erejones

Saw this film on an aeroplane coming back from Japan. I fancied something fun and a bit mindless, and I saw a Japanese girl across the aisle from me watching it and decided it absolutely fitted the bill. It did: a simple but lovely story about a group of high school students who get their school wind band together in the face of indifference from upper-management. In saw it back to back with 'ReLife', an incredibly similar film in many ways in what I assume is an expansive genre of Japanese films set in High Schools, and probably aimed at people (like me) of that age. But that doesn't prevent this film from being enjoyable, and quite touching.

I really liked this film. I didn't like watching this film. Tarr pushes the audience to the limit of their patience but after a while it gets under your skin. You fall into its all-encompassing, hypnotic pattern. It's humanity at its most bare - its most bleak. It is a look into humanity's most raw, pained existence. It emerges you. Philosophically rigourous, Tarr goes to great efforts to make the Nietzsche analogy and whatever you think of Nietzsche, or even if you don't, there's a bitter comedy to the way in which Tarr looks at the human condition here. It laughs in the face of meaning. Yet, paradoxically, it's a film of distinct humanity, as shown to us in the last scene. It won't be for everyone, I know. It's cinema at its most cutting; its most applied.

When DreamWorks first announced a sequel to How to Train your Dragon, I was doubtful to say the least. Too many sequels are cash cows designed to take advantage of loyal fans of the franchise. This is not, I repeat, IS NOT one of them. The studio (which is struggling from several financial catastrophes in the past few months) has undoubtedly struck gold with this. It keeps the same winning formula found in the first film and makes it grander. The soundtrack, for example, is every bit as distinct and moving as the movie's forerunner in John Powell and Jónsi's capable hands, but is more moving, more emotional and more dramatic. That isn't to say Dreamworks doesn't progress the storyline. Everyone ages several years and, without any spoilers, there are huge changes to the dynamic of the story that other franchises would be too afraid to make. At times, it's dark. It's mature. It made this Welshman cry. It's also beautifully crafted; the animation is remarkable, breathtaking and vast. I would be lying if I said it was anything less than the best animated film Dreamworks has ever made. Please see it.