna and a swim and finally a goodbye, in which it seems at least a few things might be mended. I don't know if it was simply a flaw in the link via which I viewed the film, but at one point toward the end, the sound disappeared. It was as though we had heard enough from this drunken sod. When sorrow and submission come, perhaps it's best they be experienced quietly and alone.

The print of the film, which looks shot in sepia tones, is hardly hi-def, but this, too, works to great advantage. Only 58 minutes long, The Belovs, makes an indelible impression, even as lightness and charm turns to sadness and oppression. Hey, it's Russian. When Kossakovsky finally shows us an old photo of the five siblings (above) in their younger years, the effect is beyond moving.

What seemed to begin as a celebration has evolved into a tale of the human condition, Russia-style. Whatever you think of these Belovs and their movie --  I was so happy to have finally had the chance to see this storied film -- you will certainly agree that it is one-of-a-kind. 

Premiering this Friday, December 18, for only a one-week run, The Belovs opens at New York City's Film Forum virtual cinema. Click here for further information.

Nostalgia for the present in Taylor Morden and Zeke Kamm's doc, THE LAST BLOCKBUSTER

What a sweet treat it is to view the new and quite lovely documentary, THE LAST BLOCKBUSTER, directed by Taylor Morden and written by Zeke Kamm. 

The award-winning cable show, Last Week Tonight With John Oliver cleverly covered one of the remaining Blockbuster video stores in Alaska a year or so back, but even those are now gone and only one single location in the entire world (Blockbuster used to be relatively international) now remains -- in the town of Bend, Oregon. 

There is more than a little question raised during the course of this engaging doc whether or not this store will be viable for very much longer, perhaps closing its doors before the documentary has even finished being shot.

Misters Morden (pictured above, right) and Kamm (left) give us the history of both Blockbuster Video (including several of its owners over the years) and to a lesser extent the town of Bend and its own history of video stores, one of which was more or less blackmailed into becoming one of Blockbuster's franchises, though it is still owned by the original family (one of whom is shown below).

We meet plenty of minor celebrities -- from Kevin Smith (shown at right) to Adam Brody (two photos below) and Ione Skye -- each of whom seems to have an interesting video store history of his own.  

We also meet the woman, Sandi Harding (at right front, two photos below), who manages this last Blockbuster video store, as well as her family, friends and co-workers, all of whom seem like intelligent caring and very nice people to get to know. 

TrustMovies should think that, for anyone 30 years or older, the memory of going to and spending some really fun time in a video store will still burn warmly. 

Streaming has replaced all this, but as various folk in the doc point out, Netflix's suggestions for your viewing pleasure hardly take the place of your favorite video store clerk suggesting an interesting and right-up-your-alley new movie to see. 

Carl Icahn gets involved with Blockbuster along the way, as does Sumner Redstone and others, and we're told the major reason that Blockbuster finally went under (no, it was not because of Netflix). Finally, we're privy to how all the media coverage about this last Blockbuster has helped turn Bend, Oregon, into a real tourist attraction. 

There are humor, charm, culture, economics and irony aplenty here, in addition to a kind of nostalgia that is both real and not-quite, since -- despite going from a high of 9,000 video stores in its heyday down to a mere one -- there is still an actual functioning Blockbuster video rental store in our increasingly crazy world.

From 1091 Pictures and running just 86 minutes, The Last Blockbuster hits streaming -- and I would imagine actual DVD rental, at least in Bend, Oregon -- this coming Tuesday, December 15. For more information, 

click here.

"Parasite"-lite from South Korea: Kim Yong-Hoon's BEASTS CLAWING AT STRAWS

Most of the characters in the new South Korean movie BEASTS CLAWING AT STRAWS are not just greedy-as-hell but dumb-as-they-come. The couple of lone smart ones are also nasty and vicious enough that you won't at all mind their appropriate comeuppance, while the also lone pair of decent folk, by virtue of that rare decency (this is South Korea, after all), rise above mere descriptions such as dumb or smart.

