Tiger's Apprentice
Raman Hui, Yong Duk Chung, Paul Watling
2023, 99 mins.
“People are inherently good”
Here’s an animated film that feels like Life of Pi meets Animal Farm along with a hint of Wagner’s Ring cycle.
Fueled by the Circle of 12 (based on the Chinese Zodiac), it falls to Tom (effectively voiced by Brandon Soo Hoo), to go on a quest for a Phoenix Amulet and save the world from disaster. Almost always by his side is Tiger (Henry Golding), who tries to initiate his protégé into the fine art of being a Guardian (after his grandma—Michelle Yeoh—vanishes during a deadly encounter with arch enemy Mistral, played with appropriate evil by Sandra Oh).
Not surprisingly, the covey of animals steals the show and Tom succeeds in his mission to save the world from itself.
Do enjoy the fast-paced action as you might imagine Trump in the role of Mistral (not to be confused with Mistrial!). JWR
The Boy and the Heron
Hayao Miyazaki
2023, 123 mins.
Birds of a feather
How extraordinary to view Miyazaki’s bird-laden (beyond the heron—effectively voiced by Masaki Suda—the screen is frequently filled with docile pelicans and ferocious parakeets) just after The Tiger’s Apprentice (above). The narrative similarities of both animated features are truly remarkable. In this case, the narrative is driven by a young boy (Mahito ably brought to life by Soma Santoki) who, once meeting the in-search-of-a-successor Great-Uncle (superbly rendered by Sohei Hino) in an “other world” tower, discovers his fate to save the world from itself.
The pace is leisurely until the rescue of Mahito’s mother (Grandma in Apprentice, Natsuko, Yishino Kimura) and her sister (Himi, Aimyon) from the evil clutches of The Parakeet King (an appropriately dastardly take from Jun Kunimura), with its mostly “happy ever after” conclusion and the admonition from the Heron to forget the adventure in the tower that relies on Blockhead-like stones to remain intact.
A bit slow at times, the animation army has done a great job keeping the eye engaged, while Joe Hisaishi’s original score—notably the svelte clarinet lines from Future Orchestra Classics—is at one with the proceedings. JWR
Merchant Ivory
Stephen Soucy
2023, 108 mins.
Time and money
Following on my avaricious readings of E.M. Forester’s novels, dozens of years ago, I was immediately attracted to view many of the screen adaptations brought to cinematic life by the Merchant Ivory company (most notably Maurice).
In these six carefully scripted/produced chapters, newcomers to this duos’ art of producing films with virtually no budget, can’t help but admire the busy savvy of Ismail Merchant and artistic integrity of James Ivory.
No serious film lover should miss this documentary. JWR
Ferrari
Michael Mann
2023, 130 mins.
Winning at any cost
This biopic of Enzo Ferrari is long on racing sequences (Erik Messerschmidt, cinematographer, edited by Pietro Scalia) but otherwise decidedly weak in the narrative of the famed businessman (played with appropriate stoicism by Adam Driver).
Come for the hair-raising curves, then enjoy your popcorn with the decidedly slower “drama”. JWR