The Up series, latest installment. As it was inevitably going to happen, Michael the Interviewer drops the R word on Tony Walker. Well, as I have suspected from day one, and hinted at in my previous reviews, Michael the Interviewer is what some people affectionately call a libtard. Or a progtard. He even accuses (laugh out loud) Tony of doing in Spain what immigrants are doing in England. This is just too much, don't you think? Tony, the smartest guy in this series by a country mile, responds to that in an admirably cool manner, but let's get things straight in a way he was perhaps too polite, or too cautious, to do. Tony is not leeching on the Spanish welfare system; on the contrary, he is contributing to the Spanish economy by going there and spending. This was point one. Point two, he is culturally close to Spaniards. They are all European, for Christ's sake. But I think I might be wrong about one thing, and here is a theory which I have been dwelling on for some time now. It may be the case that some people are not really libprogtards in their hearts (basically perhaps because that would be impossible for such intelligent, successful persons). Perhaps they have devised a tactic and a strategy. Perhaps they are not allowed to say some things that go against the Politically Correct rules of modern society. And, just perhaps, they know it when they encounter someone who is more outspoken than they are. So, those phony libtards trick those more outspoken persons into saying those things that they themselves are not allowed, or do not have the guts to say. Well, that is my theory anyway (another theory is that it is always safer to bet on stupidity than on strategy). Concerning Bruce, another participant in this series, there is a noteworthy bit. Bruce is the pro-immigrant Christian-Socialist guy who taught immigrants in the past and later in life switched to a posh Catholic school. He now makes his children go to a Christian (Quaker, I think) school to learn some basics of Moral Values or something to that effect. His wife points out that what she wants to have instilled in her children is the "ethos of tolerance and understanding". Well, I am not a Christian, or any other religious denomination for that matter, so I am unable to give the correct Christian stance on these matters (supposing there can be one). What I can say based only on observation and common sense is: hers is the most traveled road among intellectuals and semi-intellectuals, and there is a nice big hole at the end of that road. But I am sure she is not interested or even listening.
So, I am through with this series for a while (until around 2020, I suppose). What it has taught me is very simple: what we are is all in our biology. Mostly genes, of course, but also how the pregnancy develops, and how the birth process is carried out. So, you really are what you were when you were seven, and even earlier than seven actually, perhaps even as a newborn.
Friday, May 30, 2014
Sunday, May 25, 2014
Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
Second viewing; the first one was on December 26, 1993.
Minutes before a Thanksgiving parade, a man offers to replace a drunken Santa and is such a success that Macy's decides to hire him for the entire Christmas season. His supervisor becomes a little worried when she realizes that the old man really believes he is Santa Claus, but then it is too late to fire him because he has operated a small revolution in the store.
This film has a promising premise which gets somewhat sidetracked by some misguided notions. Not all is lost, though. The bit about the company psychiatrist is full of insight about real psychiatrists and psychoanalysts, even if there is an ostensive cop-out by implying that the only problem is that he practiced without a license (but we know better...). Another bit of satire that is spot-on is the one about the judge that must do all he can to get reelected (and does!). As for the rest of the movie, apart from the occasional witty one-liner or situation, the best I can say is that it is not dull. I totally hated this movie when I first saw it, basically because I found it dishonest. I still do, mostly, but I must concede, as I have just done, that it has a few good points.
Rating: 34 (up from 0)
Minutes before a Thanksgiving parade, a man offers to replace a drunken Santa and is such a success that Macy's decides to hire him for the entire Christmas season. His supervisor becomes a little worried when she realizes that the old man really believes he is Santa Claus, but then it is too late to fire him because he has operated a small revolution in the store.
This film has a promising premise which gets somewhat sidetracked by some misguided notions. Not all is lost, though. The bit about the company psychiatrist is full of insight about real psychiatrists and psychoanalysts, even if there is an ostensive cop-out by implying that the only problem is that he practiced without a license (but we know better...). Another bit of satire that is spot-on is the one about the judge that must do all he can to get reelected (and does!). As for the rest of the movie, apart from the occasional witty one-liner or situation, the best I can say is that it is not dull. I totally hated this movie when I first saw it, basically because I found it dishonest. I still do, mostly, but I must concede, as I have just done, that it has a few good points.
