In Yang Ya-che’s 2017 masterpiece “The Bold, the Corrupt, and the Beautiful” there is an impulse for meticulous perfection rarely seen in the industry. Presenting an elaborate labyrinth of a storyline sometimes just as captivating as it is enigmatic, the film’s Chinese title is more telling of its ruthlessness: “The Bloody Bodhisattva.” Unlike other films in the crime drama genre, “The Bold” eschews the ubiquitous themes of guns, exile and intimidating masculinity for a far more understated, yet just as potent, evil, presented with an appetizing elegance and style.
“‘A million years’ means: When he wants to be ‘normal’ one day and leaves you—after that day, every day is a million years.” — Chieh.
It is almost callous to describe the central tension in “Dear Ex,” the 2018 Taiwanese film, as a “premise.” Titled (more aptly, in my opinion) in Chinese as “Who Loved Him First,” the story, unfolding in the unassuming streets of Taipei adorned with folk temples and vendors of fried chicken chop, is told with such passion and humanity that its otherwise politically-charged theme of gay romance drew widespread critical acclaim on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.
It has been ten years since Lee Unkrich’s “Toy Story 3” was nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. Since then, not a single animated film has received the same recognition. Over the past decade, there have been many terrific animated films that pushed the boundaries of storytelling.
A little over a year ago, Bong Joon-Ho’s “Parasite” won the Oscar for Best Picture. 2019 was undoubtedly a great year for films—from Taika Waititi’s “Jojo Rabbit” to Sam Mendes’s “1917”—and yet, “Parasite” was still the clear choice for recognition.
In 2016, J.D. Vance released “Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis,” and it has been the topic of conversation for years since. Some say it points to why Trump won the 2016 presidential election, as it unveils a group of people living in Appalachia that have seemingly been forgotten.
Jak sie masz! The days are now in the single digits as we wait for the election, and Sacha Baron Cohen decided it was a perfect time to release his new political comedy, “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan.” Although I was thoroughly excited to watch the film, I noticed that there were great differences between the two Borat films.
In July 2018, I prepared to go to the 75th Annual Florida Boys State Delegation, sponsored by the American Legion. This event is held all over the nation, with 1,000 rising high school senior boys in each state participating in mock state government.
Brunswick has been home to a local cinema since 1908. The name and location of this theater have changed over the past century, but today, Eveningstar Cinema on Maine Street carries on the tradition as Brunswick’s go-to specialty box office.
Welcome to the fourth week of On PolarFlix, a column meant to do exactly what it sounds like: review films on Bowdoin Student Government’s movie streaming service, PolarFlix. Given that (if you haven’t heard) it’s Ivies week, we’re reviewing a true party film: “Project X” (2012).
