Absolutely nothing like war? Let’s see. Man of Steel, a reboot of the Superman saga, is coming out this weekend, which is a good a reason as any to check the value of reboots. Those who oppose this new trend claim it stems from a lack of creativity, laziness and greed. Those who condone it say that sometimes movies become outdated, because of cultural and technical changes (special effect, CGI and such), and a reboot is a means of making the same story relevant to today’s viewers. This sounds like a noble endeavor in theory, but does it pass the reality test? For my research I have chosen 10 titles and their respective reboots and compared between them. I wanted to examine what has been changed (and why) in terms of mood or even plot, whether those reboots have something of value to add to the original or just intent on being a money milking machine. For the latter I take a look if they at the very least succeeded at making the money they so desperately need (to make other reboots, of course).

Here we go:

The Internship is out this week. 8 years after working together on Wedding Crashers, Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn are teaming up once again to deliver us another comedy about two friends who find themselves unemployed and start an internship at Google. Here at Jinni we think about our fellow working class civilians, so we thought it’d be a good opportunity to dedicate this blog to what you should/shouldn’t do in your workplace (especially if it’s a new job you have). So if you’re working right now, take a few minutes to read this. Hmm… on the other hand, maybe you shouldn’t because you’re working… Well, read it and decide.

We’ll start off with the basics – serving clients.

Clerks (1994)

An independent cult, Clerks showed all the things you shouldn’t do in your workplace – play hockey on the roof of your store, abusing clients, and running away in the middle of the day to an ex’s funeral only to drop her casket. Clerks introduced the world to Kevin Smith’s talky style which lead to several similar films who tried to recreate Clerks’ success.

One of those movies was Waiting… (2005).

If there’s a movie that shows exactly what you should avoid in your workplace – it’s waiting… This ensemble cast comedy revolved around the workday of several characters in a typical restaurant as they bet, flirt, smoke weed, and basically do everything except for serving their clients. After watching Waiting… You might never want to eat in a restaurant ever again, which is a shame because where else could you discover that not all rats are bad business, like in…

Ratatouille (2007)

Ratatouille featured a rat that became a fish out of water and followed his dream. A dream to become a chef. In fact, he’s got all the required qualities from a new employee – he’s ambitious, resourceful and talented. A prodigy in cooking and food, Remy the rat is an example for an excellent employee. Except he’s a rat.

And if serving people is not you’re thing, try serving them when they’re drunk.

Cheers (1982 - 1993)

This sitcom from the 80s/90s is the typical workplace comedy. With a womanizer boss, an uptight waitress, a goofy bartender and a variety of other humorous characters, Cheers was a great bar to grab a drink (or a laugh) at the end of the day. If there’s something to learn from Cheers it’s that Workplace romance is complicated but filled with gags, and that working in a place where everybody knows your name is… well, it’s pretty important.

Well, we had enough examples from the culinary world, let’s try different types of workplaces – how about prison?

Celda 211 (2009)

In this crime-drama Alberto Ammann plays a prison officer who’s first day at work becomes a struggle for survival. As a prison riot begins our hero must hide his identity and pretend he’s a convict. The thing to learn from Celda 211 is - don’t try too hard. Ammann tried to make a good impression by coming to his new job a day early. Big mistake. Always do the minimum.

Now let’s see what happens when you try to get a job after getting out of prison.

Boy A (2007)

Boy A is a touching drama about a young man starting over his life after being released from prison for a crime he committed as a teenager. After performing a heroic act, saving a little girl in his new job, our hero becomes unwillingly famous and his hidden identity might be revealed. What we can learn from this is yet again not to try too hard, and in this specific case, rescuing anybody if at all, should be done after work hours. Just leave it to people who do that for a living. Like the doctors in…

The Kingdom (1994) / The Kingdom 2 (1997)

Lars von Trien’s The Kingdom is an essential mini series about… well, everything. It’s scary, humorous, mind bending and what not. It revolves around doctors and patients in a strange hospital known as “The Kingdom”, where what’s beneath the surface is much more interesting than what’s above it. The thing to learn from the kingdom is as a rule, never work in a place where there are ghosts, curses, spells and rituals. It never ends well.

