The Philosopher Kings (Patrick Shen, 2009)

Princeton. Cornell. Berkeley. Names associated with those who stand on society’s commanding heights. But long after the greats leave their mark and move on to brighter hopes, there remain the men and women who continue to eke out a living, becoming one with grounds they maintain. Yet few students bother to even ask them their name, much less sit down and talk to them about life. In “The Philosopher Kings,” Patrick Shen does just that, interviewing custodians from seven universities. Moving from their basic attitude towards their work, Shen explores many different aspects of each janitor’s life. We see what they do outside work, things like creating art, playing bass, or struggling with a second job. There is also great loss, whether it be of a mother, a wife, or a limb. We hear amazing stories. There’s Jim, the Vietnam vet who had to crawl three days in the jungle using his arms after being shot in the back. Corby the artist struggles to perfect his latest work. And Josue the Haitian émigré returns to his home country, desperate to help his family survive. Throughout they give bits of wisdom born out of the long years of suffering. In their labors, they have become true philosophers. I highly recommend this film to anyone, especially for family viewing. It might cause you to think twice about the people around you.

My rating: ⁵/₅ mop buckets.

Kamome Shokudo (Naoko Ogigami, 2006)

For some years I’ve had a strong love for Japanese cuisine. In college I even went to Japan to study the history of its development from premodern times to the present. Thus, it wasn’t too hard for me to appreciate “Kamome Shokudo,” Naoko Ogigami’s delicious depiction of life at a Japanese restaurant in Helsinki, Finland. The appeal of this film does not lie in the plot, but rather in the strong and likable characters and the intimate cinematography. The three main characters are Japanese expatriates living in Finland. Sachie (Satomi Kobayashi) opened the eponymous Kamome Shokudo (“Seagull Diner”) a month ago, in order to introduce the Finns to real Japanese home cooking such as the onigiri (rice ball). Sachie then meets Midori (Hairi Katagiri), whose “stab in the dark” leads her to Helsinki. The trio is rounded out by Masako (Masako Motai), who was inspired by Finnish air-guitar contests. The film follows these three very different women as they adjust to life in Finland while meeting with an assortment of unique customers: a Finnish otaku (Jarkko Niemi), a woman with a thousand-yard glare (Tarja Markus), and a mysterious man (Markku Peltola) who shows Sachie the secret to making delicious coffee. The slice-of-life atmosphere is enhanced by the cinematography, which either puts us at eye level with the characters or focuses us on the ritual-like preparation of food, transforming the viewer into a customer at the diner. While watching the film in my comfy chair, I was reminded of my favorite Japanese place in San Francisco, Kitchen Kura. The light humor and interesting characters makes this film worth watching. You will leave satiated. Or hungry for some actual food. Recommended, especially if you’re a foodie or Japanophile.

My rating: ⁴/₅ onigiri.

India Café

This past Monday, I visited my old school, the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa. Since it is still the Apostles’ Fast, I wanted to find some vegetarian grub. Thankfully, there’s a kiosk near the student center which sells authentic Indian curry. I got a mini-plate, which includes a main meat or seafood dish with a vegetable side and rice for $6.50. The regular plate ($8.25) comes with two sides. As you can see from the above picture, “mini” can be a very relative term. I ordered the calamari curry, with a side of spicy eggplant. The calamari was nice and tender, the eggplant sweet with coconut milk. The curry was also extremely hot. I felt as if a small platoon of vikings had invaded my mouth and were now burning stuff. The curry was delicious going down, but it took a while to settle down in my stomach. Still, it’s a pretty good deal. Just remember to order some paratha bread ($1.50) to soak up the curry.

My Rating: ³/₅ Samosas.

