The World of Cinema 2014 Trivia Quiz

Answer: The Babadook

"The Babadook" provides us with a horror film that is guaranteed to creep out the audience without having to resort to the buckets of blood and gore that has become a defining feature of its genre in recent decades.

Supposedly the scariest film "Exorcist" director William Friedkin has ever seen, "The Babadook" offers us much more than a scary flick. The imaginative young son finds a book titled "The Babadook", which his mother agrees to read to him before bed. The story starts out innocently enough, but "The Babadook" rapidly turns sinister and the dark creature described in the book obsesses the young boy. Though clearly scared by the monster, the boy has some moments in the film where he seems to be sinisterly at ease, perhaps even possessed by it (and what's scarier than a creepy child?). His mother finds it difficult to deal with her son's obsession, which is exacerbated by their already strained relationship, since she (perhaps subconsciously) blames him for her husband's death. Indeed, the whole story of "The Babadook" may be seen as an analogy for the grief and blame the mother feels. With this in mind, the monster seen by the son (and which also eventually obsesses the mother) is surely a product of their own minds, making this film more closely aligned with Kubrick's "The Shining" as opposed to more traditional monster films.

Answer: Brazil

Leonardo is what might be called "your average lad". He is friendly and smart and he has a fierce independence that most teenagers have, though his blindness makes his parents extra doting and careful. Whilst trying to deal with the every day difficulties a blind person experiences, Leonardo's life is made more complex by the introduction of Gabriel, whom he becomes fond of and eventually realises that he is sexually attracted to.

It is tempting to draw the cliche that "love is blind", but it is also important to take away this film's message that "same sex love is okay". Very little is said about the taboo of same sex relationships (not to mention those in school), and the main issue Leonardo faces is that he has developed feelings for his close friend; the fact that his friend is male seems neither here nor there. Negative, bigoted comments are limited to one schoolmate who does not receive the approval he wants from the rest of the class, and this may be representative of the attitude of Brazil, which legalised gay marriage in 2013.

Answer: Stranger by the Lake

"Stranger by the Lake" takes place in an isolated location (the titled lake) where gay men go to socialise and have sex. Franck's willingness to enter into a relationship with Michel, a man he saw murder somebody, makes the viewer question his motives. One interpretation of this film is that it is about he culture of unsafe sex, which is particularly problematic amongst homosexual men.

The film's time setting is ambiguous, but the style (moustaches!) and cars suggest late '70s/early '80s, when AIDS became prominent as a poorly understood killer.

The danger of unsafe sex is explicitly mentioned throughout the film, but the majority of the characters seem happy to ignore the dangers. This is perfectly represented by the analogy of Franck's willingness to have sex with Michel despite knowing he is a murderer.

The representation of these men as willing to put their sexual desire above their well-being is troubling, but this should be seen as an extreme way of putting across an important sociological message, rather than drawing unfair stereotypes.

Answer: The Raid 2

This film is exquisitely choreographed, more gritty and realistic than many of its predecessors, and lacking the superhuman abilities of other popular films such as "The Matrix" or "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon". "The Raid 2" has another unique quality in that it is seen by many to have outshone the prequel (which was released in 2011). Though both have outstanding action sequences, "The Raid 2" arguably has the stronger storyline. Tense scenes of Rama going undercover to befriend the criminals he is trying to bring down, as well as more complex villains, add an extra layer to this film, allowing it to avoid being just another punch-up.

Answer: Starting a punk band

Best friends Klara and Bobo refuse to believe that punk is dead and want to start a band. Not put off by their jeering classmates or the fact that they're not particularly musically talented, the persevere and recruit another girl, Hedvig, for her skills with a guitar.

As the film progresses, we see the girls get into mischief (such as shaving Hedvig's hair, much to her mother's horror) and having fun. The film could be criticised for not developing some of its storylines (such as the relationships with the other punk group they befriend) to their full extent, but this does give the film a certain reality. Overall, the film is endearing and is won by the performances of the young actors.