Now, what happens when a patient decides to hire a private assistant?

Intouchables (2011)

After watching The Intouchables you’ll wish you had a boss like François Cluzet. A goodhearted boss that lets you smoke marijuana and takes you skydiving. What more can you ask for? The Intouchables featured a unique, touching and sincere relationship between a boss and employee. Unlike any relationship Julia Louis-Dreyfus developed in…

Veep (2012 -)

As vice president struggling in the politics world, Selina Meyer developed some interesting power relations with her staff. As experts in creating mishaps, one can only hope that normally state affairs are managed by more qualified people. As satirical as it gets, Veep teaches us that stupidity exists on all levels and when you make a mistake on your job, just blame it on the other guy. On the other hand, if you really want to work in politics try getting into…

The West Wing (1999 - 2006).

The West Wing featured workplace situations of all kinds – intrigues, romances, conflicts and ethics. In fact, it featured such an optimistic world that you’d want to be a politician even if you never thought about it. In order to get by in this kind of job you just have to talk a lot and do it fast, choose your career over your relationship and stay loyal to your idealism (at least most of the time).

Well, that’s it for this special tips edition. And If you get fired for reading this on the job, at least you learned something. Well, Good Luck! just don’t count on that internship at “Google”, it’s pretty hard to get in there…

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Technorati Tags:  Workplace, job, professional, unprofessional, The internship, Owen Wilson, Vince Vaughn, clerks, waiting, ratatouille, Cheers, The West Wing, Celda, Boy A, The Kingdom, The Kingdom 2, Intouchables, Veep

Shhhh! Why did it get so loud in here? Oh yeah that’s right, the summer began. You can tell by that big yellow ball in the sky which works overtime these days or just by looking  at the top grossing films in the US this week – Iron Man 3, Star Trek Into Darkness, Fast and Furious 6 and other summer blockbusters. The best of Hollywood’s special  effects films are upon us and just a second before the storm gets even bigger (Man of steel is just around the corner and before that After Earth) let’s take a moment to remember the times when special effects were the special fonts in which titles where written and surround sound was just when you were surrounded with people. For now, let’s enjoy the silence.

And we’ll begin with the master of silence – Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin.  It’s hard to pick out one film out of his whole truly amazing filmography so let’s pick two – City Lights and The Great Dictator.

City Lights (1931)

Charlie Chaplin’s romantic comedy is known for it’s emotional ending. In fact, the end scene is often considered as one of the most memorable in film history.  But before the ending you’ll laugh, you’ll fall in love and you’ll root for the underdog in the funniest boxing match to date.  The film finally came out in 1931 (5 years in the making!) when silent films were fading out but it still became a critical and commercial success. And when silent films really faded that’s when critics believed Charlie would also fade, but along came Adolf Hitler to the rescue. Well, sort of…

The Great Dictator (1940)

This biting and clever Satire might be Charlie Chaplin’s greatest work. In a classic case of mistaken identities, an innocent barber is mistaken for a fascist dictator who plans to conquer the world. Though Chaplin experimented with sound in the past, this film was considered as his true “sound test” – to see if he could succeed in talking pictures as well. As you can see in these scenes, he passed with flying colors.

And if we mentioned the transition from silent to talking films, this list won’t be legit without two films who revolve around the issue – The Artist and Singin’ In The Rain.

The Artist (2011)

Who would have thought that in this day and age a silent film in b&w could win such recognition, from both audiences and critics. But The Artist did. The film followed the relationship between a young actress who is rising to stardom and an actor experiencing a major downfall in his career. A massive and surprising success, this stylized film might not use any words but still says a lot about cinema in our times.

And now, for the next film, let’s turn up the volume a little bit. It will be worth it.

Singin’ In The Rain (1952)

If there’s a film that’s sure to make you feel good, it’s this light hearted musical about showbiz and love backstage. Though it wasn’t a major hit when it came out, the film became a classic and you’ll be thankful it’s not silent when you see Gene Kelly’s unforgettable scene where he’s singing, dancing and tapping in the rain.

And if we talked about singin’, nobody does it better than The Jazz Singer.

