On the list this week: A smattering of foreign films and a peek inside the life and mind of David Lynch.
Okja
The latest film from Korean director Bong Joon-ho, Okja follows a young girl, Mija (Ahn Seo-hyun), and her pet, a genetically engineered superpig Okja. Years ago, a corporation created Okja as part of a contest to grow the next generation of food livestock and, to Mija’s dismay, they show up to take Okja away. Joining up with members of the Animal Liberation Front, Mija embarks on a quest to rescue Okja. The film is a mash of different genres, particularly heartwarming adventure and scathing satire. While it does not always maintain a perfect balance, Okja is a fascinating, mostly successful film.
Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown
Anthony Bourdain has built a reputation as a culinary rebel, advocating for the magic of street foods from around the world, rather than haute cuisine. His long-running documentary series, Parts Unknown, serves as a gospel for so-called peasant cooking, with each episode following Bourdain as he explores a particular city or region, taking in the local culture and dining on local cuisine. Despite Bourdain’s background as a chef, Parts Unknown is more travelogue than a cooking show. Bourdain dives deep into the locales, shedding light on their unique histories and cultures.
Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior
The film that propelled Muay Thai kickboxer Tony Jaa to international stardom, Ong-Bak is a thrilling martial arts film with impressive stunt work. The film begins in a remote village, where thieves steal the head of an ancient Buddha statue called Ong Bak. Ting (Jaa), a villager skilled in Muay Thai, ventures out to recover the head, diving into the seedy underbelly of Bangkok and fighting a lot of criminals. The plot is simple, but it serves its purpose, giving the film an excuse for varied and frequent fight scenes. The choreography in the film is spectacular, with a focus on creative moves that don’t rely on CGI or wires. Anyone who enjoys the classic style of martial arts films should enjoy Ong-Bak.
David Lynch: The Art Life
The new season of Twin Peaks is nearly halfway finished and some viewers may be wondering just what the hell goes on in director David Lynch’s head. It’s a question that critics and film students have pondered for decades, but David Lynch: The Art Life provide some answers, as director Jon Nguyen provides Lynch a venue to speak about his childhood, his ambitions to be a painter, and the events that led to the creation of his first film, Eraserhead. It’s an insightful look into the mind of one of the most acclaimed and inscrutable directors of the last 40 years.
Amazon Prime
Silicon Valley season 4
HBO’s acclaimed comedy Silicon Valley recently wrapped up its fourth season and the show’s biting parody of tech startups and Californian culture remains as fresh as when it started. The show follows Richard Hendricks (Thomas Middleditch) and a group of programmers who found a company called Pied Piper, whose main product is a revolutionary data compression algorithm. As they try to get their startup off the ground, they seek investment capital and fend off challenges from other tech companies. Although it relies a bit too much on “nerd” stereotypes, Silicon Valley is a smartly written show that examines the tech industry in all its excesses.
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