#reviewsonrealism

[thedonttellshow-blog]

Jungleland - Max Winkler (2020)

Two brothers - one a once promising boxer (Jack O'Connell), the other a frazzled jail bird (Charlie Hunnam) - are forced into delivering a young girl (Jessica Barden) to Reno after losing a bet. Their mission is to use Jack's fighting prowess to escape the poverty of their everyday lives.

Not the most original plot, following well-worn last chance saloon, blood is thicker than water themes. Where it excels though is in the performances and no-nonsense camerawork. All three leads throw their all behind these characters, showing them to be fully rounded, human, complex, passionate people just doing their best to get by...the Springsteen themed score also helps transcend the predictable plot...but, it never quite takes off; sadly.

Great work by all involved, but the script was just too basic to begin with. 

7/10

#jungleland #maxwinkler #charliehunnam #jackoconnell #jessicabarden #jonathanmajors #johncullum #brucespringsteen #downinjungleland #grittyuscinema #sliceoflifefilms #thedonttellshow #reviewsonrealism 

[thedonttellshow-blog]

Where Is My Friend's house - Abbas Kiorastami (1987)

An 8 year old boy must return his friend's notebook he took by mistake, lest his friend be punished by expulsion from school.

So, what immediately struck me about this film (from the opening shot) was the realism of it, in setting and pace. It's not in any rush to get anywhere, life is just unfolding in front of it. The camerawork isn't slick, it sometimes is static, sometimes follows the characters in a documentart way (one child falls while running early on and the camera moves past then back).

But, though it seems like it's straight-forward life, there are subtle pieces of storytelling within the film, which hint at home life and subtle character traits which are seeded early on and developed later.

The casting is incredible, with every child exuding a sense of wonder, innocence and adventure. Which they have to have because, as we see, they are locked out of the adult world. Humurous scenes of them being completely ignored or asking the same questions over and over again with no differing results (one of the most relatable realist moments...that way children say "Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeasssss" when they want something forever)

The characters he meets on his odyssey all have their own recognizable characteristics, specially the old man who shuffles around chuntering. He reminded me of a bloke who lived around the corner from me as a child. He would shuffle to town and back everyday, and it would take him all day. He only seemed to buy one item there as well. Maybe he just needed to get out of the house; bless him. 

Anyway, I really loved how the characters, and the world were universally relatable, but (unlike a lot of social realist dramas which use sexual abuse or violence as their driving force) the drama was small, personal and focussed on in such detail that you felt for the character rather than the dramatic device of it. This was really important to this kid, it was his world...that's what life is like as a child and often as an adult...getting to work can be a massive source of stress in the real world or a job interview or all the things that are important to an individual; Kiarostami understands this, and he understands us. 

An excellent small drama, about big feelings. Can't wait to watch the rest of the Koker Trilogy.

9/10

#kokertrilogy #abbaskiarostami #whereismyfriendshouse #iraniancinema #irannewwave #socialrealism #flyonthewallfilms #sliceoflifemovies #thedonttellshow #reviewsonrealism

[thedonttellshow-blog]

Harlan County U.S.A -  Barbara Kopple (1976)

#harlancounty #minersstrike #documentartyreview #thedonttellshow #reviewsonrealism

[thedonttellshow-blog]

The Truman Show - Peter Weir (1998)

Truman Burbank is the world most famous TV star...but he doesn't know it. His entire life is a set built around him, from birth but now, he's starting to figure that out.

I remember seeing the trailer for this when it first came out and thinking "oh wow, another loud Jim Carrey comedy"...then I caught it on TV one afternoon and loved it. This wasn't the film they sold us back in 1998. This is a deeply philosophical film which question the nature of reality, the push and pull of free willl and determinism (yeah, we're not living in a TV show but how much our psyche is based on where we are living?), and the smartest thing about it is that all those things aside...we love Truman and want him to find whatever he's looking for.

It's a perfect balance of emotive hollywood string-pulling, and cerebral existential massages.

I love it.

9/10

[thedonttellshow-blog]

Children of No Importance - Gerhard Lamprecht (1926)

A socially conscious melodrama about three poor children, who we learn were all born out of wedlock, living with foster parents who do not offer them the proper care, and what fate has in store for each of them.