The Jazz Singer (1927)

The film that’s considered to have started it all - bringing sound to the silent screen and starting a revolution – Warner Bros The Jazz Singer tells a story of estrangement between parents and children as our hero tries to follow his dream in the music world. The film was a major success and showed Hollywood and the rest of the world that audiences are ready to listen. But go tell that to Mel Brooks.

Silent Movie (1976)

No list of silent movies would be complete without Silent Movie. Mel Brooks in his prime, was the master of parody. He laughed about war, history, space and what not. In Silent Movie he finds humor in silence once again. The film revolves about a recovering director who tries to produce the first silent movie in 40 years. It’s filled with gags, slapstick humor, pop culture references and features just one word spoken by the last person you’d think would ever speak.

Another brave soul is that of Rowan Atkinson who brought silence back in fashion in the 90’s in his hit TV series – Mr. Bean

Mr. Bean (1990 – 1995)

This cult series would not have worked with any other actor. Only Rowan Atkinson’s comic expressions and rubber body could have pulled it off. Mr. Bean was this goofy hero who’s a social misfit trying to “survive” the everyday life. The hero later became the star of an animated TV show and two (talking) Movies – Bean (1997) and Mr. Bean’s Holiday (2007).

And if Mr. bean became an icon for humor, this next character became the Icon of horror.

Nosferatu (1922)

This Horror movie which was based on the classic novel “Dracula” became over time a silenced masterpiece. With a Gothic atmosphere, creative cinematography and great make up (or is it?) Nosferatu became the (not so pretty) face of German expressionism. And speaking of…

The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari (1920)

Let’s start with the ending - Dr. Caligari’s ending is to this day considered one of the best surprise endings in cinema history. Most of the plot is told as a flashback and with stylized look, disturbing images and plot filled with twists and turns Dr. Caligari became another typical doctor – the kind your afraid of.

But let’s finish with a smile. the kind only Buster Keaton could give you.

The General (1926)

We started with a comic genius and we’ll finish with another. Joseph Frank Keaton (AKA “The great stone face) Is still considered one of the faces most recognized with the silent era. In this comedy from the 20’s he plays an engineer on an obsessive quest –rescuing his two loves -  his train and his lover (you decide which he loves most). Full of escapades, this humorous film was considered as a flop when it first hit the cinemas. Today it’s considered one of the essential comedies of all times.

So in conclusion, next time your speakers are ruined, you’ve got quite a selection of movies to choose from. Just look and… listen(?).

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Technorati Tags: Iron Man 3, Star Trek Into Darkness, Fast and Furious 6, blockbusters, special effects, Man of Steel, After Earth, Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin, City Lights, The Great Dictator, emotional, underdog, fall in love, fascist dictator, The Artist, Singin’ in the Rain, The Jazz Singer, Silent Movie, Mr. Bean, Nosferatu, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, The General

50 years ago, on May 25th 1963, 30 of 32 independent African states founded the Organization of African Unity (OAV), and this day was called Africa Day. Let’s review what has happened in Africa in the 50 years since: Apartheid, civil wars, tribal wars, genocide, dictators, child soldiers, violent coups… I can’t find unity. I don’t know how to break it to you, guys, but it seems that your organization hasn’t done such a good job. But then again, I want to see how united you’ll be if the European powers colonize you, draw arbitrary borders, enslave your people and pillage your natural resources. So instead of celebrating an imaginary African unity and some failing organization, today I choose to speak to the people, and plead for it: listen to the nice dentist and unite!. Even though there are many differences between you, you have one common goal: better the life of African people, and that will only be achieved by being united. You have the power - natural resources the rest of the world covets - and the only thing standing between you and a bright future is unity. As we continue to wait and hope for true African Unity, let’s look at some of the great films that this continent has produced:

1. An African Election (2011)

Democracy, we westerners never stop talking about it. When will it arrive in the developing world? we ask constantly. So here it is, in all its glory – depicting the political campaign and elections in Ghana. It’s a different kind of political documentary, it’s not agenda-driven, corruption-exposing or system-fighting, it’s a fly on the wall descriptive film that shows us democracy – African style. With a lot of vibrance, (over) enthusiasm, and mess and confusion. Ultimately, you’ll learn that democracy is the same everywhere – you make a lot of promises but nothing really gets done.

