Eastern Promises

‘My name is Tatiana. My father died in the mines in my village, so he was already buried when he died. We were all buried there, buried under the soil of Russia. That is why I left…to find a better life.’

Those were the last lines uttered by the voice over at the end of the movie. However, was she able to find the better life she chose to live or drowned her being to the Russia’s underworld?
Eastern Promises is a 2007 British^[3] crime thriller film directed by David Cronenberg, from a screenplay written by Steven Knight.

There is this 14-year-old pregnant girl named Tatiana. She is begging for help at a convenient store as she severely bleeds. After she collapsed, she was sent to the hospital to deliver the baby. However, during the operation, she was not able to make it and died.

The hospital’s midwife, AnnaKhitrova (Naomi Watts) took care of the baby since the family was not yet traced. The only thing left for her to find the baby’s family was a diary and a card leading to the Trans-Siberian restaurant, which is owned by Semyon (Armin Mueller-Stahl), an old vor in the Russian Mafia. Anna asked for her uncle Stepan’s (Jerzy Skolimowski), help in translating the diary’s texts but he urged caution.

Along Anna’s search for the baby’s father, she found out that it was Semyon. He and his son, Kirill (Vincent Cassel) forced Tatiana to prostitution, addicted her to heroin and raped the minor girl. So what Semyon did, he ordered Nikolai, the family’s driver and trusted worker to have a deal with anna. He will tell everything about the baby’s relatives if only Anna will hand them the diary.

Nikolai Luzhin (Viggo Mortensen) is a FSB agent and senior police officer under duty. Before Semyon got the diary and burned it, he was able to read everything written on it so he was able to have a plan for Semyon’s arrest with the statutory rape case, with a paternity test of Tatiana’s baby as evidence.

In fear of imprisonment, Kirill tried to kill the baby but Nikolai and anna were able to stop him and calm him down. In the end, Semyon flew somewhere, Kirill and Nikolai worked together on the restaurant and the baby was left under Anna’s custody and named her Cristine.

The story is very interesting. It contains violent scenes. For example is the scenario on the barbershop I guess, where guns beheaded the man, bursting his blood all around; the other one is when the boy is peeing and same thing, he was beheaded, showing that his head was being detached from his neck, gross. The other one is Nikolai’s bathroom, hot and violent scene, guns tried to kill him. He was naked while doing the fight scene, striking the enemy’s eyes, stomach, head, etc.

The movie is also thrilling. It came to point that the whole class was tensed and assuming what will happen next. We were asking questions with our seat mates when there is a scene where we cant understand.

Life is mysterious. You have to expect the unexpected. If ever you have the chance to change destiny, choose the better direction. And If fortunate enough, the best one.

 TRIVIA:

What do Nikolai’s tattoos mean?

• Three Cupolas (Towers) on back: Three terms in prison;

• Virgin Mary with Child on abdomen: I am true to my friends / My conscience is clear (could also mean “prison is my home”);

• Raven on shoulder: Death, I am not yours;

• Starburst on finger: I became a criminal because of poverty and a broken home;

 

• Cross on finger: I was in the Crosses (a prison in St. Petersburg);

• Black-and-white diamond on finger: I deny official authority / I disobeyed rules while in prison;

• Grim Reaper on abdomen: Death is always waiting for me;

• Sun and sea with Cyrillic”CEBEP” (north) on back of hand: I was in prison in the CEBEP, (pronounced ‘sever’)

• Crucifix on chest: Professional Thief / I will not betray you;

• Skull on shoulder: Stay away from me / Murderer;

• Tattoos around ankles: “Where are you going?” and “What do you care?” written in Russian.

       (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0765443/faq?ref_=tt_faq_3#.2.1.12)

Cinemalaya 2013: Babagwa

Babagwa or Spider’s Lair is a 2013 Filipino drama film written and directed by Jason Laxamana. The film stars Alex Medina as Greg, an internet scammer falls in love with a wealthy old maid while trying to swindle her using a fake Facebook profile. The film competed under the New Breed section of Cinemalaya 2013 together with Ekstra, Sana Dati, Instant Mommy, Porno, etc.

We watched this film at Cultural Center of the Philippines with some of my blockmates at around 6:15 pm. It lasted for one and half an hour. The mood of the movie is quite comedic. Because the supporting actor is a gay. It somehow carries the movie. They used harsh words even back and frontal nudity and sex scenes.

