The Secret of Roan Inish
John Sayles is one of the best writer/directors of all time.
Unless you’re a film fanatic, most have never heard of Sayles. His résumé includes exceptional films like Matewan, Passion Fish, The Brother from Another Planet and Eight Men Out.
Sayles still doesn’t ring a bell? Catch The Secret of Roan Inish and introduce yourself to an American movie secret. Some say it’s his best film, and that’s hard to argue against.
A 10-year-old Irish girl tries to solve the mystery of the deserted island, Roan Inish. Legend says her family has Selkie blood in its veins. Selkies are half-human, half-seal.
Sayles’ movies are filled with layered characters, believable, everyday problems and unusual solutions. Roan Inish shows off his textured, patient storytelling style. He slowly unfolds the mystery of the girl’s family and its connection to the island.
At the same time, Sayles keeps enough to himself that you have to come to your own conclusions — conclusions you’ll be debating for days, maybe years, to come.
Mr. Movie rating: 5 stars.
Rated PG for mature themes. It plays tonight only at the Battelle Auditorium at 8 p.m.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Mr. Movie's review of "The Cave of the Yellow Dog"
Cave of the Yellow Dog
If you want to call it a “plot,” Cave of the Yellow Dog is about a young Mongolian girl finding a dog in a cave. The family’s main staple is sheep. Dad thinks the dog may have been raised by wolves that decimate his herd regularly. He fears the dog may lead more of them to the herd.
More documentary than plot, Cave of the Yellow Dog is a brief snapshot of the lives of a real Mongolian couple and their kids. It is a fascinating couple of hours.
Mr. Movie rating: 4 1/2 stars.
If you want to call it a “plot,” Cave of the Yellow Dog is about a young Mongolian girl finding a dog in a cave. The family’s main staple is sheep. Dad thinks the dog may have been raised by wolves that decimate his herd regularly. He fears the dog may lead more of them to the herd.
More documentary than plot, Cave of the Yellow Dog is a brief snapshot of the lives of a real Mongolian couple and their kids. It is a fascinating couple of hours.
Mr. Movie rating: 4 1/2 stars.
Mr. Movie's review of "Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...and Spring"
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter … and Spring is a subtitled gem from Korea. A monastery floats on a remote lake. An old monk tends the place. Spring finds him mentoring a young boy. In the summer a woman enters their lives. Fall changes things forever. Winter is a disaster. The second spring is rebirth.
Lessons learned are slow and patient and done with little or no dialogue.
The most beautiful movies in the universe come from Asia. Patience seems to be the key. Where English-language directors work overtime to tie loose ends up in tidy little bows, Asian directors waxing philosophic tend to make gorgeous movies with stories that breathe. Writer/director Kim Ki-duk trusts your intelligence. He fills his film with thought-provoking images, not unnecessary language.
Mr. Movie rating: 5 stars.
Lessons learned are slow and patient and done with little or no dialogue.
The most beautiful movies in the universe come from Asia. Patience seems to be the key. Where English-language directors work overtime to tie loose ends up in tidy little bows, Asian directors waxing philosophic tend to make gorgeous movies with stories that breathe. Writer/director Kim Ki-duk trusts your intelligence. He fills his film with thought-provoking images, not unnecessary language.
Mr. Movie rating: 5 stars.
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