To call this film "Parasite"-lite, as does my headline, is not meant as a negative. (Few filmmakers reach the Bong Joon-Ho level.) Its director and adaptor (from Japanese writer Keisuke Sone's novel), Kim Yong-Hoon (below), offers us an ensemble thriller about the effects of 

greed on a populace made up of mostly have-nots who've been preyed upon by the sort of low-end haves who are nowhere near the corporate or political level. They're simply better than the have-nots at being evil. 

As usual with South Korean films these days, the ensemble roles are uniformly well-planned and -played. with each actor nailing his/her key characteristic, while remaining believable and human (if not humane).

TrustMovies is proving to be increasingly poor at recalling character names and then matching them to actors' faces (particularly in ensemble-cast Asian movies), so forgiveness is asked for the actors in the photos below not being properly identified. 

Mr. Bong begins his film with the sight (see poster image at top) of what looks like something awfully close to that famous designer travel bag (surely the ugliest symbol of the "elite" ever created; little wonder it was immediately snapped up and knocked off by the equally taste-free lower classes), which one character (above, center) stores in a locker at the local bathhouse/sauna. 

When a bathhouse worker (above) later discovers the bag, along with its contents (which you can easily imagine), and then steals it (slowly, in degrees, which adds to the irony, suspense and humor of the film), we are quickly introduced to a bevy of characters, one more greedy, needy and nasty than the next.  

Soon we've met a brothel madam (above), along with one of her sex workers (below, right) and one of her clients (below, left),

plus a small-time criminal kingpin and his love-to-murder underling (shown on either side of the original depositor of that bagful of loot, four photos above), the worked-to-death wife (below) and increasingly demented mother (two photos below) of the bathhouse worker who steals the bag, along with other sundry and assorted lesser "lights."

Who these people are and how they're connected to each and that mystery bag are eventually revealed as this sometimes obvious, other times surprising, and often grisly, dark and funny film unfurls. Beasts Clawing at Straws will recall countless other movies, better and worse, yet it manages to hold its own (and your interest) amid all the sometimes derivative twists and turns.

Coincidence and convenience abound, as they often do in tales of this genre. Yet time and again we come back for more. Do we love so love to see ourselves, along with the worst aspects of us, up there on the big screen (or, these days, big TV)? Maybe so, and if so, this one's for you, dear reader.

From Artsploitation Films, in Korean with English subtitles and running 108 minutes, Beasts Clawing at Straws hits streaming venues this coming Tuesday, December 15 -- for purchase or rental. Click here for more information.

Massoud Bakhshi's YALDA, A NIGHT FOR FORGIVENESS offers a nasty new look at Iran as television, tradition and truth collide

From its opening aerial view of what (I am guessing) must be Tehran, YALDA, A NIGHT FOR FORGIVENESS (among the clunkier movie titles of the year) surprises. Surely this can't be Iran, TrustMovies wondered? It looks too sparkling and modern and, well, "western" to qualify for a country of which we keep hearing (not to mention seeing, via the films of Kiarostami, Panahi, Makhmalbaf and Farhadi) things that smack so of repression, the patriarchy writ huge, and utter fundamentalist crap. And if  this new film via writer/director Massoud Bakhshi  packs in enough surprise and coincidence to equal any Hollywood melodrama, it also gives us the kind of entry into certain areas of Iran -- television studios and the sort of shows they produce -- we've not yet seen. Trust me, what we view here rivals any of the shit you'll find on American cable or network TV -- then maybe goes even a step or two further into the zone of all-out hypocrisy and schlock.

Mr. Bakhshi, shown at right, puts us immediately into the middle of things, as various folk arrive to participate in a popular television show geared to the celebration of Yalda, marking the beginning of winter. 

This program is all about forgiveness, and tonight's "case" involves a young woman, Maryam (Sadaf Asgari, above and below), who has killed her much older husband and is now seeking a forgiveness from that dead husband's daughter that will prevent her execution by the state. (Yes, Sharia law is a bit different from the democracy-for-some version that we have here in the USA.)

During the course of the evening (and the show itself, complete with musical numbers, commercials, and beaucoup faux feelings), a few surprises will occur and secrets be revealed on the way to a finale that offers a grain or two of hope, having uncovered quite a bit about class structure and the ongoing plight of women in this particular country.