2. A Screaming Man (2010)

This story is set in Chad, about a father who has a good and stable job as a lifeguard at a luxurious hotel. Not only does he get fired and replaced by his son, when the civil war breaks, the rebel forces demand that he come fight with them – and he does not resist. Riddled with guilt, the father goes on a perilous journey to retrieve his son. It’s a sad and bleak film, but one that offers an unfiltered inside perspective into the African situation.

3. Aujourd’hui (2012)

This Senegalese film depicts last day in the life of Satché (Saul Williams), who returns home from America. He goes on an introspective journey through his past, and meets his old friends, his old flame, the wife and children he left behind, and prepares for his expected demise. There seems to be an outbreak of films that deal with the end of the world and how people spend their last moments, but this film does not over-analyze the situation, leaving you with a lot to think about, which is how I like my films.

4. Moolaadé (2004)

Rarely have I seen such a contrast between the subject matter and the mood of a film. This drama from Senegal, but set in Burkina Faso, deals with female circumcision and the fight of one village to end this inhumane tradition. Director Ousmane Sembene has crafted such a touching and understated film that never aims to shock. The matter-of-fact approach, the almost documentary feel is cliché-free, and never gets sappy or too emotional. The power of the film comes from its sincerity.

5.   Ezra (2007)

From one pleasant topic to another – child soldiers. This film by Nigerian born Newton I. Aduaka tells the story of one such child, from his kidnapping by rebel forces, through his brainwashing and the atrocities he committed, up to his arraignment before a tribunal. While there’s no subtlety in this film, the transformation of this child into a killer is an emotional roller coaster, from pity to hate, to sadness… I guess sometimes you don’t need subtext.

6. Tsotsi (2005)

This Oscar Winning crime drama from South Africa shows life in the urban ghetto of Johannesburg. A gang member kills a woman and hijacks her car only to find a baby in it. He starts to care for this infant and gets attached to him. Slowly but surely he begins to appreciate life. But this is not a sentimental film, it’s a pretty bleak film, but its pace and soundtrack will keep you captivated until the end.

7. Under African Skies (2012)

In 1986 Paul Simon released his most successful solo album – Graceland – a fusion of American and South African music styles. The problem was, this was the height of the Apartheid in South Africa, and Paul Simon was accused of breaking the cultural boycott. 25 Years later the legendary singer-songwriter returns to South Africa for a reunion concert, and talks about those turbulent times, along with the African musicians involved and other colleagues. It’s a great film, about friendship, breaking race barriers and music, not exclusively for Paul Simon fans.

8. White Material (2009)

Set in an unnamed African country this French-Cameroonian coproduction tells the story of a white French woman (Isabelle Huppert) caught in the middle of political unrest. Claire Denis, who is known for her special relation to the ‘Motherland’ crafts a sensitive film, that aptly depicts the complex relations between Blacks and Whites.

9. Battle of Algiers (1966)

While there’s a huge difference (and hostility) between black Africa and Arab Africa, their history is not that different. Gillo Pontecorvo’s Masterpiece reconstructs the Algerian War of Independence, their struggle to decolonize from France. It was a revolution that lasted nearly eight bloody years and took the life of some 700,000 people. The film’s strength lies in balanced and matter-of-fact approach, showing atrocities from both sides.

10. Un été à La Goulette (1996)

We’ll end on a bittersweet note – it’s the story of how, long ago, people from different religions, lived together in peace. Sounds like a fantasy, I know. The story takes place during the sixties in Tunisia, where three teenaged best friends - a Muslim, Jewish and Christian – swear to lose their virginity by a certain date. No, this is not American Pie 11, but a touching coming of age story about friendship and community. For me, the message of the film is that whether we like one another or hate one another is all a question of circumstance, so let’s make our circumstance better.

