Talking Movies: Dark Waters, Poppie Nongena and Okja
Spling reviews Dark Waters, Poppie Nongena and Okja as broadcast on Talking Movies, Fine Music Radio. Listen to podcast.
TRANSCRIPT
Good morning – welcome to Talking Movies, I’m Spling…
This week, we’re talking about a a legal drama, a biographical drama and an eco-thriller.
Starting off with a film now showing…
DARK WATERS
A defense attorney takes on an environmental lawsuit against a chemical company that exposes a lengthy history of pollution.
Director: Todd Haynes
Stars: Mark Ruffalo, Anne Hathaway and Tim Robbins
– Dark Waters is based on The New York Times magazine article “The Lawyer Who Became DuPont’s Worst Nightmare”
– Mark Ruffalo is an underdog, an actor famous for going through hundreds of auditions before finally making it, describing his career a 10 year overnight success
– while the likable actor has found his place in the Marvel universe, he is equally adept in the realm of arthouse drama as evidenced by The Kids Are Alright, Foxcatcher and Spotlight
– returning to this arena with an Erin Brockovich style stick-it-to-the-man drama, he covers the tireless efforts of a man who took on large pharmaceutical company, Du Pont
– brooding, tenacious and quietly confident, this film probably would have garnered a few Oscar nominations if it hadn’t been such a strong year
– a passion project for Ruffalo, who has been quite vocal in his environmental activism, it speaks to the power of one and the cumulative effect of consistent efforts over time
– led by a committed and compelling performance from Ruffalo and some solid supports in Hathaway and Robbins, Dark Waters has a sense of stoicism and conviction, echoing Spotlight as his investigations lead him into protracted legal battle
– based on a true story, this behind-the-scenes drama legal drama is captivating, entertaining and full of pluck
– sombre, thoughtful and quietly powerful in its dedication to truth, it’s a film that rewards the patient and exudes the same instincts as its tenacious lead
An excellent 8 on the splingometer
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Moving on to a film now showing on circuit…
POPPIE NONGENA
A resilient housekeeper struggles to keep her family together in the face of inhumane government pass laws.
Director: Christiaan Olwagen
Stars: Clementine Mosimane, Chris Gxa-laba and Dawid Minnaar
– This film is based on the Elsa Joubert novel “The Long Journey of Poppie Nongena”, unpacking the day-to-day struggles and legacy of a defiant working woman
– centring on a strong lead performance from Mosimane, Poppie Nongena is laden with solid supporting performances
– operating in two worlds, the overarching political and social commentary is broad, portraying a fiercely unequal society, but the real focus is the character portait of a hard-working woman trying to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds
– Christian Olwagen is known for his continuous shots, delivering some staggeringly powerful visuals through meticulous planning depicting protests and skirmishes
– while the exterior continuous shots are quite mesmerising, they’re let down by claustrophobic interior drama, which is more self-conscious, staged and stifled
– Poppie Nongena is an important film, well-acted, earnest and beautifully attuned in terms of production design, wardrobe and hair
– while the story of one woman’s tireless efforts is admirable and noble, she rarely lets her guard down making it difficult to truly engage with the character from a distance
– there are some close ups that convey the kind of depth you imagine Olwagen was going for, making the rest of the dialogue seem like filler
– while a little slow-moving, it gradually improves over time, rewarding those who are patient enough to savour its many moments of brilliance
A solid 7 on the splingometer!
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And finally a film now on Netflix…
OKJA
A young girl risks everything to protect her best friend – a fascinating beast named Okja.
Director: Bong Joon Ho
Stars: Tilda Swinton, Paul Dano and Seo-hyun Ahn
– Bong Joon-ho won four Oscars earlier this week for Parasite, equalling Walt Disney’s record for most personal Oscars at one ceremony in 1953
– one of his strangest efforts is Okja, which could be described as an environmental action adventure comedy sci-fi thriller
– inspired by My Neighbour Totorro, it centres on a child and her genetically-engineered super pig friend, designed to eventually become a factory farmed food source with a low impact on the environment, these prize pigs are given a serious PR spin with a 10 year project feasibility
– grappling with the ambitions of a wayward company director, a deranged figurehead presenter, a militant eco-terrorist group and a girl’s pure love for her creature, it blends genres to give us a projected view into the future
– while visually-striking, full of potential and anchored by a wicked sense of humour, the film doesn’t quite set
– you can see it working as a graphic novel, unfortunately the comical performances are overcooked, the CGI doesn’t quite jel and while entertaining the outlandish ideas are just out of reach
– the environmental message is sublime and the intentions are noble, yet Okja struggles to convert its dynamic visuals and appealing style into the ambitious vision Joon-ho had for it
– it may be a tad clunky but is still quite wondrous in the hands of a visionary director
A satisfactory 6 on the splingometer
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So just to wrap up…
DARK WATERS… Ruffalo’s performance underpins this brooding and empowering Erin Brockovich type underdog legal drama… An excellent 8
POPPIE NONGENA… Mosimane’s determined performance and Olwagen’s inspired film-making fuel this important and noble adaptation… A solid 7
OKJA… while ambitious and unwieldy, this stylish genre-bending eco-thriller is quirky, visually-striking and deceptively powerful… A satisfactory 6
For more movie reviews, interviews and previous Talking Movies podcasts visit splingmovies.com.
And remember, Don’t WING it, SPL!NG it!
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