Rating: 34 (up from 0)
O Dragão da Maldade contra o Santo Guerreiro (1969)
Second viewing; the first one was between 1983 and 1986.
International title: Antonio das Mortes.
Suggested translation of the original title: The Dragon of Cruelty vs. the Warrior Saint.
In the poor countryside of Northeastern Brazil, a gang of outlaws appears, disturbing a long period of peace for the region's rich landowner, a blind old man. The bandits, which form a community acting under the leadership of one man, are inspired by a young woman who is deemed as holy. The landowner hires a killer with a big reputation stemming from his past killings of the same sort of bandits who then ravaged that countryside. A subplot has the local sheriff having an affair with the landowner's young and beautiful wife.
Here is another film which I didn't like on my first viewing; at that time, I was watching too many movies, and enjoying too little of them. Now I aim for quality viewing, both in what I view, and in how I view it. Anyway, this film, a sequel to Deus e o Diabo na Terra do Sol, has some things going for it. It has a respectable plot, to begin with. The leading performance is quite on the mark, very effective. The dialogue is functional and intelligent, refraining from verbiage. Visually, it has some interesting finds. The bad side is that the film has too much dead time, in the form of useless sequences or overextended ones.
Rating: 51 (up from 25)
International title: Antonio das Mortes.
Suggested translation of the original title: The Dragon of Cruelty vs. the Warrior Saint.
In the poor countryside of Northeastern Brazil, a gang of outlaws appears, disturbing a long period of peace for the region's rich landowner, a blind old man. The bandits, which form a community acting under the leadership of one man, are inspired by a young woman who is deemed as holy. The landowner hires a killer with a big reputation stemming from his past killings of the same sort of bandits who then ravaged that countryside. A subplot has the local sheriff having an affair with the landowner's young and beautiful wife.
Here is another film which I didn't like on my first viewing; at that time, I was watching too many movies, and enjoying too little of them. Now I aim for quality viewing, both in what I view, and in how I view it. Anyway, this film, a sequel to Deus e o Diabo na Terra do Sol, has some things going for it. It has a respectable plot, to begin with. The leading performance is quite on the mark, very effective. The dialogue is functional and intelligent, refraining from verbiage. Visually, it has some interesting finds. The bad side is that the film has too much dead time, in the form of useless sequences or overextended ones.
Rating: 51 (up from 25)
Friday, May 23, 2014
Terra em Transe (1967)
Second viewing; the first one occurred between 1983 and 1986.
English titles: Entranced Earth; Anguished Land; Land Entranced; Land in Anguish.
Suggested translation of title: Land in Crisis
The film is the story of Paulo, a poet and journalist who gets involved in party politics, told in a flashback during what seems to be his final moments, following a prologue in which he urges governor Vieira to oppose a coup that has been staged by senator Diaz.
This is interesting as a somewhat crude dramatization of Latin America's politics in the 1960s. Basically, the crisis evoked by the title was caused by the difficulty of overcoming the archaic structures of exploitation of Latin America, which thrived on a largely illiterate people who was an easy prey to the interests of local landowners, foreign capitalists, and an instrumental mass media. Paulo initially, in a learning period, allies himself to a reactionary politician, then, achieving a more developed political understanding, switches to a more popularly connected one, but gets frustrated when the latter reveals to be utterly compromised. He goes through a period of conformism and debauchery, and eventually comes to the realization that he must somehow choose the side he perceives as the lesser evil. That would be Vieira who is perhaps perceived to have nationalist leanings. The film is mostly made of recitations in an operatic style, eschewing realism altogether. Some of the text has a juvenile flavor to it, veering occasionally to borderline nonsense, particularly in the ramblings of the poet character. The film is visually somewhat dull, being composed of mostly close ups, with occasional ensemble shots with camera angles and movement designed to give a sense of urgency and impending doom.
