The Cove - “r Up”

Written by Mark Monroe
Directed by Louie Psihoyos

Have you ever been to Sea World? Swam with Dolphins on a tropical vacation? What about watched the TV show “Flipper”? Congratulations, you are now a cog in the international trade of dolphins from Japan. Richard O’Barry, the man responsible for capturing and training the original Flipper dolphins, essentially created the dolphin industry. But after years of learning more and more about these magnificent, intelligent creatures, O’Barry realized the error of his ways and took it upon himself to be one of the leading activists for the safety of dolphins. This has led to his arrest several times, and in the documentary The Cove, he, along with director Louie Psihoyos investigates the current dolphin trade. Even more importantly, they also explain the ongoing capture and slaughter of thousands of dolphins in a hidden cove in Taiji, Japan every year. They know they must reveal conclusive evidence of this to the world by any means necessary.

Passions run high on both sides. While the activists try to show the world the reasons for preserving dolphin-kind, the Japanese government is doing everything in their power to continue business as usual. Dolphin and whale hunting is claimed as an essential aspect of Japanese culture dating back many generations and Taiji is the current epicenter of it all, taking civic pride in their work. Thousands of dolphins are routinely rounded up into a cove for buyers to select their preference. Anyone can watch this process from a nearby bridge, but the actual slaughter of those not sold takes place in a smaller area off the cove that is inaccessible to observers of any kind. This meat is sold in stores (sometimes not labeled as dolphin) and was being integrated into the mandatory meals for school children. Meanwhile, the Japanese government is also trying to push for the legalization of hunting cetaceans by enlisting small island nations in the Caribbean into the International Whaling Commission solely to support them with their votes.

O’Barry explains that in Taiji, he has to wear a mask and change his appearance to hide from the police, who know him too well these days. He is a known man for his dolphin liberation movement, and gets questioned by police several times over the course of the proceeding film which we are shown on hidden camera. The Japanese authorities and dedicated businessmen are very astute and very little gets by them. There have been several attempts to halt the rounding up and killing of dolphins the in the cove, all of which have led to banning and/or arrest. And this, as it is explained, is what you have to avoid. If you are caught breaking the rules, even in a peaceful manner, you will never be able to return to continue fighting the good fight. So everything has to be done extremely covertly.

A crack team of experts in different fields have been assembled by the filmmakers to help them accomplish their goal of conclusive proof of the slaughter, which the Japanese irrevocably deny. This includes divers, cameramen, technicians, and even a professional thrill seeker. In addition, they are working with the latest covert technology. Night vision cameras are the tip of the iceberg, here. Underwater sonar audio recorders need to be planted in the depths of the water to hear the screams of the dolphins. A military-grade thermal camera, which can see the life signature of any living creature from afar, night or day is in Psihoyos’ hand at all times in case of anyone approaching the cove while they work in the black of night. Even enlisted is George Lucas’ Industrial Light and Magic, who have built props for everything from Star Wars to Ghostbusters, hollow rock formations to fit those of the cove’s cliffs have been constructed to house hidden Hi-Def cameras to film the slaughter the following day. The thrills ramp up as they narrowly avoid police, spies, and mysterious cars following them around.

The main weakness of the film is that after it has dynamically laid out the three steps of the mission, the “ocean’s eleven”-like team, and the cutting edge technology that will aid them in their endeavor, the film chooses not to give us the payoff of all three tense experiences in succession. Whereas a documentary like 2008’s Man on Wire, which is also in the “suspense-umentary” genre, remarkably stayed on target through its running time, The Cove falters right when they have your attention most. Instead, the anticipation is lost as the film goes back to explain a bit more about the international spectrum or why dolphins are special several more times before returning to the night’s task. The final mission serves as the climax for the film, so this additional material sometimes feels like padding to make a 75-minute documentary into a 90-minute one.

This is one of those documentaries that is a first step. While it would surely be fascinating to see the continued effect O’Barry and Psihoyos’ efforts yielded as part of the film, the filmmakers have chosen instead to lay out the evidence and enlist the viewing public to their cause from this point forth. The ending is one of hope and not immediate success, because realistically there is still much to be done for the slaughter to end conclusively. The Cove is a solid dramatic documentary that educates and thrills, but leaves you wanting more in an unfortunate manner.


*** Three Stars – Take it or leave it

The Cove is available now on DVD. It has won and been nominated for numerous awards including the Audience Award for Documentary at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival.

Sin Nombre - "What's In A Name?"

Written and Directed by Cary Fukanaga

The winner of the “Excellence in Directing” and ‘Cinematography’ awards at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, Sin Nombre intertwines the story of a Mexican gang member named Casper who doubts his allegiance to the gang with a teenage girl named Sayra who is trying to make it from Honduras to the U.S.A. We don’t know much about Casper beyond his membership in the gang, who are a tattooed bunch constantly at war with a rival gang. Casper is initiating a young new member who takes on the nickname Smiley while secretly breaking the gang’s strict rules about where to be and who to be with, dragging Smiley into the insubordination with him. Sayra is hesitantly setting off with her uncle and father, who was deported and separated from his new family in New Jersey and who is leading the way to sneak back into the States. Naturally, their journey takes them through the rail yards where Casper and Smiley hang out.