It is about a man who fools people mostly, guys through facebook. He makes friend and sometimes fling with them and ask to deposit a requested money because he can’t withdraw, he lies and says that he is out of town or whatever and could not reach his relative who is sick and needed money. So the fool guy being used follows and lends the user a money as requested.

The guy’s gay manager is the one who taught him what to do, they borrowed an account from a friend and promised to give the 40% of the illegal transaction. That is their routine.

 

The guy has a girlfriend wherein their scenes are always in bed, nothing else. And they talk over things while making love. They’re so violent while they do that, in that way, character is also established. The girl always asks the guy if when he will take her to Palawan. That is always their conversation. Until one day, the guy met a girl via facebook, the girl is so hot, rich and beautiful. Since this guy uses other handsome guy’s face while he communicate, the pretty girl fell in love with him, so is he.

What happened next is his manager wants him to use the girl also and ask for money but since he loves the girl, he does not want it that way and ask to spare her. But the manager’s decision prevailed until the girl knew the truth, she got angry but still accepted the guy despite of his lies. The girl ask the guy if he wanted to just stay with her and leave his illegal work since the girl is pretty and rich based on Facebook. The guy is so happy and decided to be with the girl. The girl’s driver fetch him at the bus terminal and said that she will wait them in her house. But then, the girl he expected is not the way she used to be. The girl is so fat, not that pretty and just an ordinary woman.

I can say that it is the guy’s karma. Do not do unto others what you do not want others do unto you. What you sow, you shall reap.

 

 

Babagwa -Trailer

New Hollywood & Independent Film making

American film industry fluctuated. Different problems arose that it came to point that they are spending money more than what they get. Even Television networks refused to bid pictures. This is because the films produced have no longer an impact to the public. They find it irrelevant. What the people wanted is something they can relate to, something that happens in reality and they can apply with their lives or daily living.

However, the producers fought back. They raised more passionate, idealistic and did not only mastered the mechanics and techniques of production but its aesthetics and history. These directors are renowned as movie brats. They are Francis Ford Coppola, George Lucas, Martin Scorsese, Brian de Palma and Steven Spielberg. They studied at film schools such as New York University, University of Southern California, and the University of California Los Angeles.

They produced “B” or Blockbuster films where mass really patronized their works. Why is that? It is something that is new to the people’s taste. Something with heart and touch of personality. Most of the successful films produced by these movie brats have their own story behind it intertwined with the directors.

Then, New Hollywood is only a revision and more improved style like classical Hollywood. It is still their basis for establishing such. They even admired European movements and with how they produce films. Some of the directors set this as an example and inspiration as they build their own identity in the film industry.

Director during this time developed their own production. Especially when it comes to techniques, some of them established their own identity when it comes to filmmaking. De Palma’s films are known to be with touch of Hitchcock’s. Lucas developed motion-control, together with Spielberg they moved toward digital sound and high quality technology. Copolla for fast-motion black and white. They enriched the versions of genre, narrative and style.

Moreover, other independent filmmakers shifted on the mainstream, some did not and stayed on their line, which usually stocked to the urban problems. Other styles and movements even the classical Hollywood era were still used up to this age.

Independent directors developed their own production. As they stayed on their line, opportunity comes their way because they were also patronized by the public and earning big.

As this new style arrives, they try to improve and not do distort the previous techniques. At the same time, they make their own innovation in this industry.

 

Monster House – Trailer

Animated Film: Monster House

Monster House is a 2006 computer animated motion capture horror/comedy film directed by Gil Kenan, produced by ImageMovers and Amblin Entertainment, and distributed by Columbia Pictures.

The film is about an old house. It is known as a haunted house because the way it looks. The old man who lived in the house was known as Mr. Nebbercracker. He never smile, always mad and seldom go outside his house. He never accepted a visitor and never allowed someone to go near his house and even to step in his backyard.

A little girl rides her bike when suddenly she hits the lawn of Mr. Nebbercracker’s backyard.

Nebbercracker snaps and take away the bike and remove its wheel, then the girl goes away and cried. Nebbercracker did not know that his neighbor, DJ , always spies on him. When DJ’s parents leave the town, DJ called his best friend Charles to play but unfortunately loses his basketball on Nebbercracker’s backyard.

