REEL NEWS

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 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

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

Pain and Glory (Director Pedro Almodóvar. Starring Antonio Banderas, Penélope Cruz.) In this frank truth-telling journey into the dark night of old age, 70-year-old director Pedro Almodóvar flips a highly autobiographical coin. On one side we see the pain, depression, and diminished abilities of aging, while the other focuses on the nourishing memories of a life rigorously and gloriously lived. Banderas plays the aged and broken Spanish film director Salvador Mallo. A long list of debilitating ailments have pushed him to the edge of a physical and emotional abyss. For all his life, his gifted creativity molded him like a potter creating a masterpiece. Now, he’s lost his compass and wanders aimlessly in a fog of uncertainty with no sight of succor. He’s sustained emotionally by memories of his childhood with his loving mother (Cruz), a powerful woman who encouraged his creativity. When Mallo’s signature film from decades past is revived, the pride and guilt from his successes and failures, both professional and personal, come head on. The storyline slips episodically between past and present with Cruz lighting up the screen as Mallo’s young mother. Banderas takes on the affectations of Almodóvar (filmed in his own house with Banderas wearing his clothes) and creates a fully-spirited, independent character. The dynamic, animated synergy of the two actors and director, who have worked together for three decades, blossoms into a life epic that captures the spirit of youth, living, and old age with simplicity and beauty and power. In Spanish with English subtitles. (R) HHHHH

Ford v Ferrari (Director James Mangold. Starring Christian Bale, Matt Damon, Tracy Letts.) This high-speed romp through the world of car racing is not about car racing. So rest easy if you’re not a fan. And really, it’s not about which company can build the fastest cars. The high-octane, character-driven competition is between two men dedicated to excellence against the corporate ethos that values the bottom line above all else. It’s about the quest to build the fastest race car innovative engineering can make, despite opposition and subterfuge by corporate minions. And to put the best, most competitive man in the driver’s seat, even if he’s not the company PR department’s choice. In 1963, Ford tried to buy Ferrari Motor Company, but was scorned by Enzo Ferrari. Henry Ford II (Letts) declared war on his competitor and swore to beat him at all costs at the Le Mans’ Grand Prix 24- hour endurance race, perennially dominated by Ferrari. He hired ace driver Carroll Shelby (Damon) who, due to a heart condition, had retired from racing and now designed high-performance packages for Mustangs. Shelby knew exactly where to find the man to race his redesigned, super-charged Mustangs. Ken Miles (Bale) operated a sports car garage in LA and burned up the race tracks in his spare time. They were the perfect team, but like adding nitro to the fuel, the volatile combo was sure to blow. Complex relationships proved more hazardous than a covey of cars flying around an oval at 200 mph. Both iconoclastic perfectionists, Shelby and Miles had to learn to consult and compromise, Miles and his wife had major issues to resolve about racing, and the Ford underlings always thought they were the ultimate authority on building and racing cars. Despite all the conflict and tangled subplots, director Mangold stays firmly in the driver’s seat and weaves a spellbinding tale of human drama and high-speed action. Both Damon and Bale create larger-than-life characters with heroic spirits who refuse to give up. (PG-13) HHHHH