Les Diables (The Devils)

Les Diables: They're no angels....

I didn't think there would be a better film than City of God that juxtaposes children with violence/sex, but here it is - Les Diables (2002).

A disturbing but emotional film, Les Diables follows the brother & sister pair of Joseph and Chloe in an Of Mice And Men like journey to find the elusive dream home that Chloe is able to piece together from broken coloured glass.

Be warned. This is not a feel good film. There are themes of violence, nudity and incest, but that is not the end of it....

The clincher - the two leads are children, underaged and barely hitting puberty. Chloe is autistic and completely incapable of caring for herself, while Joseph is fiercely protective of his sister - to their own detriment. Abandoned from young, they have been continually outcast from a society that fails to treat them with the respect and care that they need.

In consequence, they have wandered from place to place, children's home to children's home - never staying long because the adults cannot understand that Joseph simply will not be kept apart from his sister, and vice versa.

Vincent Rottiers as Joseph; Adele Haenel as Chloe.

Hell hath no fury like a boy on a rampage.

Autistic and in heat.

It is heart wrenching to see how, in a huge and frightening world, how alone the two children are and how much mistrust they have in the adults and society around them. If only they would place their trust in someone!

These are the archetypal 'wild childs' - the 'Devils' that make the film's name.

Homeless, uncontrollable and fearful of social contact, they become a 'Bonnie & Clyde' style wrecking ball, descending into petty crime and anarchy - yet all the while we are painfully aware that it is part of their survival instincts rather than childish willfulness.

Couple that with Chloe's growing sexuality and her discovery for the pleasures of 'touch', plus Joseph's own dim notion of what it means to get too close to one's sister, and we have a controversial and potentially explosive European film.

Innocence lost?

And just what are you thinking, you damn perverts?

Will they ever find a place they can call home?

While not particularly strong in terms of production quality, plus the presence of some incredulously laughable scenes, such as the riot caused by a gang of children - what truly makes Les Diables arresting is the performance of the two leads, Vincent Rottiers as Joseph and Adele Haenal as Chloe. In particular, director Christophe Ruggia's treatment and portrayal of autism is simply oh so poignant and believable.

The film may be violent, but it is not a film about violence. It is about two children trying to find their way in life, trying to survive the harsh realities, all the while still maintaining the innocence that they bear as children.

The final scene may be a little predictable, but it is nonetheless deeply meaningful, and we are left wondering if they have truly at last found the peace and home that they are looking for....

Moometer Reading:

Moo-ooo..?!!

Exclamation for:

! Outstanding Lead Actor: It is a great pity that Adele Haenel was the one to receive the plaudits for her portrayal of an autistic girl, which she admittedly deserves, but in my opinion the true outstanding performer is Vincent Rottiers. In any other setting he would play a cuddly little boy, but here he delivers an out of the world performance as a boy filled with rage and mistrust, yet tentative, fearful and loving (of his sister) at the same time. And there is innocence as well, when his character shares a moment with his sister. His range of emotions are so complete - it is practically the most mature performance I have ever seen coming from a child less than 14 years old. Never mind Hollywood, Vincent Rottiers has set the standard for child actors everywhere.

! Outstanding Direction / Lead Actress: How should I put it? I wouldn't say that Christophe Ruggia has made an outstanding performance as a director. However, when it comes to Adele Haenel's portrayal of an autistic girl, which is yet another out of the world performance, there I have to give credit to the direction. Adele undoubtedly acted very well, and she has gone on to achieve some fame for herself, but her range of expressions are not as complicated as her co-actor. It really isn't that tough to act silly you know. But here, Christophe's own experience dealing with autism I suspect is a huge influence. The portrayal is superb beyond measure. Truly realistic and more so, the portrayal of Chloe's budding sexuality. And I don't mean this in a suggestive way. Indeed, as an adult, you'll be truly alarmed at how Chloe expresses herself, and yet you'll sense that this really is how an autistic child behaves. You have to watch the film to see what I mean. 

Query for:

? Incredulous Riot: When Joseph needs to enter a mental institution to save Chloe, he finds an old ally from a previous children's home, who activates an entire gang of children to break into the institution. Yeah right. What can I say? Viva la France!

City of Life and Death - A sanitised telling of the Nanking Massacre

City of Life and Death aka Nanking! Nanking!

I must be getting jaded.

City of Life and Death is not an easy film to watch. Not because of the tragedy involved but rather and strangely enough, precisely due to the lack of it.

Let me explain. The death, devastation, looting and rape are all there; but somehow the portrayal of these crimes seem sanitised - as though the producers were withholding the whole truth behind the Nanking Massacre.

Considering that the film was quite beautifully shot in stark black and white, City of Life and Death should have had all the right ingredients and elements to rival the likes Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan.

Instead, the film somehow falls well short of greatness.

Mind you, I'm not saying that it is a bad film. It is good, and for a regular audience, possibly superb even. But it can be so much better. City of Life and Death just seemed to be missing a certain something.

Hideo Nakaizumi plays the sympathetic Japanese soldier.

Gao Yuanyuan gives a stirring performance as an administrator giving her all to protect civilians in the Nanking Safety Zone.

