International Workers’ Day celebrates the importance of the simple worker in the grand scheme of economic things. It’s a day of solidarity that commemorates the massacre of workers on strike by the police in Chicago back in 1886. The uprising of the “commoners” workforce, and the subsequent creation of labor unions, gave the common worker some power over his all all-too-powerful boss and a chance to claim his rights. But with power comes… the abuse of it. Where labor unions are the strongest, you will find much corruption and decay, while in industries that lack it, you will find a lot of injustice and exploitation. The ideal lies, as usual, somewhere in the middle, in the cooperation between management and workforce. Hopefully this day will make us think about the workers rights within a workplace, along with their responsibilities. So here are some titles I chose that demonstrate the different facets of the workplace and the different workplace situations we all face on a daily basis:

The Working Class

1. The Navigators (2001) – I will start with the cinematic champion of the working class – Ken Loach. This is maybe not his best film, but it might be the one that is most dedicated to the worker and his or her plight. The story is about railway maintenance workers and how they deal with the process of privatization. Loach’s signature Realism is the style that best fits the simple worker.

2. High Hopes (1988) – The runner up to Ken Loach’s dedication to (or obsession with) the working class is Mike Leigh. His style is more humorous and witty than that of Loach’s but that does not hinder the strength of his films. This is a story of a working class family and their different choices and views on life, work and such. But Leigh does not focus on the workplace alone, he also shows the philosophical struggles of a Socialist in a Capitalist world.

Unemployment

3. The Town is Quiet (2001) – Robert Guediguian is sort of the French equivalent of Ken Loach, and most of his films depict the plight of the working class in France. Marseille is the backdrop of this bleak drama, showing all angles of the lives led by different people in this disintegrating port city – from unemployment and immigrants, to mostly overlooked people, who struggle to survive. It’s disturbing but well worth watching.

Boss and Employee

4. Mad Men (2007 – ) – The goings-on at an up and coming advertising agency during the 60s in America is the backdrop of this surprise hit TV series. We get to see how social changes affect the change in the workplace, especially in regards to the women’s rights movement, their recognition by men, and their chances at having a career.

5. Fear and Trembling (2003) – A woman’s dream to work in Japan comes true, but quickly becomes a nightmare. The working culture clash and the strictness of her employers produce moments that are both hilarious and harrowing at the same time, which is quite an achievement. The wonderful Sylvie Testud stars in this comedy that believe it or not, is based on a true story.

Labor Unions

6. Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price (2005) – Capitalism has two ways of dealing with labor unions – the first is looking for places where there is no such thing, and the second is using all its power to bust unions and deter other people of unionizing. Here we see both methods, as the biggest corporation in the world uses exploited Chinese workers on one hand and spies on its own workers on the other. This is an eye-opening documentary that also offers a glimmer of hope.

7. On the Waterfront (1954) – Young Marlon Brando stars in this classic film about an ex-boxer fighting corrupt and violent unions in the port of New Jersey. Elia Kazan directed this Oscar winning movie, supposedly as response to those who accused him of naming names of former Communist party members. Regardless of his motives, this is a powerful movie, that is based on a series of articles featured in The New York Sun.

Workplace Problems

8. Enlightened (2010 - ) – Laura Dern created and stars in this offbeat comedy. After suffering a nervous breakdown and going away to a new-agey retreat, a 40 year old woman comes back to her old work and life trying to start over, and this time make things better. Needless to say things don’t really go her way. She gets demoted to a job she finds boring and is not qualified for, and the corporate world doesn’t sit well with what she soaked up in her retreat.

Workplace Romance

9. Read My Lips (2001) – Jacques Audiard, who rose to fame with A Prophet in 2009, tells this story of an unlikely relationship. An uptight and frustrated deaf woman (Emmanuelle Devos), who is bullied and feels like an outcast at her work, meets a brutish ex-convict (Vincent Cassel) who is trying to start his new life. He is not really qualified for the job, but she recognizes how he can be helpful to her. The partnership of misfits is portrayed beautifully by the two leads, and the tensions between them creates a complex and surprising thriller.

