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Museo.
NEW & SOON-TO-BE-RELEASED DVDS REVIEWED BY GEORGE OXFORD MILLER
Museo (Director Alonso Ruizpalacios. Starring Gael García Bernal, Leonardo Ortizgris, Simon Russell Beale, Lynn Gilmartin.) On Christmas Eve, 1985, thieves made off with 140 priceless Mayan artifacts from the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City. In this unorthodox heist movie, the criminals are not a crew of masterminds but two pothead dullards still living with their parents (think Cheech and Chong). When Juan (Garcia Bernal), gets a job at the Museum to fund his marijuana habit, he comes up with the crackpot caper and elicits his best buddy Wilson (Ortizgris). Like everything else in their hapless lives, nothing goes as planned. Adroitly directed, filmed, and scored, the story morphs through three distinct acts. First we experience the dire home life of the pair. Wilson cares for his mortally ill father while Juan will do anything to get back at his 22
overbearing, unaccepting father. The idea of stealing the nation’s most valuable heritage artifacts fits the bill perfectly, and might even score a ton of pesos. The actual heist, in an era with no motion detectors or security cameras, is pretty straightforward, yet dramatically staged. Ironically, the public outrage to the theft shows how strongly Mexicans identify with the ancient cultures that their Spanish ancestors looted and brutally destroyed. Next, the pair launches on a buddy road trip (in dad’s car, of course) to try to fence the priceless treasures. Like a grand travelogue, their visits to classic Mayan ruins and stunning beaches highlight the incredible beauty of Mexico’s natural and cultural heritage. The lighthearted tour de force through dysfunctional family life to daring caper, then through the heart of Mexican culture and countryside, artfully explores the more serious issues of
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family dynamics, cultural identity, and social values. In Spanish and English with English subtitles. (NR) HHHHH Parasite (Director Bong Joon Ho. Song Kang-ho, Jo Yeo-jeong, Choi Woo-sik, Park So-dam.) Drastic income inequality, class warfare, lying, deception, cheating, sabotage, and even brutal violence—director Bong Joon Ho unsheathes all the weapons in this dark and satirical comedy of two families, each with a son and daughter, on opposite ends of the economic and social spectrum. The Kims live in the dank basement of a rundown tenement, while the Parks live in a mansion with a staff of servants to tend to their every desire. To survive, the Kims must exploit every opportunity to the fullest. They piggyback on their neighbor’s unprotected wifi, and start plotting as soon as the college-aged son, KiWoo (Choi Woo-sik), is hired to
tutor the Park’s daughter in English. The Kim’s daughter, Ki-jung (Park So-dam), fabricates a sterling résumé as an art therapist for the troubled son, while conniving mom displaces the housekeeper and torpedoes the chauffer so dad can get the job. Like a cluster of tapeworms, the Kims thrive on the life force of the Parks, yet the Park’s lifestyle makes them equally dependent on low-wage servants to pamper and provide them with their needs. So who is exploiting whom the most? It’s hard to completely empathize with either family. As the intricate dependency develops, the Kim’s machinations spiral out of control with dreadful results. With plot twists leading to more unexpected consequences, the artfully crafted and delightfully acted film explores deep human feelings and emotions in a most unorthodox manner.In Korean with English subtitles. (R) HHHHH