Rating: 61 (down from 64)
English titles: Entranced Earth; Anguished Land; Land Entranced; Land in Anguish.
Suggested translation of title: Land in Crisis
The film is the story of Paulo, a poet and journalist who gets involved in party politics, told in a flashback during what seems to be his final moments, following a prologue in which he urges governor Vieira to oppose a coup that has been staged by senator Diaz.
This is interesting as a somewhat crude dramatization of Latin America's politics in the 1960s. Basically, the crisis evoked by the title was caused by the difficulty of overcoming the archaic structures of exploitation of Latin America, which thrived on a largely illiterate people who was an easy prey to the interests of local landowners, foreign capitalists, and an instrumental mass media. Paulo initially, in a learning period, allies himself to a reactionary politician, then, achieving a more developed political understanding, switches to a more popularly connected one, but gets frustrated when the latter reveals to be utterly compromised. He goes through a period of conformism and debauchery, and eventually comes to the realization that he must somehow choose the side he perceives as the lesser evil. That would be Vieira who is perhaps perceived to have nationalist leanings. The film is mostly made of recitations in an operatic style, eschewing realism altogether. Some of the text has a juvenile flavor to it, veering occasionally to borderline nonsense, particularly in the ramblings of the poet character. The film is visually somewhat dull, being composed of mostly close ups, with occasional ensemble shots with camera angles and movement designed to give a sense of urgency and impending doom.
Rating: 61 (down from 64)
Monday, May 19, 2014
49 Up (2005)
Proceeding with the Up series, we get some juicy bits about the death of the East End, and how some of the English are seeking the East End away from the East End (in some cases, even away from England); also, we get to see how teaching immigrants wore away an English teacher the same way water wears away a stone (by dripping on it, not by smashing it). At any rate, this was another lovely installment, and now there is only one to go for me to catch up (and then, hopefully, many more will come). Now I give the academically minded of you the link to an article which may have something to do with this TV series' concerns. Perhaps a few in my legion of readers will remember my comments on the previous installment about the wrong interpretation given to a St. Francis Xavier saying; well, after reading the first paragraph of the abovementioned article it becomes obvious that its author got it wrong too, and in exactly the same way as the Up series did. I was ready to suppose that the outvoted old meaning had to go (that is how democracies work), but then, from the second paragraph onwards, as the real subject of the article is exposed, a non-sequitur occurs: the subject of the research is close in meaning to the Catholic saint's old saying (it's a sort of modern-day, non-religious version of it). My conclusion is that the author seems to believe the two meanings are the same.
Pittsburgh (1942)
In the 1920s, two ambitous coalminers become businessmen and are in love with the same woman. One of them is ruthless whereas the other is socially conscious; their differences eventually separate them.
This one didn't go down well with me, for reasons that are not exactly clear. Perhaps it was the inconsistency of the 'Josie Winters' character, who is made to look upper class in the beginning and then is shown to be just disguising as such, although she does have upper class manners and dress throughout the movie. Or, perhaps, I was bothered by the contrivances imposed by the war effort. Or maybe it was an unconscious deja vu feeling caused by the fact that the plot is similar to Boom Town (1940) (I didn't actually remember it, but was made aware of that fact by TV Guide and also by an IMDB user who identifies himself as Ted-C and complains that no professional reviewer noticed it, well the one on TV Guide did, though I do not know the review's date).
Rating: 31
This one didn't go down well with me, for reasons that are not exactly clear. Perhaps it was the inconsistency of the 'Josie Winters' character, who is made to look upper class in the beginning and then is shown to be just disguising as such, although she does have upper class manners and dress throughout the movie. Or, perhaps, I was bothered by the contrivances imposed by the war effort. Or maybe it was an unconscious deja vu feeling caused by the fact that the plot is similar to Boom Town (1940) (I didn't actually remember it, but was made aware of that fact by TV Guide and also by an IMDB user who identifies himself as Ted-C and complains that no professional reviewer noticed it, well the one on TV Guide did, though I do not know the review's date).
