Okja

[Drunk Monk]

Yeah, I luv Bong Soon Ho flicks. Snowpiercer. The Host. Not perfect films, but there's always something to chew on. We reviewed those other two here already. Okja reunites Bong with the always beguiling Tilda, who knocks it out of the ballpark with another one of her quirky her villianesses. I followed the Cannes controversy marginally, but that has little to do with this gem of a film. From the lush mountains of Korea, it moves into the gmo horrors of factory farming, with some brutal twists. It's funny, charming, satirical, shocking (although only in one graphic suggestion) and straddles sci-fi fantasy with that inimitable Bong style, another engagingly human tale from a child protagonist with a cgi centerpiece that works astonishingly well. I was captivated for the full two hours. That being said, despite its animal rights themes, I'm not recommending it to my family because it gets gritty in a weird k-flick way. Like his other films, it has plenty of flaws, but it's still entertaining just to see his storytelling sensibilities and the occasional cinematic strokes of sheer brilliance. If you liked his other films, this delivers in the same fashion. 

Eager to hear CF's take on this as we've shared opinions on previous Bong flicks. It's Netflix only.

[cranefly]

Just checked what this is.  It's that movie with the silly-looking beast in the poster that I keep flying past, thinking it's teeny-tot trivia.  Never realized the director, or that Tilda is in it.

If I'd known about this earlier today, I'd have watched it tonight.  My final Netflix DVD (I'm cancelling) didn't come today.  I think the damned mailman just didn't bother working today.  Tomorrow I'll have to watch it and rush it back in the mail to avoid a $20 fine.  Also, I got notified by the Mountain View Library that Apur sansar  is ready for pickup, but didn't make it in today.  But I'll be reviewing that by end of weekend.

[Drunk Monk]

It's netflix or nothing.  That was the Cannes controversy because it played there but Cannes has no amour for Netflix, so it was booed when the netflix logo appeared (it also got a long standing ovation - must be all the wine and cheese).

Not only does it star Tilda in a total film-stealing role (truly this is one of her best quirky villainesses so far), it also has Paul Dano in great form, Jake Gyllenhaal in his goofiest role so far, and Lily Collins, who really only has her bushy bushy eyebrows.  But it's Bong's ability to show kids that takes the fatted superpig.  Ahn Seo-hyun is perfect in her pluckiness and intensity.  Like I said, not a perfect film at all, not as good as The Host, but arguably better than Snowpiercer (although I may be biased because I liked it's anti-GMO stance).  Either way, definitely worth the view if you're into Bong's work.

[El Dingo]

The CG on this was flawless. The acting and writing was kind of weird  (which I liked). The 'fuck-it-all' truck driver, the profit-driven CEO, the silent protagonist, the batshit-insane TV star etc. It was a weird recipe for a captivating movie. As a vegetarian, I don't think had was some anti-meat message. It was more of a pro-don't eat your pet message. The real message of the movie seemed to be "What is sentience?". Okja exhibits problem solving skills at the beginning of the film, and others exhibit the intelligence at the end. Recognizing her owner-friend is key to many scenes.

Anyway - going to eat a sald now.

[Drunk Monk]

I don't think it was anti- meat as much as it was anti-gmo. Then again, Okja was a lovable gmo. I liked the way the ALF was portrayed, particularly Dano's character and the dude who wouldn't eat the tomato.

It would've been a good family film if not for the rape scene.

[cranefly]

Ah, yes, another Seo-Hyun Ahn vehicle.  I thought she looked awfully familiar.  This is the third film I've seen her in.  A bit odd, considering she's only 13.

I saw her in Monster (2014) by Hwang In-ho, where's she's a mentally handicapped bumpkin who goes up against a cold-blooded serial killer.  Not very believable, but a wonderful opportunity for her to show her emotions, especially rage, and physical intensity in fight and flight.

I also saw her in The Housemaid (2010) by Sang-soo Im, but don't remember too much about her, as the main players were the wife and the housemaid.  A very good movie, up until the hard-to-believe ending.  This is actually a remake of Kim Ki-Young's The Housemaid (1960), which I've also seen, and which is considered a classic..  The remake compares well until the late goings.

As for Okja, what a weird uneven movie.  Kiddie fare through large tracts, but then with liberal use of the f-word, and the rape mentioned by others, and some nasty footage in a slaughterhouse.  I had the feeling many of the characters weren't fully developed.  Even Tilda seemed a little unfocused.   But don't tell her, okay?  I admire her too much to want to get on her bad side.  Or maybe I do.  The worst of the bunch was Jake Gyllenhaal, flailing about as an animal-loving naturalist buffoon, I guess.  I'm not certain what he was aiming for.  I suppose it served as a good acting exercise for him, but perhaps not one to put on screen.  The ALF (Animal Liberation Front) activists ("We're not terrorists") were surprisingly effective in many ways, including being funny.

A scattered mess of a movie, reminding me of Robotrix in its mixing of humor and brutality (though Robotrix was definitely "adult," with lots of nudity).  I felt the script was a bit green.  Still, better than most of what's out there.  And I give it credit for not giving any easy answers in the end.

IMPORTANT NOTE:  I fast-forwarded through the credits, but always keep my eye on them in case something pops up.  Sure enough, there was an epilogue scene on a bus.  Not much,  a minute or two long, but was a nice humorous touch.  Made me laugh one more time.