It seems that daughter, Mona (played by Behnaz Jjafari, above) has her own agenda going, some of which we're made privy to as the movie unfolds. Add to this another couple who appear early on, trying rather desperately to reach the TV show's producer, and a popular actress who is appearing on the show to spout some poetry.

As I say, there is enough melodrama, along with the life-threatening/life-saving central situation, to please lovers of old Hollywood, not to mention new Iran. But there are also enough irony, hypocrisy, betrayals and mixed motives to fill a couple (or more) standard-issue movies. (That's the oh-so-concerned/sleazy host of the TV show, above, played handsome actor, Arman Darvish,)

If I sound less than hugely enthused about Yalda, it is mostly because of how much Mr. Bakhshi has piled in to his movie -- even if much of it is verified as actually taking place in present-day Iran. Yet, the chance to see more about a country that has been demonized for so long and in so many ways by the USA pretty much trumps most of my objections. I think it probably will yours, as well.

From Film Movement, in Iranian with English subtitles and running just 89 minutes, Yalda, A Night for Forgiveness opens in virtual cinemas this Friday, December 11. Click here then scroll down to learn where/how to view it.

Oscar-winner Juan José Campanella returns with a new must-see, THE WEASELS' TALE

Delightful, dirty, old-fashion fun is given a few up-to-date twists in a movie that has -- particularly in these Covid-riven times -- just about everything necessary to pack in audiences. (Even if they are packed only into their own living room, viewing -- we hope -- via a nice, big wide-screen TV.) THE WEASELS' TALE (El Cuento de las Comadrejas) arrives via Juan José Campanella, the Argentine writer/director who gave us the 2010 deserved winner for Best Foreign Language Film, The Secret in Their Eyes (the original, not that crappy American remake from 2015).

Senor Campanella (shown at right) and his co-writer Darren Kloomok have created a smart and relatively fast-moving (given the film's 128-minute running time) romp involving just about everything: comedy, wit, mystery, thrills, surprises, movies-about moviemaking, the evils of Capitalism run amok, and especially the setting up of the older generation against the younger -- which of course will bring in seniors by the thousands. 

That Campanella does decent justice by and to all of these genres and themes makes it easy to simply sit back and relish the fun. The Weasels' Tale may not be a great film, but it certainly is grand entertainment.

The filmmakers put us immediately into the home of some elderly, retired folk from the Argentine movie industry: one of those rare Oscar-winning Best Actresses in a foreign-language film (Graciela Borges, above and below); her has-been, barely-was actor husband (Luis Brandoni, below, right), along with the film director (Oscar Martínez, below, second from left) and screenwriter (Marcos Mundstock, center, right) both of whom were responsible for many of the actress' hit movies back in the day.

From the first lengthy scene we learn that this quartet has been living in a kind of love/hate relationship in which the three men bond against the grand dame, and everyone is relatively miserable-yet-content. "Look at how happy we are,"gloats the self-satisfied film director, and the other men agree. "There are no villains in this piece." Just then, of course, a car pulls into the driveway of their home and out step an attractive young man (Nicolás Francella, above, second from right, and below, left) and woman (Clara Lago, above, left) who've seemingly gotten lost in the countryside but immediately recognize the old actress and prove to be among her most ardent fans. Yes, we're off to the races.

How Campanella wittily and charmingly compares movies to life and Argentina's greedy present to her dictatorial past, together with how these six fine actors brings their very interesting, even complex characters to life, makes The Weasels' Tale a consistent delight. Events grow darker, betrayals abound, and were it not for the terrifically stable tone of humor the filmmakers sustain throughout, things might tumble off track.

They never do. The movie proves consistently amusing, even pertinent. (TrustMovies would not be surprised if this became the highest-grossing foreign-language film for the coming year.) And our heroine -- the real one -- even gets that death scene that's so far eluded her over a long career. 

From Outsider Pictures, the film begins its theatrical and virtual cinema premiere this coming Friday, December 11 at over two dozen theaters across the USA and Canada. Click here for more information and to view the theaters at which, or virtually, the movie will screen.