Rating: 31
Sunday, May 18, 2014
Life During Wartime (2009)
Several characters and their personal dramas. A woman who works as a counsellor to ex-convicts is herself married to one; he is having trouble straightening out his life and they decide to spend some time apart from each other. A convicted child rapist is released from prison and decides to pay a visit to his sons. His wife has moved with them to a different city and is now starting a relationship with another man.
I thought the individual scenes were well handled, and the performances were faultless. However, the tone is weirdly inconsistent, the satirical sarcasm expressed by the dialogue completely clashing with the lyricism evoked by some visual or musical set-ups. Ultimately, though, that is not what kills the movie, even though some of the satire is a bit sophomoric. The bottom line is that there is just not enough substance here to make a good film; at best it would do as a sitcom pilot.
Rating: 33
I thought the individual scenes were well handled, and the performances were faultless. However, the tone is weirdly inconsistent, the satirical sarcasm expressed by the dialogue completely clashing with the lyricism evoked by some visual or musical set-ups. Ultimately, though, that is not what kills the movie, even though some of the satire is a bit sophomoric. The bottom line is that there is just not enough substance here to make a good film; at best it would do as a sitcom pilot.
Rating: 33
Saturday, May 17, 2014
The Family Jewels (1965)
Second viewing at least; earlier viewing or viewings occurred prior to 1987.
A motherless nine-year-old girl loses her father and must choose the one among her screwy uncles who will be her guardian. She also has a criminal uncle who some think dead, and who has an eye on the girl's inherited fortune. Throughout this process she is taken care of by her long-time chauffeur and bodyguard.
The best films are those who have very serious themes, but have the elegance to keep that seriousness almost invisible, all the while entertaining us with its art. The Family Jewels certainly qualifies in that category. Children who are heirs to a huge amount of money is a very serious issue a sad case of which has been an item in Brazilian criminal news these days. A more central thematic aspect concerns the ability to choose one's parents. I doubt there are many people to whom this thought has not come over the course of their lives: are these two people (or, in some cases, one) the most qualified ones to bring me up? Are they even compatible with me on any level? This film intelligently avoids a too direct confrontation of this question (the parents are dead), and instead focus on the next stage of choosing the replacement. But, as I said earlier, all this becomes nearly invisible as the film entertains us with the leading actor's multiple impersonations. No doubt these impersonations are the film's raison d'être, although there are two good sequences with the chauffeur (the heist at the beginning; the gas station), a character which involves no make-up. As some critics have (too harshly) pointed out, not all the humor is top quality. I think there are more hits than misses, though.
Rating: 57 (unchanged)
A motherless nine-year-old girl loses her father and must choose the one among her screwy uncles who will be her guardian. She also has a criminal uncle who some think dead, and who has an eye on the girl's inherited fortune. Throughout this process she is taken care of by her long-time chauffeur and bodyguard.
The best films are those who have very serious themes, but have the elegance to keep that seriousness almost invisible, all the while entertaining us with its art. The Family Jewels certainly qualifies in that category. Children who are heirs to a huge amount of money is a very serious issue a sad case of which has been an item in Brazilian criminal news these days. A more central thematic aspect concerns the ability to choose one's parents. I doubt there are many people to whom this thought has not come over the course of their lives: are these two people (or, in some cases, one) the most qualified ones to bring me up? Are they even compatible with me on any level? This film intelligently avoids a too direct confrontation of this question (the parents are dead), and instead focus on the next stage of choosing the replacement. But, as I said earlier, all this becomes nearly invisible as the film entertains us with the leading actor's multiple impersonations. No doubt these impersonations are the film's raison d'être, although there are two good sequences with the chauffeur (the heist at the beginning; the gas station), a character which involves no make-up. As some critics have (too harshly) pointed out, not all the humor is top quality. I think there are more hits than misses, though.
Rating: 57 (unchanged)
Friday, May 16, 2014
I'm No Angel (1933)
Second viewing; the previous one was on December 5, 1992.