Casper is introduced to us sitting on his bed staring at a wall paper of vibrantly colored trees, immediately cluing us into his discontent with the gang life. Sayra is similarly introduced staring out into the densely populated city she lives in with her uncle. It is in this fashion that we know that both characters are connected by the fates. They are meant to eventually meet and fall in love against all odds, with dire consequences. This archetype of star crossed lovers works for and against the film at times. The downside is that the traditional plot points apply, making the film predictable. Once they are together, they will have unwavering dedication until an untimely end of some kind. The upside is that for the portion of the film that separates them, we are waiting to see what turns await to lead to their unity.

Each of the main roles is well handled under the direction of Cary Fukanaga. While the film’s title translates to “No Name”, I would say that he has made a name for himself with this film. I look forward to what he does next, because he shows a real ability for matching drama and character. Edgar Flores, as Casper, especially blooms under Fukanaga’s direction. With so little revealed about who Casper is and what his personal journey has been we still feel connected and understand his circumstances. The gang life depicted was heavily researched and it comes across on screen. Fukanaga lived with the actual gangsters fictionalized here to get their way of life just right. Apparently, they also gave notes on the slang used in the script to get it just right.

He also spent time with the train riding travelers trying to make their way north to get an accurate portrayal of their life on the rails. The shots of our protagonists riding atop trains as the natural world passes by are reminiscent of Days of Heaven, Terrence Malick’s Academy Award-winning film from 1978. While both have been rewarded in the category of cinematography, ‘Heaven’ is a landmark that Sin Nombre doesn’t quite live up to. The images are pretty, but not majestic. The camera placement is competent for telling the story but is neither dynamic nor especially naturalistic. One shot, however, stands out for placing us inside the head of Casper. In one scene he is knocked to the ground and the camera is sideways. The speed of film seems to change as Casper falls into frame and falls, hitting the floor. It is a rare close up in a film that keeps the camera far away during our protagonists’ most personal moments.

The film is something you see time and time again, especially around this time of year. Well made, well acted films that unfortunately don’t bring anything new to the table, story-wise. You can’t write them off because so much is right about them, and yet, the excitement that one seeks out from an excellent film is missing. It’s a shame this film isn’t on the shortlist for Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars this year, because it is just the type of movie they typically go for.


***1/2 Three and a Half Stars – Take it or leave it

Sin Nombre is available now on DVD.

Paper Heart - "Its art is in the wrong place"

Written by Nicholas Jasenovec & Charlyne Yi
Directed by Nicholas Jasenovec


Paper Heart wears its heart on its sleeve. Star Charlyne Yi and director Nicholas Jasenovec (played on screen by Jake M. Johnson)are making a documentary about love. Does it exist? In what fashion? And how do you know it's really there? They briefly discuss the subject with friends and travel the world talking to people with all perspectives on the subject. Except the “documentary” is only one side of the coin, as we are also led to believe that we also witness Yi falling in love with fellow actor and Judd Apatow regular Michael Cera (Superbad, Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist).

The problem is that while the real people who have been interviewed on their differing perspectives of love are quite intriguing, the side of the film that is showing Yi and Cera's relationship pales greatly in comparison. Each of the couples interviewed throughout the U.S. have fascinating takes on what love is. Whether it is the couple married for 50 years, the divorced hunter, “Jester” the Harley motorcycle rider who jokes about beating his wife, the gay couple in NYC or an Elvis impersonator who marries people in Las Vegas, everyone brings a tremendous amount of insight to the table. The concept of showing Yi falling in love while trying to figure out if she believes it exists at all is a good one. Unfortunately, since both she and Cera and such introverts and this is the beginning of said relationship, we don't find any grander truths about love especially when laid against these other colorful characters.

At the same time the film is investigating if love exists, it is screaming out to be loved itself. Each of the couples discussing their stories of love has their story interpreted visually by Yi using crude popsicle stick puppets that look like they were done by a grammar schooler. This playful approach starts out amusing enough, but by the time it is used in the climax of the film it becomes tiresome. Whereas every previous story is a true catalog of moments of love, the ending is a fictitious account by Yi of her own relationship with Cera. While it seems to be going for being a cutesy absurd endearing story about her appreciation for him it just ends up silly. Sure she may have found her own way to express love, but was there ever any doubt?

The film never truly convinced me of the legitimacy of the falling in love subplot. If one hasn't figured it out during the course of the film, the end credits set it in stone that this is, in fact, a mockumentary intercut with a documentary. The director himself as we see him is played by an actor that gives Yi a person to bounce feelings off of. Otherwise, the film would be too lonely, no? She would have no way to externally express her feelings. If only she (or I should say, her character) cared about the project! When the cameras get in her way, she decides it is no longer appropriate to be filmed constantly. But if she really was invested in understanding her own stunted idea of love, wouldn't she be keeping a camera by her side, filming herself whenever something important comes along?

It is debatable if mockumentaries can truly be convincing anymore. I would say that in an age where promotion and spoilers run rampant on the Internet, it is nearly impossible. Recently 'Paranormal Activity' came along to test this theory, and I would wager that in the end “the man behind the curtain” was revealed for everyone. The strength of a film shouldn't hinge on this. If the filmmakers do rely on it, like in the case of Paper Heart needing us to believe in Yi and Cera, the film is weakened. Apparently this conceit was accepted at the Sundance Film Festival this year, where the film won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award. If only they had simply stuck to exploring odd concepts of love- they might be one screenwriting prize shorter, but maybe a documentary prize would be better.


*** Three Stars - Take it or leave it

Paper Heart will be released on DVD and Blu-ray this Tuesday, December 1st.