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Technorati Tags: Africa, Africa Day, African Unity, An African Election, A Screaming Man,  Aujourd’hui,  Moolaadé, Ezra, Tsotsti, Under African Skies, Paul Simon, White Material, Battle of Algiers,  Un été à La Goulette, masterpeice, South Africa

We are all creatures of habit, and the people heading Cannes Film Festival (and probably the most prestigious of them all) are not all that different, as evident from this year’s line-up, which includes many past winners. It’s also safe to say that the competition is more open this year, since the Festival’s favorite auteur of recent years, Michael Haneke (3 grand prizes in 11 years) is absent this time. Here are some choice repeat offenders, and a couple of hopefuls, we’ll be seeing this year:

Baz Luhrmann

The Australian director won a minor prize at Cannes in 1992 for the stylized romance Strictly Ballroom. More than 20 years later he returns with another film in the same vein, an adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby.

Sofia Coppola

Sofia Coppola won a prize in 2006 for Marie Antoinette, a film based on a true story, which centered around a strong female presence and featured an abundance of style and fashion. Fast forward 7 years and Ms. Coppola returns with The Bling Ring, a film based on a true story, centered on a strong female presence which features an abundance of style and fashion.

Nicolas Winding Refn

A brooding Ryan Gosling as a criminal hero already brought Winding Refn the grand prize in 2011 with the rough, L.A set, neo noir Drive, so why not repeat parts of the formula, only this time set the action in Thailand? Hopefully, Only God Forgives will not follow in the footsteps of The Hangover Part II and will manage to replicate its predecessor.

The Coen Brothers

With no less than three previous wins (Barton Fink, Fargo and The Man Who Wasn’t There) Ethan and Joel Coen are undoubtedly well liked on the French Riviera, so Inside Llewyn Davis, their gloomy musician’s life affair, will probably be warmly received.

Jim Jarmusch

Another multiple Cannes Winner (Stranger Than Paradise, Mystery Train, Broken Flowers and the short Coffee and Cigarettes III), Jarmusch returns to the festival with Only Lovers Left Alive, a film that looks like a diversion from his usual oeuvre, since it deals with vampires, but, come to think of it, he will most likely portray them like all his heroes, as quirky misfits.

Steven Soderbergh

It is fitting that Soderbergh, who won in 1989 with his debut Sex, Lies, and Videotape and helped usher in a new era of independent cinema, will screen Behind the Candelabra, his self-professed last film, in the same venue. Similarly to his first film, Soderbergh’s last one also deals with sexuality, although this time in a much flashier way.

Roman Polanski

Polanski has only one Cannes win, which came pretty late in his career, for the epic The Pianist. However, Venus in Fur, his entry for the competition this year, is a little more reminiscent of his latest film, Carnage, since it’s also based on a play and seems to have the same chamber drama qualities.

Paolo Sorrentino

With Il Divo, his Cannes winner from 2008, becoming unexpectedly topical since its subject, former Italian head of state Giulio Andreotti, passed away last week, Sorrentino’s La grande bellezza may not enjoy the same success, as it brings a different, more personal, view of life in Rome.

James Gray

Being in the competition three times (The Yards, We Own The Night and Two Lovers) and never winning, James Grey can only hope that fourth time is a charm. The fact that The Immigrant is a gloomy period piece certainly won’t hurt its chances.

François Ozon

Nominated only once, a decade ago, for Swimming Pool, French director Ozon should hope to benefit from a home court advantage (as some of his compatriots have in previous years), with Jeune et jolie, an episodic and contemplative tale of a young prostitute.

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Technorati Tags: Cannes Film Festival, Michael Haneke, Baz Luhrmann, Strictly Ballroom, F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, Sofia Coppola, Marie Antoinette, The Bling Ring, Nicolas Winding Refn, Ryan Gosling, Drive, Only God Forgives, The Hangover Part II, The Coen Brothers, Barton Fink, Fargo, The Man Who Wasn’t There, Inside Llewyn Davis, Jim Jarmusch, Stranger Than Paradise, Mystery Train, Broken Flowers, Coffee and Cigarettes III, Only Lovers Left Alive, Steven Soderbergh, Sex, Lies, and Videotape, Behind the Candelabra, Roman Polanski, The Pianist, Carnage, Paolo Sorrentino, Il Divo, Giulio Andreotti, La grande bellezza, Rome, James Gray, The Yards, We Own The Night, Two Lovers, The Immigrant, François Ozon, Swimming Pool, Jeune et jolie