Answer: In a pressure chamber

Carl Morck is a policeman who has been reassigned to investigating cold cases after he suffered a traumatic episode where his two co-workers were shot, and for which he blames himself. The story is undeniably gripping, though it arguably lacks originality, aside from the pressure chamber which is the prison of the missing woman, Merete.

Answer: Stellan Skarsgard

The film starts in the style of a typical revenge movie. Skarsgard's character Nils, the local snow ploughman, is told that his son has died from a heroin overdose. However, Nils does not believe his son was a drug addict and so takes matters into his own hands. Soon after this, the plot stays with the theme of vengeance, but steers away from cliche and becomes a bit of a comedy (a good one too!). Nils remains stoic throughout the bloodshed, even when caught in the crossfire between two rival gangs.

The real standout performance, however, comes from Greven (played by Pal Sverre Hagen). Greven is the boss of the gang responsible for Nils' son's murder, but his status as ruthless boss head is brilliantly juxtaposed with his side business of running a cupcake shop.

The rather thin plot is just a vehicle for the perfect portrayal of these ludicrous and funny characters.

Answer: Calvary

"Calvary" is a beautifully acted piece set in an equally beautiful part of coastal Ireland. Although Gleeson's character is good natured, his initially amicable rapport with the people of the community quickly sours. Some mock his faith and dismiss his comforting words as mumbo jumbo.

Some dislike what they see as the preachy and judgemental nature of him and (more widely) the church. And some hold him accountable for the evils of the church, most notably the sexual abuse of children. For this last reason, the priest is told at the start of the film by a man in the confessional that he is going to kill him as retribution, despite the fact that he is personally innocent.

The rather bleak view of religion's role in modern society is not total, however.

There are some people in the film who are provided comfort by Gleeson and the church, such as the woman who lost her husband. Even the materialistic misanthrope played by Dylan Moran has somewhat of a revelation near the end of the film.

Answer: Guatemala

The film begins by centring on Sara, who plans to leave poverty with her friends by escaping to the USA. She disguises herself as a boy as she believes that this will make her journey easier. Sara, along with Juan and Samuel, embark on their journey and meet Chauk, a Tzotzil Indian, along the way. Sara and Chauk immediately get along, but Juan dislikes Chauk and is very hostile, especially when Chauk refuses to stay behind and so joins their journey.

The film is turned on its head when Sara's female identity is discovered by gunmen who tear her away from from Juan and Chauk (Samuel having decided against the journey in the end).

This shocking moment not only draws an immediate emotional response from the audience, but also has a lasting one.

The viewer may expect Sara, as the main character, to escape and reunite with her friends later in the film, but this does not happen. This device adds to the real and gritty feel of the film. Perhaps the most saddening thing is the ability of both Juan and Chauk to shake off this event and carry on, making us realise just how tough their lives up to now must have been.

The remainder of the film now centres on Juan and Chauk, who become closer and support each other through the remainder of the journey. The original title of this film actually translates as "The Golden Jail", which may be more apt that the UK release title ("The Golden Dream"), considering the events endured by the characters in this film and the anticlimactic arrival in America. This sad story is also one of the most touching and important of the year, and is certainly worth a watch.

Answer: Nightcrawler

"Nightcrawler" sees perhaps the best single performance of an actor in 2014 in the shape of Jake Gyllenhaal (who plays Lou Bloom). Bloom is a walking oxymoron. He is socially inept, yet confident. He is slimey, yet charming. He is thoroughly unlikeable, yet you'll find yourself cheering for him at some points throughout the film.

The theme of the film is that Lou, motivated by money and recognition, will go to immoral lengths to capture footage of violence/accidents on his handheld camera. The story is gripping and may be seen as a comment on how how "news" is covered, and how this coverage may actually perpetuate the tragic events that it describes.