A circus performer gets involved with several men, until she finally falls in love with one of them. When she announces that she will quit the circus to get married, the circus owner is not happy.
Considerably different in style from She Done Him Wrong, released in the same year, this is the less appreciated of the two, and I too felt the same way when I watched them for the first time, many years ago. I am still willing to give that other movie my preference, but I like this one a lot better now. One of the reasons that probably affected its reputation is that it is the less acid of the two, and the one with more emphasis on character interplay. Not that it is a masterpiece of drama or anything close to that, but, as a light sexual comedy, it is not bad.
Rating: 51 (up from 34)
A circus performer gets involved with several men, until she finally falls in love with one of them. When she announces that she will quit the circus to get married, the circus owner is not happy.
Considerably different in style from She Done Him Wrong, released in the same year, this is the less appreciated of the two, and I too felt the same way when I watched them for the first time, many years ago. I am still willing to give that other movie my preference, but I like this one a lot better now. One of the reasons that probably affected its reputation is that it is the less acid of the two, and the one with more emphasis on character interplay. Not that it is a masterpiece of drama or anything close to that, but, as a light sexual comedy, it is not bad.
Rating: 51 (up from 34)
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
Le dernier métro (1980)
Second viewing; previously seen on January 10, 1988.
English title: The Last Metro.
In Paris under the Occupation, a play is being produced. The former director is Jewish and reportedly has escaped the country; in fact, he is hiding in the theater premises. His wife runs the production now, and secretly meets with him at night. His instructions regarding the staging of the play are faithfully followed, and he is able to hear the rehearsals from his hiding place. A French Nazi critic smells something funny, but despite him the production continues. They hire a new male lead whose previous experience was in the Grand Guignol; he is secretly helping the Resistance. Several petty dramas among the cast and staff are shown.
I do not have much to say about this film. I hated it on first viewing, but cannot understand the exact reasons for that early disliking. I still think the dialogue is very cliché-ridden, and the situations are at times less interesting or convincing than I would expect, but overall the film is not bad, and gives a reasonably honest and entertaining depiction of the artistic environment during World War II.
Rating: 50 (up from 29)
English title: The Last Metro.
In Paris under the Occupation, a play is being produced. The former director is Jewish and reportedly has escaped the country; in fact, he is hiding in the theater premises. His wife runs the production now, and secretly meets with him at night. His instructions regarding the staging of the play are faithfully followed, and he is able to hear the rehearsals from his hiding place. A French Nazi critic smells something funny, but despite him the production continues. They hire a new male lead whose previous experience was in the Grand Guignol; he is secretly helping the Resistance. Several petty dramas among the cast and staff are shown.
I do not have much to say about this film. I hated it on first viewing, but cannot understand the exact reasons for that early disliking. I still think the dialogue is very cliché-ridden, and the situations are at times less interesting or convincing than I would expect, but overall the film is not bad, and gives a reasonably honest and entertaining depiction of the artistic environment during World War II.
Rating: 50 (up from 29)
Monday, May 12, 2014
L'effrontée (1985)
English titles: Charlotte and Lulu; Impudent Girl; The Hussy.
Based on the novel The Member of the Wedding, by Carson McCullers, first published in 1946 (no credit is given).
Charlotte is a 13-year-old girl living with her father and her older brother in a lower middle-class neighborhood in a small French town. She lost her mother at birth, and has no interest in socializing with her school mates. Her closest friends are the house maid and a younger girl who has an unspecified chronic illness and sleeps over at her house once in a while. She meets a pianist child prodigy and develops a sort of adoration towards her. She meets a sailor on shore leave and they start a romantic relationship of sorts, although her ignorance in such matters is a problem.
Mildly interesting adaptation of the abovementioned novel, but why no credit? One person on IMDB said that only the French can make such "honest" depictions of adolescence, which Americans could never... Thus, you see that not giving credit doesn't mean just stealing one specific work, it's greater than that, it is stealing another country's cultural status. The ironic citation of The Exorcist is an intelligent touch though (troubled teenage girls as possessed beings).