Since narratives emerged in cinema, the realist origins of actualities were thrown aside in favour of expressionism and this sort of proscenium arch framing that reminded the audience that they were watching a film. 

Well, Gerhard Lamprecht had no interest in that sort of escapism. He brought it all back home with stories based in real streets detailing real lives. Where people walked in and out the frame willy nilly as if they weren't performers pleasing an audience, but people just trying to get by. 

But that isn't the extent of Lamprecht's artistry though. He also uses visual metaphors and smart editing to give his story a more cinematic depth than the theatre-like aesthetics of his peers. 

The man was a master of storytelling and compassion, and casting. The main child actor in here really carries the film with a face aged beyond his years, yet actions naive and child-like; the kid is a constant conflict.

Like all the best social realist pieces, this films doesn't shy away from the grimness of its scenario, but also doesn't smother us in it giving us enough humanity to come out of the other side with something new. 

9/10

#gerhardlamprecht #newgermanobjectivity #weimargermany #socialrealism #kitchensinkfilms #flyonthewallfilms #sliceoflifefilms #thedonttellshow #reviewsonrealism 

[thedonttellshow-blog]

The Castle - Rob Sitch (1997)

A proud Ozzie father's life is put into turmoil when the government try to force him out of his home so they can build another bloody runway. 

There's a real charm or "vibe" to this family friendly comedy (with the odd F-bomb) that makes it a perfect lazy afternoon film, or when you just need a pick me up. 

Darryl Kerrigan is your classic working-class dad. His house is his castle, built by his own fair hands and his family his nest lining all built and nurtured with reciprocated love. Then the barstards try to ruin it all, and his life falls to shit. Helpless, it would seem, in the headlights of progress he does what any dad would do; he fights...and along the way he gains some new perspective on his country's negative actions, but not enough to outweigh the good in it. The good values that keep this family together.

It's a charming classic with great heart and lots of laughs. 

8/10

#thecastle #michaelcaton #annetenney #ericbana #classicfilm #australianmovie #classicaustraliancinema #familycomedy #thedonttellshow #melbournemovie #reviewsonrealism

[thedonttellshow-blog]

Watch "Black Dog: A Raising Awareness of Raising Awareness Film (2021)" on YouTube

[thedonttellshow-blog]

Never and Always - Denis Mitchell (1977)

Never and Always, a study of rural life in Norfolk, with its seasonal, cyclical changes.

I love this kind of doc. Don't get me wrong, a precision crafted piece with a straight-through line to a conclusion, with clear themes can be absolutely enthralling. But sometimes, just seeing snippets of a time gone by, fading in and out like memories of a dying brain, is just as intoxicating. 

I don't know what this was about, but it showed me something; life. 

That's the magic of cinema that is. 

#neverandalways #denismitchell #norfolkonfilm #1970sengland #thedonttellshow #reviewsonrealism 

[thedonttellshow-blog]

Who's With Me (2021) | SCI-FI MOVIE REVIEW https://youtu.be/0l6ZXt_jUOE

Now then, we are The Don't Tell Show. We make and review realist indie films. We put up a new video every Monday so if that sounds like your cup of tea; then click subscribe and we'll see you there. 

This weeks Best of Indie Film review is: Who's With Me - Austin Allan James (2021)

Marcus awakens to find his apartment under quarantine and completely isolated from the outside world. He tries to navigate the way through the indefinite wait - staving off hunger, boredom, and paranoia.

WATCH THE FULL FILM HERE: https://youtu.be/JguqjhFqnmI

HAVE YOU SEEN IT? WHAT DID YOU THINK?

#bestofindie #bestindiefilms #indiescifi #folkfilmmaking #thedonttellshow #reviewsonrealism #filmreviewchannels #filmreviews2020 #kitchensinkfilms #flyonthewallfilms #sliceoflifefilms #socialrealismfilm

[thedonttellshow-blog]

Carts of Darkness - Murray Siple (2008)

CHECK IT OUT HERE: https://youtu.be/zi-f_J6hV-g

#cartsofdarkness #bestdocumentaries #reviewsonrealism #thedonttellshow #documentariesonyoutube

[thedonttellshow-blog]

Secret Honor - Robert Altman (1984)

#secrethonor #robertaltman #onelocationmovies #moviesfromplays #philipbakerhall #richardnixon #intensemonologue #thedonttellshow #reviewsonrealism

[thedonttellshow-blog]

Un Lac - Phillipe Grandrieux (2008)

#newfrenchextreme #phillipegrandrieux #unlac #avantgarde #realismincinema #thedonttellshow #reviewsonrealism #moviereview 

[thedonttellshow-blog]

A Hard Day's Night - Richard Lester (1964)

At the height of Beatlemania, the fab four find their fun and frolics tempered when their bookish drummer and train enthusiast, Ringo, goes missing. 