The Family Business

10. Arrested Development (2003 – ) – The dysfunctional Bluth family is coming back, after a six year hiatus. Work is the last thing on most of those unlovable and unloving family members’ minds, with the exception of Michael, who tries to keep the family and the company together amidst investigations of corruption, fraud and even treason. You really feel that someone (Mitchell Hurwitz) took the ‘how to make a sitcom’ guidebook, threw it out of the window, and made his own thing. The result is one of the funniest comedies ever made. And now it’s back!!!

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No more relying on CNN (or E!), now Jinni has its own up-to-the-minute news channel! You will finally be the first to know what’s going on behind the scenes. Here are today’s top 10 news items:

A new sci-fi movie is coming out, co-produced by Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg.  It promises to be moving and very exciting. The plot will tell the incredible story of an orphan with two living parents.

After the tremendous success of The Artist, which paid homage to an earlier era of cinema – the silent era, Oscar winner Michel Hazanavicious is planning a new movie that will show a painting for 80 minutes. It will be a painting/movie about 2 kids, a boy and a girl that spontaneously kiss one another. The movie will be shown in U.S theaters and in selected caves.

After tiring with her cute image, and wanting to silence many journalists, bloggers, politicians and writers who called her “too cute”, Zooey Deschanel is set to step into Tobin Bell’s shoes as Jigsaw in the Saw film franchise. Will she attract a new audience of hipsters to the dying franchise and manage to revive it?

After setting new negative records at last year’s Razzie awards, Adam Sandler wants to be recognized with quality this year. Sandler will star in Hungarian director Bela Tarr’s new 7 hour, black & white, existential epic film. The plot of the movie will revolve around loneliness, isolation and poverty.

A new East European movie is earning a lot of praise and promises to sweep the upcoming Oscars. The emotional and inspiring story revolves around a deaf and mute young man who works at a call-center against all odds.

The lovely Jessica Chastain, who appeared last year in The Help, Take Shelter, Coriolanus, The Tree of Life, Wilde Salome and Texas Killing Fields has already committed to appear in 10 feature films this year, and will continue holding on to her demanding 12 hours a day job at a prestigious law firm. This single mother of 6 is an inspiration to us all.

After making the completely serious comedy Young Adult, Jason Reitman’s next project will be a crime movie about 3 honest, hardworking individuals who work in order to provide for their families. The movie follows them as they pay taxes and do their work devotedly.

After stating that he doesn’t care about the quality of the movies he’s in, only in how much money he earns in them, Nicolas Cage will appear in Transformers 4 as a robot whose only line will be: “My Eye!”.  “Whatever pays the bills”, he said.

A surprising remake was announced – Zack Efron and Betty White will star in a remake to the classic 1967 movie The Graduate. Efron’s character (Ben) will have an affair with the much older Mrs. Robinson (Betty White). He will then fall in love with her younger daughter (played by Angela Lansbury).

After transforming his appearance for The Name of the Rose and Hellboy, Ron Perlman is upping the ante: He is set to play a hacker named Phil who undergoes a sex change operation and becomes Phyllis in a new comedy movie called Frankie Goes Boom.

And thus ends our first daily roundup of entertainment news for today, April 1, 2012. Wait, what….?!

Fooled you! All of these news stories are fake (for now), except for one that’s actually true. Can you guess which one is the real news story?

Technorati Tags: Hollywood News, behind the scenes, sci-fi, Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, The Artist, Michel Hazanavicious, Zooey Deschanel, Adam Sandler, Jessica Chastain, Young Adult, Jason Reitman, Nicolas Cage, Transformers, The Graduate, remake, Zack Efron, Betty White, The Name of the Rose and Hellboy, Ron Perlman, The Name of the Rose, Hellboy, Ron Perlman, Silly, Humour, Pranks, April Fools

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Since this weekend is St. Patrick’s day, probably the most well-known Irish celebration, we’ve decided that apart from wearing green and emptying glasses of fine beer and whiskey we will also list some good Irish titles (and we wish the day’s alcoholic merriment will ease our transition into Irish cinema, as it tends to be overly serious at times).

