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bmarles
Bill is also the author of several short and feature length screenplays, two of which have been produced by the Alibi Unplugged Reading Series and Final Draught in Vancouver, Canada
Reviews
Sister Blue (2003)
A suspense thriller involving two estranged sisters
Blue, with her psychotherapist boyfriend in tow, visits her estranged sister and her fiance. Right from the start, it is made obvious that Blue is dangerous, emotionally unbalanced and that she will strike out. The only question is when and where. The two couples decide to camp out in the old, deserted family house where a neighbour tells them that the place is haunted by evil spirits. This warning proves prophetic.
This film reminds me of Alfred Hitchcock. It deserves to do well
Mr. and Mrs. Iyer (2002)
A Hindu and a Muslim are thrown together at first by necessity and subsequently become emotionally attached
A Hindu woman, on a bus travelling between cities in India, struggles to quieten her restless, noisy baby. A Moslem man solves the problem and she in turn comes to his rescue when the bus is hijjacked by political terrorists out to kill Moslems. They spend the next few days together. Just when you think they might become romantically involved, the woman's husband shows at an emotional scene at the Calcutta railway station. Lots of scenic footage.
Flower & Garnet (2002)
A dysfunctional family hits a crisis when the teenaged daughter gives birth
This film is getting a lot of press in Vancouver. This is not only because it is locally made, but also because it is very well executed. I was tempted to dismiss it as just another Canadian slice-of-life film. It is that, but it is a superb example of the genre. The characters grew on me and a lot is communicated from the looks on their faces. This film is worth seeing, even if you're not Canadian.
Hurt (2003)
Three teenagers from troubled homes kill two fathers and then try to take their own lives
The writer/director is trying to make a social commentary with this film, but it fails to be entirely believable. Stevie, the rich girl, is looking for love from her always busy father. I can appreciate her need, but at least she has plenty of money, all the freedom in the world and doesn't have to suffer abuse. Why would she try suicide? Darla's father is an abusive drunk. Her home situation is totally unbearable, but don't these types of kids usually become runaways? Boy (that's really his name) has a drug addict father, who beats him up. The three teenagers hang around together, quickly bond and make a pact to kill their respective fathers. They kill Darla's and Boy's, and then turn the guns on themselves. Wouldn't you think someone, especially Stevie, would chicken out? This flick is not likely to be a classic.
Long Life, Happiness & Prosperity (2002)
Members of Vancouver's Chinese community struggle with life's difficulties and uncertainties
This movie is quite charming and humourous. The Chinese Canadian characters are incredibly superstitious to the point of being a bit over the top. I wonder if they are like that in real life, or whether it wasn't deliberately exagerrated. I live with many Chinese, but feel I don't understand them.
There was a family in the film that spanned three generations. The father was anticipating a visit from the grandfather and was pushing his own son to be up to snuff. The son rebels by becoming a Bhuddhist monk and the grandfather writes that he disowned the son 20 years ago. However it wasn't clear to me why there was a split between first and second generations in the first place.
If you are interested in cross-cultural issues, this is a good movie to go to.
Buried on Sunday (1992)
Loved the satirical take on gutless Canadians, but find characters a bit weak
A Canadian government suspension of an island community's fishing rights coincides with the defection of crew members of a Russian nuclear submarine. The villagers want their fishing rights back, which Ottawa has traded away to Portugal. They declare independence from Canada and plan a nuclear attack on U.S. and Canadian targets. It's all very far fetched, but I just love it when the Canadian prime minister brown noses the U.S. vice-president. (It's not important enough for the President to be involved.)
Wild in the Streets (1968)
Teenagers take over the world
This is a dark satire of the late 1960's youth movement. Max Frost, a rock and roll artist, takes over as president of the United States. Everyone over 35 is taken to concentration camps. Some people will hate it and fail to understand it. However as a baby boomer, now aged 53, it packs a lot of power. There's an interesting twist at the end.
Various Positions (2002)
Son of Holocaust survivor chooses to dump parents' emotional baggage
A good movie to see if you want to better understand your Jewish friends. Intelligent, witty and worthwhile. I still don't understand why Josh's student friends tried to destroy the university library. There needed to be an explanation of this.