I never got around to watching this when I went through my Beatles phase (14-15) because it was harder to get hold of than the others...also because I didn't particularly enjoy them. But finally seeing it now I was pleasantly suprised. It's daft yes, but not in that head dizzyingly stupid way that some of Lester's swinging 60s films were. It's a little more grounded, and the humour a bit more absurd, less slapstick, than I was expecting. 

Not ground-breaking but it seems to capture the life of a couple of young lads still dazzled by the flash bulbs and constant motion of fame.

Still think Head (The Monkees movie) is far better though. 

7.5/10

#harddaysnight #thebeatles #fabfour #richardlester #classicbritish #reviewsonrealism #thedonttellshow

[thedonttellshow-blog]

Stuff and Dough - Cristi Puiu (2001)

A jobless teen agrees to courier some "product" for a local businessman. Along the way he learns and encounters some troubling lessons about the real world.

The banging opener for the the Romanian New Wave, Cristi Puiu's debut feature is a rough, rolling road trip following three friends in a hand-held documentary style (almost dogme '95) as they bicker, banter and very quickly find trouble.

What couuld have easily slipped into a fast-moving thriller film, manages to create and build tension without ever losing touch with the very real and witty world it introduces. Allowing the film to explore a wider range of emotions and deeper notions of morality/existentialism through its use of slower and more intimate moments amongst the danger. 

A cracker of a debut, had me laughing and biting my nails in equal measure. 

9/10 #stuffanddough #romaniannewwave #cristipuiu #roadmovies #socialrealism #kitchensinkfilms #flyonthewallfilms #thedonttellshow #reviewsonrealism 

[thedonttellshow-blog]

Schemers - Dave Mclean (2019)

In 1980s Scotland, at Iron Maiden's concert in Dundee, a young man tries to con his way out of factory work by putting on concerts with money from the mob.

It's very loud isn't it. Driven by the rush of teenage hormones, and a need to emulate both Trainspotting and Human Traffic, it all shouts past so fast that we might not notice how little character it actually has under the fast-cut posturing...or we might.

Nice colours and set design though.

6/10

#schemers #scottishfilm #trainspotting #humantraffic #thedonttellshow #reviewsonrealism #moviereviews

[thedonttellshow-blog]

Paul Sykes: At Large - Review

Paul Sykes: At Large (1990)

Cult documentary about the life of legendary Wakefield boxer and hard but Paul Sykes, as he is released from prison and begins making a new life for himself on the outside.

Sykes was a proper 'orrible bastard, but what a character. He, for me, represents the living embodiment of the British empire. He was a big bolshy bully of a bloke, throwing his weight around all over the place, even in prison he lorded it up, knocking screws about, playing the system, reading, writing his novel and evolving his philosophies on life which he spouted to all and sundry with confident glee. It's a marvel to watch, even if you don't believe a word of if (punching sharks round the noggin I ask yer) but in the end of the doc, he's quite a sad act. His know it all facade dropped and drooping into empty pint pots while his kids laugh at his attempts to discipline them. All that bragging wound up to nothing in the end, just a sad sack clown with all his tall tales turned into yesterday's chip paper...kind of where we are now as a country.

Paul sadly never recovered from that slump and ended up sleeping rough in Wakefield getting nightly shoeings from local youths eager to brag about battering a local legend. Let's hope England can pull itself together before we slip fully into the gutter aye.

Anyway, an unbelievable documentary about a wild wild man who probably just needed a hug or two as a kid. Sad, but thoroughly entertaining.

9/10

#paulsykes #paulsykesatlarge #cultdocumentary #britishfilm #thedonttellshow #reviewsonrealism