Unboxing: Song Without A Name DVD and Raining in the Mountain Blu-Ray

Unboxing two fantastic films sent to me by my friends at Film Movement: the DVD release of Song Without A Name and the Blu-Ray release of Raining in the Mountain. Song Without A Name is a fantastic, powerful film that was recently selected for Peru's submission to the Oscars for best international film. And Raining in the Mountain is a classic that is being offered for the first time on Blu-Ray in North America. Check out the video to see what you get in each of these physical releases! 

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Song Without a Name:

Based on harrowing true events, SONG WITHOUT A NAME tells the story of Georgina, an indigenous Andean woman whose newborn baby is whisked away moments after its birth in a downtown Lima clinic - and never returned. Stonewalled by a byzantine and indifferent legal system, Georgina approaches journalist Pedro Campas, who uncovers a web of fake clinics and abductions - suggesting a rotting corruption deep within Peruvian society. Set in 1988, in a Peru wracked by political violence and turmoil, Melina León’s heart-wrenching first feature renders Georgina's story in gorgeous, shadowy black-and-white cinematography, "styled like the most beautiful of bad dreams" (Variety). SONG WITHOUT A NAME is a "Kafkaesque thriller" (The Hollywood Reporter) that unflinchingly depicts real-life, stranger-than fiction tragedies with poetic beauty.

Director: Melina Leon Starring: Pamela Mendoza, Tommy Párraga, Lucio Rojas

Raining in the Mountain:

During the Ming Dynasty, a Buddhist abbot charged with protecting the sacred scroll of Tripitaka prepares to name his successor. An aristocrat and a general arrive at his secluded mountaintop monastery promising to help in his search, but are in fact scheming to secure the scroll for themselves. As they set about recommending corrupt successors, rival bands of martial artists lie in wait to steal the precious artifact. Soon, the monastery is transformed into an epic battleground for the scroll, with each player caught in a web of betrayal. Called a "remarkably photographed caper heist [featuring] intriguing battles of wits and minds" (Far East Film Festival), RAINING IN THE MOUNTAIN is also the peak of legendary director King Hu's (A TOUCH OF ZEN) infusion of Buddhist spiritual principles into the legacy of martial arts cinema.

Director: King Hu

Starring: Feng Hsu, Yueh Sun, Chun Shih, Feng Tien

What to Watch This Weekend: Charm City Kings, The One And Only Ivan, Words on Bathroom Walls, Chemical Hearts, And More

For the Fan of Thrillers and Tension - Cut Throat City (Digital)

Cut Throat City has a lot more going on than meets the eye, from its complex characters, to its involved story, and wonderful dialogue, this film steals the spotlight.  For more information, check out our review!

All Black Cast And Great Story - Charm City Kings (HBO Max)

Charm City Kings has a commitment to authenticity that should be applauded, as well as fantastic performances from an all black cast, telling a story that has humor, emotion, and important lessons.  For more information, check out our review!

For the Comic Book and Horror Fan - Random Acts of Violence (Shudder)

But those things aside, Random Acts of Violence offers a stylized horror experience with good characters, gruesome effects, and something to say about said random acts.  For more information, check out our review!

For the Fan of Teenage Dramas - Words on Bathroom Walls (Digital)

Words on Bathroom Walls portrays a complicated illness through strong performances and good lessons about family, love, growth, and pain.  For more information, check out our review!

For the Fan of More Teenage Dramas - Chemical Hearts (Amazon)

Chemical Hearts is an emotional coming of age drama with great performances by their leads and a story about loss, growth, and finding your place in this world.  For more information, check out our review!

For the Fan of Indie and Foreign Films - Song Without A Name (Digital)

Song Without A Name has a striking, lovingly crafted style that ensures that this heartfelt family song is not one that you will soon forget.  For more information, check out our review!

For the Kids - The One And Only Ivan (Disney+)

It's a new Disney movie on Disney+.  You're going to watch it, but thankfully it also has good reviews for its heartwarming performances and story.  

For the Fan of Feel Good Movies - The Peanut Butter Falcon (Amazon)

The Peanut Butter Falcon has nearly universal critical and audience appeal, a heartwarming story, and strong performances that should not be missed.

For the Suspenseful Horror Fan - The Wretched (Redbox)

The Wretched feels like an old school horror movie with an enjoyable cast, a ton of suspense, and a refreshing lack of computer graphics.  For more information, check out our review!

Song WIthout A Name Review: A Lovingly Crafted Black and White Drama

 

Release date: January 23, 2020 (US Release August 2020)
Running time: 97 minutes

Starring: Pamela Mendoza, Tommy Párraga, Lucio Rojas

Georgina (Mendoza)'s newborn daughter is stolen at a fake health clinic. Her desperate search for the child leads her to the headquarters of a major newspaper, where she meets Pedro (Párraga), a lonely journalist who takes on the investigation.  But when Pedro starts to dig deeper, he runs into problems and road blocks that prevent him from finding out more.  And Georgina's own efforts to find her lost child are stifled for other reasons.

Let's get this out of the way, Song Without A Name is an absolutely stunning film.  First time filmmaker Melina León definitely takes her vision and translates it to the screen.  The film is in a 4:3 aspect ratio and in black and white with an amazing film grain, which gives it a classic look.  The 4:3 aspect ratio does help to focus on the characters, minimizing the amount of distractions that could draw your attention in the periphery.  And this style also gives the film a hopeless feel at times, when everything is going against Georgina the black and white only amplifies the hopelessness that she feels.  And it gives Georgina's life a certain uniformity that helps to frame her situation.  The amazing thing about the visuals is that the director's vision is perfectly realized, but the visuals themselves are fairly simple.  And this is accompanied by some lovely, simple music that helps to frame the entire movie.  Georgina lives a relatively simple, happy life until this tragedy and the film helps to show this in its presentation and music choice.  

The irony of a black and white film is that the choices and lessons in this film are hardly that.  Some of the biggest choices and issues in this film have layers of gray and are treated as such.  When Georgina is pushed, she really gets to display some emotion.  It actually surprises you because of how simple and understated the film is before, but when she lets loose you really feel the raw emotion she is going through. And this emotion carries through to the ending, which is beautiful and heartfelt, much like the film.  However, although I did enjoy the story, it has a tendency to idle and sputter at times.  And although León brings in several aspects of Peruvian life to help frame Georgina's world and predicament, if you are unfamiliar with these they can lose some impact.  This film is wonderful and understated, but that also means that certain references and situations are not fully described.  However, don't let those stop you from seeing this beautiful, lovingly crafted film.

Song Without A Name has a striking, lovingly crafted style that ensures that this heartfelt family song is not one that you will soon forget.

Watch it.

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Song Without A Name is available direct to home in a virtual cinema format.  

Please visit Film Movement for more details.