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Reviews
Manhattan (2014)
Avoid if want to know anything about The Manhattan Project
What a disappointment. I forced myself through every episode to see if it would improve. The Manhattan Project was apparently created by alcoholism, chain-smoking, affairs, and paranoia. And like 2 scientists.
There are good performances and some parts of the story are interesting. But while J. Robert Oppenheimer appears and some well- known scientists are mentioned, where is Enrico Fermi, Mark Oliphant and Edward Teller? Could have had a whole running gag on Richard Feynman's safe-cracking alone!
There are many compelling docudramas that are educational and entertaining. This is not one of them.
The Great Global Warming Swindle (2007)
But which version are you watching?
You might be used to watching a film and then watching it again when the Director becomes more famous and more powerful and gets free rein to produce "The Director's Cut".
However, since its release in March 2007 The Great Global Warming Swindle is up to its 4th version. The original version at 72 minutes contained material that was in error or that had to be removed because the interviewee found themselves to have been misrepresented. Subsequent versions have been changed as more errors and writs come to light. I watched the "International version" which clocks at a mere 52 minutes. I can't wait until it reduces to opening and closing credits.
The overwhelming consensus is that man's activities are producing excess greenhouse gases that are contributing to global warming beyond any natural cycle. This film attempts to refute that and impute that you are being lied to and that there is an anti-capitalist, anti-human, anti-Africa conspiracy leading this charge.
The biggest problem with this documentary is that everything that is presented as new and amazing is actually old and proved to be wrong. The only bits that were correct were twisted misrepresented to appear to support Martin Durkin's ideas, and as such have since been removed under threat of litigation from the scientists involved.
What at first seem to be strong and logical arguments can be brought into question or even demolished with a bit of google and the pause button: 1. When the graph label says "NOW", why does it stop at 1990? Temperature rose after 1990 and that would have killed the argument the graph was trying to make. 2. Why does the solar graph stop at 1950? Because the "strong correlation" between solar activity disappears during the period of greatest warming after 1950, again killing the argument. 3. The New York Times date is 1996... but the letter quoted from it is supposedly criticising the UN IPCC report released in 2001. 4. One scientist is given a prestigious title. You aren't told that he held that post from 1962 to 1964. 5. One "Professor of Climatology" who gives extensive talks to debunk global warming, hasn't published a paper in a peer-reviewed journal for over 10 years. 6. A few of the featured scientists have previously argued that passive smoking is harmless and that CFCs do not affect the Ozone layer. It appears that their science can be bought by companies funding their research. 7. Suggesting that Africa cannot develop their resources of coal and oil to help their people because of the green conspiracy ignores the high levels of corruption and foreign debt that are probably the real reason. 8. Why is 20 minutes missing?
In 1998, after another film he made about the environment was broadcast, Martin Durkin was found by the Independent Television Commission (UK) to have "misled" his interviewees about "the content and purpose of the programmes" and "distorted (their views) through selective editing".
This film tells you that everyone has lied to you about climate change and greenhouse gas. Don't be swindled! http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/07/12/1976998.htm http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/07/13/1977504.htm http://www.monbiot.com/archives/2007/03/13/
Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi (2001)
***** Just Another Masterpiece from a Mere Genius
See this film. 10/10 But first some hints to remove any preconceptions, 1. This is not some kiddy cartoon, despite appearances, it is a film; 2. It is 2 hours long for a reason; 3. There are no zany characters, dance routines or merchandising to distract you; and 4. You will not look out-of-place in the theatre if you did not take children with you.
Fans of Miyazaki have anticipated this film since 1999. (It is easy to anticipate Anime, given the long production period.) The central character (Chihiro and Sen) is based upon the daughter of one of Miyazaki's collegues. Chihiro starts as a petulant 10-year-old, utterly self-absorbed, not looking forward to moving to a new house, school, friends. Later, her transformation, first into Sen as she tries to rescue her parents, teaches her that manners, hard work, honesty and love can achieve far more than she ever imagined. As she returns to being Chihiro we wonder if she remembers all of these lessons. You should consider taking children from 10 up as they might learn some manners by the end of the film. :) I don't think it matters whether you see the English dubbed version or the original subtitled. Both versions are slightly different. The English dub subtly explains some Japanese concepts to assist those who aren't nippon-philes such as me. While it doesn't explain every Japanese concept, if you are puzzled by something, take a breath and enjoy the rest of the film. As much as I implore you to see as many Studio Ghibli films as you can find, you should of course avoid pirate copies in favour of the original DVDs or find the films at film festivals. Hopefully the success of Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi will encourage the release of more Studio Ghibli films outside Japan.
Ichigensan (2000)
Brief background to Ichigensan
I used to work as an MC at Side-On, a small theatre in Sydney that specialises in independent and short films. (www.side-on.com.au) I was lucky enough to see Ichigensan before it was even released in Japan and discuss the film with the Director and the Cinematographer. Ichigensan had been shown at the Kyoto Film Festival and then at the Melbourne Film Festival in 1999. As the Cinematographer was a friend of Side-On, we managed to get the film before it returned to Japan.
Ichigensan is the story of a Swiss student (Edward Atterton, English) studying Japanese literature in Japan. As a gaijin (foreigner) he encounters a mixture of fascination and confusion, as everyone assumes that he is American, can speak English and can't speak Japanese. When he holidays in Hokkaido the locals everywhere assume that he is lost (why else would he be there?) and try to help him to the nearest railway station.
In fact, his Japanese reading, writing and speaking are excellent. I confirmed this with several Japanese friends who were in the audience.
To assist with his studies he takes up an offer to read books for a blind woman. She is annoyed at the selection of braille books available; everything from mathematics to law. She asks him to read somewhat more interesting material. Over the many months and many volumes their relationship changes, develops and follows a narrative set in part by the books he is asked to read.
To some viewers it felt as though the Director was trying very hard to convince you that the gaijin was almost Japanese. For western viewers this might seem a bit heavy-handed to see scene after scene of proof that the gaijin can speak, write and can eat noodles like a local? The Director explained that the film was intended for domestic release only and that this approach was necessary for Japanese audiences. He wanted audiences to stop seeing the male character as in any way foreign so that the rest of the story could progress. He needed the audience to be sympathetic towards the character for the right reasons; respect as a student rather than sympathy for someone far from home.
Shot in Kyoto, the film shows the beauty of the old parts of the city, as well as the ugly side of sharing a flat with other students. :) The Cinematographer was Peter Borosh, an Australian and the only non-Japanese speaker on the crew.
I rated Ichigensan as 8. It is an off-beat romance and subtle comedy that also looks at what is meant by nationality.
Trivia: This was the last film by the female lead before retiring to have a family.