Rating: 50
Based on the novel The Member of the Wedding, by Carson McCullers, first published in 1946 (no credit is given).
Charlotte is a 13-year-old girl living with her father and her older brother in a lower middle-class neighborhood in a small French town. She lost her mother at birth, and has no interest in socializing with her school mates. Her closest friends are the house maid and a younger girl who has an unspecified chronic illness and sleeps over at her house once in a while. She meets a pianist child prodigy and develops a sort of adoration towards her. She meets a sailor on shore leave and they start a romantic relationship of sorts, although her ignorance in such matters is a problem.
Mildly interesting adaptation of the abovementioned novel, but why no credit? One person on IMDB said that only the French can make such "honest" depictions of adolescence, which Americans could never... Thus, you see that not giving credit doesn't mean just stealing one specific work, it's greater than that, it is stealing another country's cultural status. The ironic citation of The Exorcist is an intelligent touch though (troubled teenage girls as possessed beings).
Rating: 50
Saturday, May 10, 2014
She Done Him Wrong (1933)
Second viewing; the previous one was on December 12, 1992.
The misadventures of a femme fatale. She is a singer in a club, and its owner's mistress. She has a soft spot for diamonds. All the guys fall for her, except the new head of the charity mission next door to the club. Her former lover is now in jail, and wouldn't like to know that she hasn't been faithful. Her present lover is also up to some criminal activities.
Early talkie, famous for the leading character's sex-charged one-liners. Although entertaining, it is somewhat harmed by the leading actress's obvious physical inadequacy for the role (she is too old, overweight, and, putting it mildly, not exceptionally pretty), which she partially makes up for with her comedic skills. It is based on a play, but the director does a good job at inserting cinematic elements, especially the street scenes at the beginning of the movie.
Rating: 52 (down from 55)
The misadventures of a femme fatale. She is a singer in a club, and its owner's mistress. She has a soft spot for diamonds. All the guys fall for her, except the new head of the charity mission next door to the club. Her former lover is now in jail, and wouldn't like to know that she hasn't been faithful. Her present lover is also up to some criminal activities.
Early talkie, famous for the leading character's sex-charged one-liners. Although entertaining, it is somewhat harmed by the leading actress's obvious physical inadequacy for the role (she is too old, overweight, and, putting it mildly, not exceptionally pretty), which she partially makes up for with her comedic skills. It is based on a play, but the director does a good job at inserting cinematic elements, especially the street scenes at the beginning of the movie.
Rating: 52 (down from 55)
Friday, May 09, 2014
Shan zha shu zhi lian (2010)
English title: Under the Hawthorn Tree
In 1970, in China, under Mao, a teenage girl is sent to the country for "reeducation". She meets a slightly older boy who is working as a land prospector in the nearby area. They fall in love, but must keep it secret on account of her young age and of political factors involving her family and, as a consequence, herself.
Well-made tear-jerker. I was reluctant to use this denominator on account of its possible negative connotation, so let me clarify that, in addition to its already mentioned competent craftsmanship, this film has an overall un-melodramatic, and even un-romantic style, provided one refers to the traditional, 19th-century meaning of romanticism. It is a celebration of pure love, in terms that would be understandable to anyone at any time in history, provided the sociopolitical background could be explained to them. Concerning that background, the film is frank and realistic, and this aspect is likely to interest politically-minded viewers, but that is not its dramatic center. All that being said, it is probably not a great film, for reasons that are hard to state in a positive way. And it is not likely to put one in a cheerful mood either, so the old advice for using one's own discretion is still the best one.
Rating: 58
In 1970, in China, under Mao, a teenage girl is sent to the country for "reeducation". She meets a slightly older boy who is working as a land prospector in the nearby area. They fall in love, but must keep it secret on account of her young age and of political factors involving her family and, as a consequence, herself.
