Ellen Kuras and Thavisouk Phrasavath have taken the longest time to make a longitudinal documentary outside of Michael Apted’s “Up” series, which has gone on for over forty years. “The Betrayal” (Nerakhoon) took over twenty-three years to film, a collaboration between the skilled cinematographer and her subject, whose family traveled from war-torn Laos to New York City. (Kuras notes that she’s been working on this film longer than she’s been a cinematographer.) Mingling archival footage, interviews, fly-on-the-wall observation and visually impressionist montages, Kuras and Phrasavath work to capture the violence of history on two decades in one family’s life, and by extension, the wars the U. S. left behind in Southeast Asia, the damage of which the citizens of those countries could not loose. “The Betrayal”‘s 2008 Sundance debut elicited rave reviews for its perceived beauty and tragic topic, but I was never gripped: the weave of time and family conflict and historical terrors never came together. Other reviewers have called it “lyrical… contemplative and impressionistic… shimmering… gripping… unusually moving… beautifully composed… remarkably beautiful… haunting… somber and gripping.” I’d like to have seen that movie. Scored by Howard Shore. 96m. 35mm. (Ray Pride)
Related Stories
Seeing The Elephant: A Review Of Babylon The boisterous, brawling yet melancholy "Babylon," is a variation on film history, but more drawing for drama. It's gaudy and mean, celebratory and sorrowful.
Heart: A Review of Soul The real world is soulful, too, in Pixar's bountiful life of the mind.
Spawn Sacrifice: A Review Of The Creator "The Creator" is richly detailed, punchy, pulpy, punkish entertainment that still has highly serious subjects in mind, without growing didactic and with substantial heart.
A Drag Getting Old: A Review Of Indiana Jones 5 In the protracted opening couple of reels, a very young, computer-crafted Harrison Ford plays a younger cultural marauder who first encounters the dull MacGuffin of the title.
Fine Line: A Review Of Shortcomings It's a season for the comeuppance of a curmudgeon in Randall Park's smart, biting "Shortcomings," adapted by Adrian Tomine from his graphic novel of the same name.
Heart of Darkness: A Review of The Batman The three-hour film noir unfolds briskly, an intensive study in the pervasive interplay of power, money and corruption in what seems like perpetual rainy night.
Ellen Kuras and Thavisouk Phrasavath have taken the longest time to make a longitudinal documentary outside of Michael Apted’s “Up” series, which has gone on for over forty years. “The Betrayal” (Nerakhoon) took over twenty-three years to film, a collaboration between the skilled cinematographer and her subject, whose family traveled from war-torn Laos to New York City. (Kuras notes that she’s been working on this film longer than she’s been a cinematographer.) Mingling archival footage, interviews, fly-on-the-wall observation and visually impressionist montages, Kuras and Phrasavath work to capture the violence of history on two decades in one family’s life, and by extension, the wars the U. S. left behind in Southeast Asia, the damage of which the citizens of those countries could not loose. “The Betrayal”‘s 2008 Sundance debut elicited rave reviews for its perceived beauty and tragic topic, but I was never gripped: the weave of time and family conflict and historical terrors never came together. Other reviewers have called it “lyrical… contemplative and impressionistic… shimmering… gripping… unusually moving… beautifully composed… remarkably beautiful… haunting… somber and gripping.” I’d like to have seen that movie. Scored by Howard Shore. 96m. 35mm. (Ray Pride)