When they are trying to get the ball, Mr. Nebbercracker saw them but apparently suffered a heart attack and then rushed to the hospital. Then they discovered that the house is a monster itself. The next morning, Jenny is selling Halloween chocolates then DJ and Chowder – Charles’ nickname, saw her going to Nebbercracker’s house and they rush out to warn her catching her before she is eaten by the house.

The three explores the house while Nebbercracker is away and they discovered that Nebbercracker’s house is possessed by its wife Constance.

when they escaped the house suddenly Mr. Nebbercracker step out of the Ambulance and saw them.

DJ tells the old man to let Constance go, but the house overhears. The house becomes a monster and chases the group to the construction site. DJ and Jenny climb to the top of the crane, while Chowder distracts the house. DJ throws the dynamite to the chimney and the house got destroyed. The trio see Nebbercracker and Constance ghost hug each other. Nebbercracker thanked the three kids for freeing him and Constance.

 The children work together and learned that judging people through their appearance. The movie is great and has a twist-turning ending.

 

Un Chien Andalou – Trailer

Surrealist Film: Un Chien Andalou

The film we watched last August 28, 2013 is an example of a surrealist film. The movie has only instrumental or background music, the characters does not speak but the viewer must be the one to determine what they do, what they wanted to portray and merely understand what they wanted to tell to the viewers. It is a combination of logic and analysis, deep comprehension but according to our professor, the meaning of the film is left upon the viewer.

Un Chien Andalou (An Andalusian Dog) is a 1929 silent surrealist short film by the Spanish director Luis Buñuel and artist Salvador Dalí.

The first scene I remember was held at the room with a girl and boy. The girl tries to prepare things for the nun on the bed and then they both stand by the window and saw an investigator and group of people covering the detached and wounded hand. Crazy because unlike usual people, they don’t get scared nor terrified seeinga a detached hand along the highway. The two kept on watching until the crime scene cleaned and the hand was placed on a box. The woman investigator stood on the highway with cars pass by until she was hit by one and the two people standing by the window got shocked and like forgotten what happened. They created their own scenario inside the room after the incident. The boy tried to molest the girl. They run through the room, the boy chases the girl and molested her. He touched the girl’s breast and imagining she is naked, so is her butt. But the girl once again refused and ran.

Then another weird thing happen, the boy tried to trap the girl, he is pulling the piano with dead camels and co-workers but lying on the floor. I think what it wants to imply is that when it comes to love or winning a woman’s heart, you really have to work hard, even to the point of death just as the camels portrayed and always be humble doing your very best and that’s how you can’t trap the woman in your heart.

But the boy did not prevailed. The woman escaped and closed the door but on the other room, the man with the same face appeared. This only shows that even though we experience suffering or heart break, we still allow others to captivate our heart. Knowing that it could be of the same person or attitude you’ve loved before.

 

Then another crazy scenario came, according to our professor, it is a flashback and a re-enactment of the man’s experience with his father. With how he was maltreated and disgraced. And then, I do not know if the girl decided to be with another guy or is the man’s father she chose to be with. Because of the unidentified flow of the story. The box is always on the scene which I tjink symbolizes love. That no matter how we flee from it, no one can escape from what it brings. With the way it does not choose what place it will appear, so is love, it does not choose the person to be attacked. The couple run dry and stayed by the beach frozen. Depicting that as years pass by, relationship may grow cold and run dry.

Morning Glory – Trailer

Morning Glory

At first glance we meet a bright-eyed, naive (dare we say overly optimistic?) 28-year-old woman trying to make it big in the television industry. Underneath it all, once you scrape the surface, are important themes that resonate with our daily work lives.

How do you manage work-life balance? Have you ever wanted something so badly that you simply couldn’t give it up no matter how much everyone was prodding you to? And how have you dealt with difficult co-workers, bosses or even people you managed?

  Introducing Becky Fuller (Rachel McAdams), a hard-working TV producer who’s fired from a local news program in New Jersey. As she stumbles onto a job at the last place national morning news show, she’s given a new start, an empty canvas, if you will, to make her mark. First, she needs to be taken seriously by her cast and makes the first big decision to give the show a shot in the arm by bringing on legendary TV anchor Mike Pomeroy (Harrison Ford). The “Dan Rather-type” character wants to have nothing of it. Diane Keaton’s character, Colleen Peck, is a former beauty queen and longtime morning show personality who has made a career of covering the typically soft news of the morning show.