Odd Man Out

Carol Reed’s highly atmospheric and suspenseful film deals with a man on the run in the streets of Belfast after a failed heist. The political unrest in Ireland serves as a backdrop for the hero’s fight against the odds and his painful introspection.

Hunger

Another, more straightforward look at the Irish political unrest and its devastating effect on human lives can be found in Steve McQueen’s sincere and disturbing recap of this true story of idealism taken to a physical extreme.

Veronica Guerin

Cate Blanchett is as captivating as ever in this thought provoking recount of the tragically heroic journalist, determined to uncover the truth about Ireland’s underworld, and willing to pay the ultimate price for justice.

The General

Brendan Gleeson stars as a master criminal turned folk hero in John Boorman’s  award winning cynical story about the rise and fall of one of Ireland’s most famous gangsters of the 1980s and 1990s.

The Guard

Brendan Gleeson has great scope as an actor, and here’s the proof: he can also play a cynical law enforcer. Here, he reluctantly partners with FBI agent Don Cheadle in an attempt to take down a powerful drug dealing operation. As standard as this plot may sound, the film is wonderfully quirky, full of dry humor and angst ridden criminals.

Zonad

In another example of something Irish offbeat, a quiet and naive village is being visited, or rather invaded, by a man with a drinking problem, mistakenly thought to be from outer space. Needless to say, village life will never be the same.

The Commitments

I doubt Ireland was ever associated with soul music prior to this ensemble film by Alan Parker, but that has changed thanks to the music band in the center of this bittersweet story about friendship being ruined by ego clashes.

Leap Year

A young American woman finds herself as a fish out of water in the Irish countryside, but while on the road to Dublin to meet her boyfriend, she falls in love not only with the emerald isle, but also with her grumpy chauffeur.

The Black Donnellys

This critically acclaimed yet short lived rough TV series revolved around the lives of brothers of Irish decent from New York’s urban ghetto getting embroiled in an uninhibited rivalry which escalates into a gang war.

The Wire

When he is not too busy fighting crime (well, actually, sometimes while he is fighting crime) Baltimore police detective Jimmy Mcnulty really likes his whiskey – in fact he likes it so much he is willing to overlook old Irish religious rivalries.

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Women’s History Month is supposed to celebrate the important role of women in the history of the world - a role man has tried to suppress and ignore for most of that time. There have been plenty of oppressed or discriminated minorities throughout time, but the woman’s specialty is being oppressed as a majority, and they have held that title consistently for the longest time, ever since someone invented her. But we, men, have learned our lesson, we admit our wrongdoings, and want to redeem ourselves. So we got you a month - how about March? It’s not as cold as February, and not as warm as August, so you won’t feel self-conscious about your body (sexist remark number 1), it’s just right. And as for me, I personally have another present for you. No, it’s not jewelry, nice try though (sexist remark number 2, but that’s it). I have collected ten great titles about great women who led a great existence and had a great impact on me, on history and on cinema. And I didn’t make it easy on me, by avoiding movies about the Queen (you know which one I am talking about).

1. The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928) – Of all the movies about this great woman, this is the most important one. A masterpiece by any standards, using groundbreaking techniques for that time, Carl Theodor Dreyer’s silent movie revolves around Joan of Arc’s trial and execution. Dreyer’s use of close-ups and Maria Falconetti’s amazing performance (look at those eyes) truly do justice to one of the strongest women of all time.

2. Camille Claudel (1988) – This is the story of French sculptress Camille Claudel, and her destructive relationship with another (and more famous) sculptor Auguste Rodin. This relationship could be viewed as a microcosm of the relations between man and woman throughout history, one of use and abuse. Because this is a melodrama, acting is crucial to the movie’s credibility, and Isabelle Adjani (one of the most beautiful and talented women in the world for most of the 80s and 90s) alongside Gérard Depardieu make it an unforgettable piece.

