THE CUP (The Cup (DVD))

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Product:	The Cup (DVD)
Date:	02.03.01 (26 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Quirky foreign fare

Disadvantages: Subtitles

In the foothills of the Himalayas lies one of many Monasteries dedicated to their Gods and the dream of returning to a free Tibet currently controlled by the repressive Chinese.
This cute little film is based an a true story of a group of young trainee monks that learn the ways of Buddhism and wouldn’t mind watching to watch the World Cup final to, but is heavily against their sacred mantras. One little scamp called Orgyen has only one religion on his mind and it doesn’t involve worshiping mythical Gods.Prayer bores him and he spends it making origami things or passing around bits of paper with the next match penned on.
The films concurrent film is about the slow creep of commercialism through the sacred land of Asia and theres a no better metaphor than the young monks kicking a Coke can around at the start of the film. Brilliant product placement if you ask me.
One night the young kid is caught after sneaking out to watch Brazil play Argentina on the nearest TV to the monastery with a couple of friends he coerced into the trip late at night. Their punishment is to do the cooking duties for a month, but our young minx becomes impatient as the two semis slip buy so schemes to get the Abbot to let them see the final.
His persistence plays off and the boys have 8 hours to raise 350 rupees to hire a TV and dish from the local Radio Rentals (An Indian in the middle of nowhere). 50 rupees short he pawns the watch of a young guy who has just arrived for the payment promising to return with the remaining cash tomorrow.
The monks return triumphantly to the monastery with a battered dish and TV and set about acquiring a picture by hoisting the dish onto the roof.
The picture kicks in and its no other than England’s own Martin Tyler of ITV fame doing the commentary as France and Brazil kick off. What would they made of some serious Ron Atkinson speak like, “Ronald is dinking in a lot of balls with cut on to a few ugly areas for B
hartez”.
The monks are firmly behind the French as they are the only nation to support Tibet’s struggle against communism, and cheer on the Cockerels to the subsequent 3-0 win through power cuts and all.
Little Orygen is feeling sad for the little fellow who doesn’t have his mums watch to hold so he tries to find something to sell to get back the time piece as the game he’s been dying to see was in full swing.
The head Monk comes to his room with some words of wisdom and agrees to pay the 50 rupee’s.
Although the film is set in a traditional panoramic setting with the prayer and mantras wafting over the Himalayas the dialect is quite modern and the humor is quite intelligent.
Young Orgyen is very much a typical school scamp and even converts his religious garments into the Brazil strip complete with Renaldos number and name on his make shift shirt, although he couldn’t find any goats teeth to finish the look.
There are some lovely cheeky lines from him through out including the put down of an Indian in their room when he asks why they have to sneak out at night to watch the games. Its something to do with the fact that the Earth is round and not flat.
The director of the film is a high Lama in real life and the real young monk who inspired that night of World Cup football still dreams off setting up a free Tibet football team, however bad they may be. Although there are no plans to offer Vladmya Smicer a run out
It’s quite a gentle easy comedy with lots of short back and earole cuts and banging gongs. Subtitles will put most of the soap opera fans of and its perhaps aimed at the more intellectual viewer.
I think the message is, how ever great your religion it will eventually be pacified and out dated by technology, commercialism and time moving on as people find solace in other more enticing material things like money and science. Typical pleasant foreign movie.

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