Koyaanisqatsi (Godfrey Reggio, 1982)

I first encountered this film in a Blockbuster once. I think I was eight or nine. The bizarre title and the black cover were somewhat disconcerting but stuck in the craw of my memory for quite a while. Now, thanks to the recommendation of a friend (and faithful Reader) I finally decided to watch Godfrey Reggio’s tour-de-force on hulu. Interrupted way too many times by commercials, the online version of “Koyaanisqatsi” leaves much to be desired, but the striking visual imagery remains. We are first treated to scenes of tranquil beauty: the stillness of nature. Then the film suddenly cuts to scenes of earth-movers and demolition. Our cinematic apocalypse then shifts to scenes of chaotic modern life. The predominant contrast is between order and chaos/imbalance/destruction. Rows of cars give way to rows of tanks. People pop out of escalators like hot-dogs in a factory. Trains, planes, and automobiles snake along surrounded by the bustling crowd. The soundtrack, Philip Glass’s first film composition, uses his now hallmark minimalism to shift moods between sublime, haunting, and creepy, although at one point I thought the constant repetition was going to drive me insane. Ominous chanting in the Hopi language is also present, warning of coming destruction. Highly recommended for people who want some food for thought. Make sure to watch it on the DVD, on a very large screen television. I wish they made an Imax version.

My Rating: ^4.5/₅ Hopi prophecies.

Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould (François Girard, 1993)

My first exposure to the genius of Glenn Gould was through watching bits of this film about ten years ago. Tonight, I finally watched it in its entirety on Netflix. In a series of short, semi-fictional vignettes interspersed with real-life contemporaries of the Canadian pianist, “Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould”  builds impression upon impression of Gould’s life. Gould is very well-portrayed by Colm Feore, who gives a perfect imitation of his vocal intonation and bodily idiosyncrasies. Explored are his childhood and budding abilities, his meteoric rise to prominence and sudden quitting of the concert stage, his perfectionism and reinvention as a recording artist and broadcaster, his drug addiction, his penchant for wearing winter wear in every weather condition whether rain or shine, and his death. Of the thirty-two pieces, I especially liked the one where Gould interviews himself (“Gould on Gould”), and proves to be the harshest interlocutor of all. Also, having read A Romance on Three Legs, an account of Gould’s Steinway CD318 piano, I enjoyed seeing it have its own separate vignette (“CD318”). An account of the multitude of counter-reactive medications that Gould took near the end of his life (“Pills”) provides some rather grim humor. All the films put together provide a many-faceted look at this incredible individual. Highly recommended.

My Rating: ³⁰/₃₀ Goldberg Variations and an Aria.

White on Rice (Dave Boyle, 2009)

According to the Urban Dictionary, “white on rice” means to be on or close to something, as in, “I’m going to be on top of this task like white on rice.” “White on Rice” accurately portrays our protagonist, Hajime “Jimmy” Beppu (Hiroshi Watanabe), who probably is the most sympathetic portrayal of a stalker I have ever seen in a movie. Jimmy, a recently divorced 40-year-old man-child, lives on the top bunk in his nephew Bob’s room. His sister Aiko (Nae) loves him. His brother-in-law Tak (Mio Takada) decidedly does not. Jimmy’s life takes a turn when Tak’s all-grown-up niece Ramona (Lynn Chen) moves in for grad school. Jimmy’s facination with Ramona very soon turns into obsession, and then crazy jealousy, when Ramona reignites with her old flame Tim (James Kyson Lee) who happens to be Jimmy’s co-worker. Crazy antics follow, including Jimmy trying to woo Ramona by taking her to a dinosaur museum, as well as pursuing her in a gorilla costume. However, Jimmy’s complete immaturity prevents him from acting out of real malice. Although I felt pity for our hero, and wished that he could somehow mature into an decent human being, I felt somewhat deprived of that wish, as the movie hurtled towards a somewhat slap-dash ending with some rather absurd developments. However, funny (if awkward) moments make the movie enjoyable. Moreover, I find it refreshing to see a movie where Asians are the main characters.

My Rating: ³/₅ Dinosaurs.

Salutations!

Here I will write capsule reviews of anything I see, hear, or otherwise experience. Since my other blog, Jordanville Journal, is all about my career as a seminarian, I will focus here on relatively more secular things.

The title of this blog comes from the Myriobiblion of St. Photius the Great, who wrote capsule summaries of 279 books, thus anticipating the modern book review.