Patrick's Recent Reviews
Fantastic Mr. Fox
PG
I'm not sure what kids are going to get out of it, but I loved it! A very funny movie; so many bizarre, but ingenious moments. The facial expressions of the characters are amazing, especially on the many extreme closeups a la Sergio Leone. And lots of 'cussing' (inside joke). Probably my favorite from Wes Anderson and the best talking animal cartoon since Happy Feet.
The Cove
PG-13
In Ancient Greece, dolphins were considered a sign of good fortune by mariners and were held in such high esteem that to kill one was punishable by death. The Cove relates this point, and well it should, for this is not the film’s only connection to antiquity.
This story is as old as storytelling itself, bearing the hallmarks of heroic literature, but made devastatingly real.
The film depicts an act of unimaginable Evil, the secret slaughter of thousands of dolphins by Japanese “fishermen” in a cove in Taiji. These people are presented as even-handedly as possible (there is no juxtaposition of the events in The Cove with, say, footage from the occupation of Manchuria), but it’s hard not to be revolted by what we see. Even the inappropriate use of the word “fishermen” is disturbing, as it evokes Nazi propaganda that equated Jews with rats (or in this case dolphins with fish). Indeed, fish do come into the argument; one of the many excuses used to defend the atrocities is that the dolphins eat too much fish. Others include ‘cultural’ reasons, economic reasons and spite at foreign disdain (all of which is eerily familiar to me, for reasons that I will not get into). The most interesting proposed reason for dolphin and whale slaughter is that of Empire Preservation – killing cetaceans despite the West’s objections as a last refuge of Japanese cultural insularism. I’ve often had this thought myself. Japan’s was one of the most brutal, barbaric cultures in the world up until the end of World War II; post Hiroshima they became pacifists. But we do see a few lingering traces of the Bushido culture: in their sadistic game shows and in The Cove. Ultimately it is the government of Japan that is to be blamed for concealing the truth of these incidents from its own people, for the vast majority of the Japanese have no idea that this is going on and would be horrified if they did.
Rising is opposition to this Evil, are the heroes of The Cove – a small pocket of resistance that comes together to fight the good fight. This band of brothers, each member of which brings unique skills to their cause, seem like a modern, real-life, heroic fellowship (a la Tolkien, Homer et al). The Ocean Preservation Society (OPS) battles seemingly impossible odds, risking imprisonment and torture in a hostile foreign land, to bring the truth of what is happening to the surface. They fight not with swords or sorcery, but use the power of their intellect and the faith that knowledge, once discovered, can change the world. Their story is thrilling and makes The Cove, among other things, a great spy movie. The team is led by Richard O’Barry; a sinner looking for redemption. He trained the dolphins seen on the TV show Flipper and blames himself for creating the market for Marine attractions that drives the actions of the Japanese (a live bottlenose dolphin sells for $150,000). The team also includes a special effects expert who designs the hidden cameras used to capture the massacre, a pair of free divers who place these cameras underwater and a former RCAF aviator whose work delivers the coup de grace at the end of it all.
If my language sounds grandiose, that is by design. This is one of the best documentaries I have ever seen and has everything I love in a story. The best and worst of humanity are on display here and the film, which could have been depressing (and it is, partially), may change your life forever. It may or may not make you believe in Evil, but it should definitely make you believe in Good. The struggle is more against human ignorance than any particular group of humans. If I have a complaint, it’s that it would have been nice to see a few more Japanese people on board with the team (there are a couple that play a minor role) and taking responsibility for their own country – though sometimes that’s the hardest country to stand up to. In any case, it is always thrills me and fills me with pride to see people showing great moral courage in doing what is right, instead of what is easy or popular.
