In this week's Expatica cinema section - in collaboration with Picturenose - James Drew reviews the "epic" 'Mongol', "tasteless comedy" in 'Teeth', and the "predictable" 'What Happens in Vegas....'

Mongol

Writer-director Sergei Bodrov’s Mongol has fallen victim somewhat to a  less-than-helpful advertising campaign, that depicts the film as being largely about Genghis Khan's military conquests, but Bodrov's work (and a truly epic, impressive piece of work it is) in reality takes us through the life of legendary Mongol emperor  Genghis Khan from the age of nine until the battle that would cement his position in history, showing not so much how the man rose to power, but rather (and far more interestingly) how he in fact gained the strength to become a world-beater.

Nine-year-old Temudgin (Odnyam Odsuren) is the boy who would be Khan. Riding to take a bride from a rival clan in hopes of establishing peace, Temudgin instead is smitten by a young girl from a friendly, much less powerful tribe, and tricks his father into allowing him to choose her instead thus guaranteeing continuing strife rather than peace. Time moves on, and Tadanobu Asano (very convincingly) now plays the adult Temudgin. While having claimed his young betrothed, Temudgin’s life becomes no easier, as his enemies grow and every victory is marred by a corresponding set back. His life becomes an epic struggle, spurred by his conviction that the Mongol people need to be united under a single rule of law even if half of them must die...

The production values are dazzling, cinematography likewise, which makes full use of the stark, natural beauty of Mongolia and Kazakhstan. Asano is utterly convincing in the role of Khan, balancing the ferocity of his character with a sly sense of humor and a deep, deep devotion to his beloved wife Bortë (played with real verve by the gorgeous Khulan Chuluun). A word of warning, however - those expecting an action-packed, rip-roaring adventure are likely to leave dissatisfied, as there are in fact, stunning though they are, only a few battle scenes.

Be thankful instead that Bodrov has by and large succeeded in offering something rather more affecting – an inspired, gritty take on the man behind the myth.

120 mins.

Teeth

'Have you got your teeth in?' takes on a whole new meaning in this wonderfully tasteless comedy-social horror concerning the vagina dentata complex, budding femininity, and a girl's right to choose. Or is that chew?

Under the direction of Mitchell Lichtenstein (Resurrection (2004) Jess Weixler gives a barnstorming turn as the innocent, beautiful Christian girl who fiercely protects her budding womanhood at the price of high-school popularity. Dawn is a complex and fascinating character, who finds that she has a secret weapon down below and, à la Carrie (1976) turns the tables on her sexual-predator tormentors when the film bares its fangs. Moving beyond a merely simplistic take on 'Nice Girls Don't/Men Are All Pigs', this is one that will definitely dominate the post-film restaurant chat. And you'll probably need a cigarette after the climax...

88 mins.

What Happens in Vegas...

Ashton Kutcher and Cameron Diaz's latest offering, from Tom Vaughan, whose efforts are normally to be found on the small screen, is really a bit of a damp squib as far as the war of the sexes goes - New Yorkers Jack (Kutcher) and Joy (Diaz) get dumped by their respected betrothed partners and both head for 'Sin City' to party hard and cheer up.

The pair meet, the fur flies – and they wake up the next day to discover they accidentally got married. Two problems – they don't like each other very much, then Jack wins a $3 million jackpot on a slot machine Joy was playing. They take their case to court, but the judge rules that neither gets their half of the money or the annulment they seek unless they try and make their marriage 'work' for 6 months. Ho, and in a very real sense, hum.

The story suffers from the fact that Joy and Jack simply don't seem particularly mismatched in the first place, and by the time they finally fall in lurve, you're left caring little or not at all for the chocolate-box couple and their all-too-predictable Happily-Ever-After. In short, not much 'Rom' or 'Com' for your money.

99 mins.

James Drew

'Expatica's weekly cinema-review section is brought to you in collaboration with Picturenose.com'  

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(expatica 2008)