As their personalities clash, you can’t help but wonder: Have you also ever been in the workplace and felt something similar? Have you been on a team and yet simply refused (or perhaps wished you could refuse) to not do certain things?

As Becky tries to boost ratings on her fledgling show, she also manages to find love (or perhaps we can say it finds her). Through McAdams’ comedic timing we can’t help but relate to her as she tries to “shut off” work after hours (One effective strategy pointed out in the film — put the Blackberry in the refrigerator as soon as you walk in the door!).

Morning Glory is an entertaining movie that will make you think, but most of all it will make you smile.

As Becky struggles with her career and love life in an effort to make it in the always buzzing New York City, McAdams simply dazzles.

Screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna’s quick-witted, razor sharp dialogue and Morning Glory director Roger Michell’s brisk pace will keep you fixated on these characters, their quirks, and oh yes, their will to survive as the colorful characters walk into the sunset.

• Importance of morning news programming both in the US and in the Philippines

Based on what I have watched, News is important and it has to be disseminated on time, whatever the cost may be. I remember Becky Fuller, the executive producer of the morning news Daybreak, sacrificed her pleasure to meet with Mike Polmeroy, news anchor of the show and convince him to appear on the rehearsal on time; I think it was 1:30 in the morning, when they arrived at the office and work with the other staff.

They really have to work hard, research for raw materials and deliver it to the audience that it came to point that they forget their own desires. I may say that these people are also heroes for sacrificing much effort and time in order to serve the people who patronize their show.

One more thing is the way they manage their specific tasks and time during their first meeting, when altogether talks about their own concerns and areas but the executive producer managed to fix their recommendations. And the moment when she fired one of Daybreak’s anchor only shows that in the field of media, you have to be persistent, hardworking and your raw materials should be appealing to the public and with sense.

• Cultural Approach to Organization

Broadcasting is different from journalism, Media Filming is different with Advertising and same with Evening News is different from Morning program. They have their own cultures, jargons and approach.

For example, Mike Polmeroy does not want to accept the offer of Miss Fuller to be the anchor of the show Daybreak and doubt the they cannot insert news on morning shows because as we can see, these includes how to bake, travels, fashion, weather forecast. What Polmeroy thinks about the morning news is just kind of leisure time that will make your day a good start and soothing.

Unlike on the Evening news, based on what I have seen on Philippine television, which I believe is the same with United States, this is where crimes, disaster, important events are shown. It has something to do with life, hard news. Moreover, Polmeroy thinks that it is not applicable to be shown on morning news because of its different approach.

In this case, we can see the difference of soft to hard news. Then, Becky Fuller crossed the line and did what she thinks is best and something that will make their ratings improved. Soon enough convinced Polmeroy to anchor the program. She believes that they could deliver news fresh and be the one to cover it just like what Polmeroy did when he covered the arrest of the governor and made their rating and perspective on morning news into a blast.

• Semiotics

Semiotics is the study of signs. I have seen different usage of time in this movie. One of them is the use of sunrise in the image of Daybreak and coffees on top of the table of news anchors, which signifies that the show is aired in the morning.

Another thing is when they use to start the program after commercial, the production assistant will just prepare his finger and count 1, 2, 3… with the use of his hand signals and whatever the anchors do, they have to stop it and proceed to the program.

• Face-Negotiation

Morning Glory is an American film and United States is an example of Individualistic Culture wherein they place greater importance on individual face than on the group face. It stands for “I-identity” and assumes that every person is unique and reduced uncertainty by asking questions.

However, individuals within a culture—particularly  one  that is  ethnically  diverse—differ in these images of self as well as varied views on the degree to which they give others face or restore their own face in conflict situations.

Individualistic culture focus on their self-face just like the co-anchor of Mike Polmeroy that even though her partner is not performing well, she still does her job correctly, that there should be nothing wrong at least on herself even though the people around her is not. And also when they had a fight, their faces after it came back to original with calm resemblance, happy delivering the news.

Some of the Face-Negotiation Theory’s five distinct responses are also shown in the movie, the obliging, where Miss Fuller tries to give whatever Polmeroy wants; Avoiding, they tried to withdraw from opening irrelevant discussion to prevent conflict; dominating, they compete with other in order to win and sustain the program.

(c) Communication Theories homework 2012