3. Séraphine (2008) – Unlike Camille Claudel, Séraphine Louis’ story is one of an unlikely artist. Her art was discovered when she was middle aged, and worked as a housekeeper for a German art collector. Her problem, and subsequent downfall was caused by mental illness, but you can’t but wonder what her life and psyche would have been like if she had been given the same opportunities as a man would have got. Yolande Moreau’s performance is exceptional, and it earned her a César (the French Oscars), and many other awards at different festivals.

4. The Hours (2002) – Do you see a pattern here? Most of the prominent women in history are tragic figures. Here we have Virginia Woolf, one the greatest female writers, whose depression eventually got the better of her. The movie shows us the lives of three women, from different generations, revolving around Woolf’s novel “Mrs. Dalloway”. The film’s interesting structure and the great performances of Nicole Kidman (Oscar winner), Julianne Moore, and Meryl Streep make it a captivating watch.

5. Frida (2002) – In this biography, Salma Hayek plays the great Mexican painter, Frida Kahlo, a strong woman who never played by the rules, but created her own. She lived an eventful life, until she died due to illness. She was a political activist, protested against wars, led a life of promiscuity, never committed to one sex, and just did whatever the heck she wanted to; good for her! Like the woman, the movie has great energy and great style.

6. La vie en rose (2007) – I hope I’m not depressing you too much, but I can’t help it. Edith Piaf’s life was unimaginably hard. You would be amazed at how she got where she did with the cards she was dealt. But her talent elevated her above all these difficulties, into stardom, until her inevitable downfall. Her life consisted of tragic love, addictions and what have you, but her voice and unique personality shone through all these obstacles. Marion Cotillard, in a breakthrough and Oscar winning performance, shows the charisma and naiveté of the little legend with the big voice.

7. Persepolis (2007) – Based on a graphic novel by Marjane Satrapi (and directed by her and Vincent Paronnaud), this is a story of growing up in Iran, during and after the Muslim Revolution. Thanks to the humor, the authentic point of view, offbeat animation, and the universality of the themes shown, we find ourselves identifying with the protagonist. This movie shows us that regardless of culture, we are not so different from one another.

8. The Iron Lady (2011) – One of 20th century’s most controversial leaders, Margaret Thatcher drew strong emotions from both sides of the proverbial isle. You either believed in her wholeheartedly or hated everything she stood for, there was no middle ground. Regardless of your ideology, her rise to the top can inspire other women to enter into fields that desperately lack a female touch. With another Oscar winning performance (Meryl Streep), and a surprisingly intimate portrait of a woman whose reputation was anything but intimate, you’ll learn the difference between the public figure and the private person.

9. Bhutto (2010) – You can call Benazir Bhutto’s story a chronicle of a death foretold. Pakistan’s first female president came from a very strong family, but because she was a woman, she faced a very strong opposition, one that led to the death of two of her brothers, and ultimately her own. She fought for women’s rights and democracy in a very conservative country that wasn’t ready to accept her. Her death made her a martyr and an icon any woman can look up to. Despite the known ending, you will still be on the edge of your seat throughout this captivating documentary.

10. Mad Men (2007) – I know this is not an historical series, the characters portrayed are fictional, and it’s also called Mad Men, but men are definitely not the only main theme in AMC’s hit TV series. While the story is set in the land of the free, not that long ago (early 60’s), the sexism and lack of respect towards women is so blatant (and mostly accepted by the weaker and oppressed sex), that you can’t really believe we are living in the same world. The women here weren’t on the forefront of the liberation struggle; they struggled on their own to find their place in a male dominated world. Stay tuned for Season 5, coming soon…

To sum up, women, please make this wish come true, before it’s too late.