A limited but nonetheless memorable appearance by Liu Ye.

Jiang Yiyan as the prostitute who volunteers to be a comfort woman for the Japanese.

Fan Wei plays John Rabe's secretary; Qin Lan plays his wife; and John Paisley in a strangely small role as John Rabe - the Schindler of Nanking.

So what I did was to obtain a copy of Nanking, a documentary on the tragedy - notably made by non-Chinese.

What I saw blew me away. Not because of a higher production value - it was nowhere near that of City's - but because it pulled no punches. It revealed pictures that showed the full atrocity committed by the Japanese.

And just one single eye-witness account from the documentary beats the entire film - hands down.

Comfort women being carted away after 'use' in the film - it is not shown how they died after supposedly just three days.

The real faces of the Nanking Massacre - not what you get to see in City of Life and Death.

For the uninitiated (and those from outer space), City of Life and Death tells a story of the period of several weeks immediately after the Japanese occupation of Nanjing in 1937, the then capital of the Republic of China. The events of that period had since come to be known infamously as the Nanjing (or Nanking) Massacre.

One of the major criticisms of the film directed by Lu Chuan is the over sympathetic portrayal of the Japanese soldiers in the film.

While I had no problem with the character Kadokawa (Hideo Nakaizumi), a Japanese soldier who sympathises with the plight of the Chinese (ironically, Hideo pretty much plays the main lead, though the Chinese are loathe to admit it), I do take issue with how the rest of the Japanese are portrayed more like spoilt kids fighting over cookies (which in this case refers to the women of Nanjing).

The Japanese in this film might be cruel or sadistic (as children can be), but one word that cannot be used to describe them is 'vicious'. I can barely remember any moments in the film where a Japanese soldier was actually vicious. The producers have somehow contrived to take the 'viciousness' out of the film.

The problem I suspect is that the film has the 'Made in China' label attached to it.

The Chinese film industry is still at a fledgeling stage (not counting Hong Kong and Taiwan). The rating system in China, or lack thereof, means that censorship is a major issue to contend with. A film like Schindler's List (gas chamber scene) would never have passed the Chinese censors.

Perhaps it would be better to allow someone outside China to make the film instead.

Now that would have been a spectacle.



Moometer Reading:
Moo-oo...

FEATURE: Love of Siam - A mature film on teen angst and sexuality....

From top left in clockwise: Wiwisit Hiranyawongkul, Kanya Rattanapetch, Aticha Pongsilpipat and Mario Maurer....

I find I always enjoy films that are refreshingly frank and honest in the way they address societal and reality issues.

That, aside from the film's eye candy (of which there are aplenty), I would say is one of the chief strengths in Love of Siam, a 2007 multiple award-winning Thai film.

Tong (Mario Maurer) and Mew (Wiwisit Hiranyawongkul) are boyhood friends who find themselves separated after a tragic disappearance in Tong's family. Years later, while in their teens, Tong and Mew meet up again, both having moved on in their lives. Tong has a very pretty girlfriend, while Mew is an aspiring musician with a successful boyband, August.

Yet neither is fully happy with his life. Tong's family is still struggling to cope with the loss of Tong's missing sister; Mew is finding it hard to find new inspiration for his songs. Their reunion however, helps bring back the memories and forces them (and Tong's family) to come to terms with their respective problems.

Teen drama that tugs on heartstrings....

Four gorgeous teens play starring roles in this romantic teen drama - but Love of Siam isn't just about these four, but also about the people around them, and the sometimes adult issues that face them as they grapple around with their own unadulterated lives.

In fact, what impresses me deeply is how each main character has his or her own storyline/issue fleshed out throughout the film.

It is almost an ensemble cast, each character almost equally good in his/her respective role - though kudos must also go to Sinjai Plengpanich who won Best Actress at the Thai film awards for her role as Tong's mother.

But what clinches it must be the controversial element in the story. I could use just one word to describe this movie, and everyone would understand immediately.

But I find myself agreeing with the producers of the film and director Chookiat Sakveerakul, who touted it a teen romance cum family drama.

Don't let that fool you though - viewers have apparently walked away from cinemas in disgust. There's a reason why this film will never be shown in some countries, including a fairly cosmopolitan and neighbourly Singapore.

Yet despite the controversy, Love of Siam has garnered critical acclaim and dominated the 2007 Thai film awards season - and for good reason.

Indeed, Love of Siam stands out as a drama film in a Thai industry better known for its horror, action or comedy genres.

Let me put it to you straight - it is definitely worth a watch so long as you allow yourself to keep an open mind. After all, it's the least a film - one that doesn't shy from the issues explored in this story - can expect.

MooMeter Reading:
Moo-oo...!!?

Exclaimations for:
! Outstanding Supporting Actress: The Thai Awards seem to recognise (rightfully) serious performances, but Kanya Rattanapetch as a lovelorn but happy-go-lucky schoolgirl is a breath of fresh air....

! Outstanding Theme Song (for your enjoyment below....)

Query for:

? Moovy Revue is not about to reveal the spoiler-worthy controversial element - but you can guess with a little bit of attention... or googling....

Love of Siam OST (Music Video) from youtube