Taking a bite out of crime

THE FOUNDATION OF CRIMINAL EXCELLENCE  aka KRIMINALAS EKSELENCES FONDS (2018)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

Although I tire of movies about making movies, I found much to enjoy in the leisurely paced meta pleasures of "The Foundation of Criminal Excellence," a Latvian crime comedy about a rather bland screenwriter who decides to forge criminal activities and make them part of his screenplay. Sure, perhaps nothing new technically but it is all in the execution.

Imants Veide (Lauris Klavins) is the screenwriter, a man who prides himself on writing stories about his life although he is more delusional than he might think. Apparently he had success with a romantic TV series called "The Flower of the Depot" that left viewers weeping with delight. Now he is commissioned to write a TV crime series though he doesn't know the first thing about the criminal underworld or con-artists ("My story is about con-artists, not criminals!"). What is a young, ignorant screenwriter to do except concoct criminal schemes with his friend Harijs Kuharjonoks (Andris Daugavins) such as stealing the neighbor's dog and selling the poor mutt; stealing burgers from a McDonald's drive-thru (the comical attempt is actually innovative), and finally a plot to steal pensioners' funds at the post office. It is supposed to work like clockwork but don't be surprised that it doesn't.

There are many colorful kooks in this film, including a naive black market seller who sells VHS tapes and musical cassettes; another naive dolt who rides a motorbike and wears his leather jacket backwards; the strong-willed female Neighbor of Imants who is ready to ignite the fires of Hell to find her missing dog, and many more. Though Klavins is slightly unappealing at first and takes some getting used to do, we root for him and his reluctant friend Harijs to survive whatever obstacle they confront.

Fluidly directed by Latvian-born Oskars Rupenheits (the first Latvian film to be funded through crowdsourcing), "Foundation of Criminal Excellence" is a comical riot that has the effrontery to deal with the messiness of real life (it is also, as advertised, set in the USSR in the 1970's though period detail is at a minimum). In its achingly festive criminal spirit, the movie consistently surprises with chaotic situations and real-life violent incidents. It has the vein of the Coen Brothers by way of Elmore Leonard to be sure but it gets by on its own unpredictability. Part of the fun of the film is seeing what criminal scheme Imants and Harijs will carry out next, no matter how harebrained. Sure, the film could be tighter paced overall but the movie never fails to captivate in its joyful frame of mind. It is about wannabe criminals who are idiots and there is a touching coda followed by a great visual joke. Unique in every way. 

Spaghetti with syrup is Breakfast at Champions for Elves

ELF (2003)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

Christmas elves are magical beings who spend an entire year creating toys in the North Pole for Santa Claus. Okay, we all know that but accepting a human who becomes part of Santa's Elves is unusual to say the least. This is part of the story of "Elf," a heartwarming enough and sporadically funny Christmas movie that has become a classic since its 2003 release. My misgivings are that it doesn't go far enough with its pleasing narrative and most of the plot you will see coming from a lot closer than the North Pole.

That is not to say that there is no fun to be had here. Will Ferrell is perfectly cast as Buddy Elf, the human who is looking for his father who is apparently on the naughty list. Backstory on Buddy is that he was an orphanage baby given up his deceased mother who crawled into Santa's bag after seeing a teddy bear. Santa (lovingly and grumpily played by Ed Asner) sees his sack moving after delivering presents, finds the baby and thus Buddy is the given name. Buddy is raised by Papa Elf (Bob Newhart, of all people) yet Buddy, who is of course human, appears taller than all the elves not to mention the numerous Christmas trees in the wintry horizon. Buddy finds out the truth that he is not human (which may explain his inability to meet his toy-making quota) and wants to find his father (James Caan, again, talk about strange casting) who is a cold-hearted workaholic publisher of children's books.

There is much sprightly fun with Zooey Deschanel as Jovie, an apathetic worker at the Gimbels department store where she is one of "Santa's Elves." Buddy takes a romantic interest in her and their relationship is charming and rather sweet - she is clearly amused and smitten that someone takes a liking to her and her rendition of "Baby, It's Cold Outside." Not as much fun is James Caan who seems spectacularly uninterested in almost anything going on in his life, yet Caan's character eventually succumbs to Buddy's innocent charm. Mary Steenburgen plays Caan's wife who is tickled pink by this Elf and the scene where she pretends to enjoy Buddy's spaghetti is a doozy.

Though I enjoyed "Elf" overall, I wish more time was spent on the North Pole. It is truly hysterical watching Ferrell parade around his fellow elves like a giant who has to keep tilting his head to enter the small domiciles (it is also great fun seeing some Rankin Bass stop-motion characters) and who is often held to a lower standard to the point that he tests toys like Jack-in-the-Box. It is also damn funny seeing Bob Newhart as the narrator and Papa Elf who truly cares for his adopted son. It is only the James Caan subplot that hinders the enjoyment a little - how tired the notion that a childlike adult can make his real dad's heart melt who decides not to give in to corporate pressure (I am sure I remember seeing such cliches in animated TV Christmas shorts).