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Valentine’s Day offers extremely saccharin (and bad, some would say) movies and a lot of sticky sentimentality wherever you look, like 30 Rock’s parody suggests:

For those of us who don’t really want to see the likes of Valentine’s Day the movie on Valentine’s Day the day (sugar poisoning could prove itself deadly) we offer an alternative Valentine’s Day list of movies to watch, with the most unromantic on screen couples. They might not love each other that much, but at least they’re interesting to look at (Warning – do not attach this post to your Valentine’s card):

10. Tony and Carmela

The Sopranos (1999-2007)

Carmela sometimes hates Tony. She knows what Tony does for a living, but that doesn’t make her want to leave him. Not even the knowledge of Tony’s constant infidelities makes Carmela want to throw him out (apart from a few episodes in seasons 4 and 5). It’s hard to get used to a modest way of living after you’ve been living in such luxurious conditions for such a long time.

9. Gennarino and Raffaella

Swept Away (1974)

Gennarino is a poor sailor who gets verbally abused by the beautiful and wealthy Raffaella who rented the yacht that he sails. After they are shipwrecked on a deserted island the tables are turned and Gennarino suddenly has the upper hand in the relationship. He starts raping Raffaella who eventually falls for him. It’s probably one of the cruelest love affairs ever shown on screen (and you might be surprised to learn that it was made by a woman). And not a word about Madonna’s remake (except from the one sentence I just wrote, and from these brackets).

8. Steve and Kate

The Joneses (2009)

Steve and Kate are a perfect couple – beautiful, successful, friendly and confident. They are a bit too perfect. They are a pretend couple, professional salespeople who move together to suburban neighborhoods where they disguise product placement as a daily routine.

7. Mathieu and Conchita

That Obscure Object of Desire (1977)

From the instant Mathieu lays eyes on Conchita (played by two different actresses), he cannot help but obsessively pursue this beautiful and unknowable young woman. She remains just outside his grasp, teasing him with the promise of fulfilled desire while always, finally, denying him the pleasure he wants.

6. Becky and Steve

Him and Her (2010-?)

Becky and Steve are quite in love, and perhaps that’s what makes them feel so comfortable around each other. An average episode will show Steve farting in bed or Becky popping a zit in front of Steve. Maybe it’s extremely unromantic and maybe it’s the most romantic thing there is.

5. Irene and Charley

Prizzi’s Honor (1985)

In this darkly humored comedy a mob hitman falls in love with a woman who turns out to be in the same trade. The romance hits an iceberg when Eduardo Prizzi, “The Boss”, hires each to eliminate the other. This cynical movie asks its protagonist Charley to choose what’s more important – the Cosa Nostra or love? Eventually Charley’s love for money overcomes his love for Irene.

4. Rick and Mel

Lead Balloon (2006-2011)

Lead Balloon is a hilarious British series that’s something like the more cynical and more British version of Curb Your Enthusiasm. The relationship between Rick and Mel is more similar to a relationship between a mother and a child than to a relationship between husband and wife. Mel’s calm, mature and considerate personality contrasts strongly with Rick’s immature and selfish personality.

3. Al and Peggy

Married With Children (1987-1997)

Al mistakenly asked Peggy to marry him after he got drunk. Peggy wants to have sex with Al who continually rejects her advances. Peggy doesn’t do anything around the house, she doesn’t cook or clean. Maybe that’s why Al is not happy to be at home, despite the fact that he works at a shoe store and makes less than minimum wage.

2. Ben and Alison

Knocked Up (2007)

A drunken one night stand between slacker Ben and ambitious media personality Alison, results in an unwanted pregnancy. Alison, who dumped Ben after their one night stand, now has to inform him about the exciting news. They decide to try and stay together and raise the baby despite the fact they are completely unsuitable for one another.

1. Mickey and Mallory

Natural Born Killers (1994)

Mickey and Mallory are a loving couple, who also happen to be psychopathic serial killers. Normal couples usually take a vacation on a quiet and beautiful resort or travel to Europe, but Mickey and Mallory rather go on a killing spree across the country.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Technorati Tags: Valentines Day, 30 Rock, on screen couples, The Sopranos, infidelities, Swept Away, relationship, love affairs, The Joneses, perfect couple, That Obscure Object of Desire, Him and Her, Prizzi’s Honor, Eduardo Prizzi, Lead Balloon, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Married With Children, Knocked Up, Natural Born Killers

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