Reviews

Co-Directors Dmitry Vasyukov and Werner Herzog takes us to one of the harshest parts of the world partly inhibited by people – Siberian Taiga. Documentary Happy People: A Year in the Taiga invites to follow how lives of local fur-trappers are effected by the cycles of nature.

Brisk spring, shortest summer and cold fall followed by forever lasting winter – the only rule created by Taiga. The only imposed rule otherwise truly free people equipped only with individual values have to follow. Self-sufficiency and seemingly primitive methods perfected hundreds of years ago are passed on by word of mouth from one generation to the next. Trapping, skis making, canoe carving, food preparation or fishing are true traditions and legacy small community of 300 people wants to preserve.

"You can take everything from the man, everything, but you can't take his craft."

Documentary Happy People: A Year in the Taiga resembles raw video footage and thus serves the purpose very well. Seemingly wintry demeanor so common to people from the North is warmed by intimate stories and confessions – dog that becomes a family member, unwritten code of hunting, respect for the past, timeless traditions, unconditional love for Taiga and overwhelming enormity of solitude.

"You see that everything is going forward as it should. It gives you a sense of job being done. And it is not you who are doing it, but you still feel a part of it."

PopcornBanned.com

Solid amounts of time spent navigating Super Mario in the '90s did not make me a huge fan of video games. This mustachioed plumber was both - a great entertainer and timewaster. Co-directors of documentary Indie Game: The Movie (2012) Lisanne Pajot and James Swirsky do not try to advocate possible benefits of video games either. They let us witness final stages of few independent games development, giving thorough insight of what it feels like to be on the outskirts of the ever growing 10-digit revenue industry.

Indie Game: The Movie was not made for game professionals, it was made for average person who tried to play at least once. Where you hooked? Where you excited? Well, you were expected to, as apparently, it might take up to several years of daily overtimes to create even a simple game. Now, compare large production company with unlimited budget and army of developers versus team of two or even one working on an indie game. It's hit or miss and either way – very personal. "Meat Boy is a boy made of meat. He is a boy without a skin, so he is exposed to the elements. Maybe he is always in pain, but he just deals with it..." tells developer of Super Meat Boy, calling this game the best form of communication. As a book for the writer, as a painting for the painter, this film proves – a game is someone's whole life.

Co-directors did a brilliant job editing this picture. Indie Game: The Movie, unlikely for descriptive documentary, is stunningly picturesque. Long, almost landscape and urban photo-like frames changing extreme close-ups, which makes spectators go through full scope of emotions. Clever editing (awarded at Sundance) and soundtrack made same scenes very symbolic and engaging, so that I've found myself almost jumpy about the success of these games. "If you don't see a vulnerability in somebody, you're probably not relating with them on a very personal level." says another successful indie game developer.

Strong parallels can be made between indie games and indie films. High level of freedom and control on one side of the scales, immeasurable amounts of efforts and emotional attachment, preventing from critical view on the other.

Peace, Popcorn

www.popcornbanned.com

Young director and screenwriter Craig Zobel makes us witness small town story growing into real-life drama. That's right, makes us, as Compliance (2012) it's not the typical eye candy. It was not made to entertain, it was made to provoke and shake-up and it is actually hard to watch.

Beautifully filmed Compliance (2012) tells a story about fast food restaurant manager Sandra (Ann Dowd) and how far she goes to submit to power. She agrees to act in the name of the law after prank caller "Officer Daniels" (Pat Healy) convinces her that register girl Becky (Dreama Walker) committed a theft. She interrogates, pushes and even strip searches innocently accused 19 year-old subordinate. This torturous situation eventually leads to sexual abuse.

Compliance (2012) asks why we blindly obey to anything that seems like an authority, and that's the greatest value of this picture. It strikingly resembles studies made in 1960's, known as Milgram experiment. Subjects of the experiment continued punishing the learner even after electric shock was increased to deadly levels and what seems to be pure agony to learner, only because they were told to. Psychologists now believe that the root causes lies in our childhood. Parents, teachers and the government tells us to blindly obey from the earliest age. As Bills Hicks once said: "You are free to do as we tell you".

Craig Zobel takes many liberties with his presentation of time in Compliance (2012). Story builds up in a very slow pace conveying the spectator of what it would feel like to be trapped in a situation that feels like forever. Excellent soundtrack by Heather McIntosh only accentuates the agony.

Sundance's selection Compliance (2012) is not for mainstream success and this is a reason why you must watch it.

Peace, Popcorn Banned dot Com

Young woman is lying beside a man, who has just made love to her. He tells about his past, how his pregnant wife and their minor son were killed by a drunk driver – teenage girl, and what horrible things he'd have done to vengeance.

Another Earth – a mirror planet can be seen hanging over the sea. Girl with incredibly sad eyes just received a confirmation, that she's been selected to travel and meet herself. "Better luck next time" she'll say.

Another Earth (2011) – science fiction weaved with human-drama – was co- written by former National Geographic documentary maker, self-proclaimed science geek Mike Cahill and talented writer Brit Marling, who is playing the lead role. In this metaphor-soaked picture spectators are asked again and again – is there any greater confrontation than with oneself?

Camera work perfectly serves the dramatic necessity, close-up shots have profound effect on viewers emotions and minds as well as blue as a dominating color. Spontaneity can be felt throughout the film, like director mentioned himself during the interview: "capture something that happens, something that unfolds live".

Another Earth was criticized for it's open-end, questions asked and not answered, but I think it's one of the factors that make this film great. Audience do not need the help to understand, it's up to every person to add 2 plus 2. This character-driven picture is as good as an Indie film can get and therefore, makes it to Popcorn's Best list.

Peace, Popcorn Banned dot Com