Still, Will Ferrell enthuses and is like a giant baby who whirls around the screen like some caffeinated elf who had one too many bowls of spaghetti with maple syrup (his food of choice). He is the heart and joy of this movie, not something I say very often about Will Ferrell. 

You Can't Help But Like Him

WON'T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR? (2018)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

What I remember most about Mr. Rogers was his shoes. That is right, the cardigan-sweater-wearing, non-judgmental host, America's Mr. Nice Guy, was memorable to me because of his shoes. He would sing the famous song, "Won't You Be My Neighbor?," after arriving at his house in the neighborhood and would eventually take off his shoes and change into a pair of blue sneakers. He would also ruminate about them and you could tell that his comfort was your comfort. That is the central notion of Morgan Neville's documentary, "Won't You Be My Neighbor?," an emotional tour de force that will mean a lot to those who watched "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood" on PBS back in the day. Even if you didn't watch it, you can't help but feel emotionally connected to a man who connected to childrens' feelings in ways that are hard to describe.

"You've made this day a special day, by just your being you. There's no person in the whole world like you; and I like you just the way you are" - Mister Rogers

This was the quote that would end every show of Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood. Such a closing line was indicative of someone full of humanity and forthright wisdom, wanting to share and listen to all who were willing to do the same. That such a noble, perfectly human conceit is not always shared still mystifies me but that is the nature of our world. What is most revealing about Mr. Rogers is that, on one rare occasion, he could not always share or listen to those who were shunned. That gave me a cold, hard slap on my face but you have to consider the times as well. For example, Francoise Clemmons, a trained opera singer who played Officer Clemmons on the show, was actually a closeted gay man yet in the turbulent year of 1969 he could not come out as gay, nor could he frequent gay clubs per Mr. Rogers insistence. It would've proven to be scandalous for the show, and Mr. Rogers was already sharing a foot bath with Clemmons during a time of desegregation.

That is about as much controversy as you will get from "Won't You Be My Neighbor?" The documentary shows good-natured Mr. Fred Rogers as a great humanitarian who had children of his own and was happily married. It is abundantly clear that he loved children and always felt they had to be protected and listened to. Rogers' would try puppetry to gain insights into kids, even using such voices at home to talk to his own offspring who may invariably be upset about something. My favorite of the puppets has always been Daniel, the Striped Tiger, who listens very intently and often said afterwards, "I like him." The most memorable puppet for me personally was King Friday XIII, the monarch of the neighborhood who had a temper (though considerably less temperamental than say Sesame Streets' own Oscar the Grouch).

When it came to tragedies such as the unfortunate assassinations of political leaders of the late 60's, notably RFK's assassination, Mr. Rogers felt compelled to talk to children about tragedy and sadness (he had a tougher time explaining 9/11). He wanted his sensibilities to be shared among other adults, especially parents whom he felt should be able to talk to their kids about difficult topics.

"Won't You Be My Neighbor?" is a remarkable portrait of a kind, remarkable man who felt anyone could be his neighbor. There was no separation between the television personality and the man offscreen - they were one and the same. Though I would've loved more insight into Mr. Rogers' own family, it is the families he connected with on television (a medium that cheapened virtues, in his mind) that is at the heart of the film and the man. You can't help but like him the way he was.  

Liberated Escape From Trauma

THREE COLORS: BLUE (1993)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

Original Review from 1993

"Blue," the first of the Three Colours Trilogy, is a mellow, extraordinarily visceral and meditative experience that no one should miss. It also provides Juliette Binoche ("The Unbearable Lightness of Being") with the greatest performance of her career.

Binoche stars as Julie, a survivor of a fatal car crash that killed her younger daughter and her husband, a composer. She is suddenly confronted with grief and loss; she sells her house and her possessions and rents an apartment. Julie feels liberated yet she is surrounded by gloomy circumstances that pique her interest. One night, she's awakened by a victim of a mugging who pounds her door to no avail, an extremely unsettling moment. The next day, there is a rat giving birth in Julie's closet. Every time a door slams shut, she goes bonkers. In order to escape, Julie has a brief affair with her late husband's friend (Benoît Régent) who wants to complete the unfinished concert piece her husband wrote (a piece that continues to haunt Julie). Julie also becomes acquainted with her downstairs neighbor, a stripper (Charlotte Véry) who sleeps around to say the least. At the local cafe, Julie becomes aroused by her environment and sits awashed by sunlight. She is capable of finding an escape from her trauma.

"Blue" is an incredible, visually astounding film with an astounding music score by Zbigniew Preisner. Polish director Krzysztof Kieslowski and cameraman Slawomir Idziak do a fine job of rendering visually and emotionally the melancholy loss and sense of liberation that Julie feels in any environment (the underwater pool scene is unlike any other I have ever seen). Some of the images and characters in "Blue" might be a little confusing but it is the incredible, unforgettable performance by Juliette Binoche that gives the film its mystery, allure and power.