Well-made tear-jerker. I was reluctant to use this denominator on account of its possible negative connotation, so let me clarify that, in addition to its already mentioned competent craftsmanship, this film has an overall un-melodramatic, and even un-romantic style, provided one refers to the traditional, 19th-century meaning of romanticism. It is a celebration of pure love, in terms that would be understandable to anyone at any time in history, provided the sociopolitical background could be explained to them. Concerning that background, the film is frank and realistic, and this aspect is likely to interest politically-minded viewers, but that is not its dramatic center. All that being said, it is probably not a great film, for reasons that are hard to state in a positive way. And it is not likely to put one in a cheerful mood either, so the old advice for using one's own discretion is still the best one.
Rating: 58
Thursday, May 08, 2014
Bedazzled (1967)
Second viewing, first with the original audio. Previously seen on September 21, 2001.
A humble cook at a fast-food joint is highly dissatisfied with his life, in particular with his inability to attract the attention of a fellow worker. After a desperate act, he is approached by a guy who claims to be the devil.
Comical version of the Faustian legend which is based on the relatively simple idea of the difficulty of translating our desires into precise words. It would be so obviously easier for him to simply state his wish as "I want to be happy", and yet... But the film is much more than the demonstration of a thesis, it is a visual and verbal feast of sophistication and vulgarity, and funny in either mode. An example of genius: the idea of having an effeminate man to be the incarnation of Envy. I reckon not everyone will appreciate this kind of thing (among others), which may explain why this is another of those rare cases in which I bestow a film a better rating than the average IMDB voter.
Watched in pan-and-scan.
Rating: 72 (up from 70)
A humble cook at a fast-food joint is highly dissatisfied with his life, in particular with his inability to attract the attention of a fellow worker. After a desperate act, he is approached by a guy who claims to be the devil.
Comical version of the Faustian legend which is based on the relatively simple idea of the difficulty of translating our desires into precise words. It would be so obviously easier for him to simply state his wish as "I want to be happy", and yet... But the film is much more than the demonstration of a thesis, it is a visual and verbal feast of sophistication and vulgarity, and funny in either mode. An example of genius: the idea of having an effeminate man to be the incarnation of Envy. I reckon not everyone will appreciate this kind of thing (among others), which may explain why this is another of those rare cases in which I bestow a film a better rating than the average IMDB voter.
Watched in pan-and-scan.
Rating: 72 (up from 70)
Wednesday, May 07, 2014
The Wedding March (1928)
Second viewing; first viewed between 1983 and 1986.
An impoverished aristocrat falls in love with a workig-class girl. His family arranges for him a more lucrative association.
Subtlety is not this filmmaker's forte. A lot of shots are repeated a number of times, inducing a somewhat hypnotic effect on the viewer. There is much talk of evil producers who wouldn't give the director free rein (and a blank check), but the fact is that by casting himself, a middle-aged and not so handsome man, as the romantic lead, he did more harm to his film than any producer could. All that being said, the film is not bad. It has striking imagery, and some stimulating moral realism (try not to laugh at the cruel joke the protagonist makes about the limping woman). Maybe it's the effect of the cold I'm with, but I found the plot to be anagrammatically related to Machado de Assis' Posthumous Memoirs of Bras Cubas (also published as Epitaph of a Small Winner).
Rating: 62 (unchanged)
An impoverished aristocrat falls in love with a workig-class girl. His family arranges for him a more lucrative association.
Subtlety is not this filmmaker's forte. A lot of shots are repeated a number of times, inducing a somewhat hypnotic effect on the viewer. There is much talk of evil producers who wouldn't give the director free rein (and a blank check), but the fact is that by casting himself, a middle-aged and not so handsome man, as the romantic lead, he did more harm to his film than any producer could. All that being said, the film is not bad. It has striking imagery, and some stimulating moral realism (try not to laugh at the cruel joke the protagonist makes about the limping woman). Maybe it's the effect of the cold I'm with, but I found the plot to be anagrammatically related to Machado de Assis' Posthumous Memoirs of Bras Cubas (also published as Epitaph of a Small Winner).
Rating: 62 (unchanged)
Monday, May 05, 2014
42: Forty Two Up (1998)
Alternate title (IMDb title): 42 Up
Sixth installment in the series which interviews a set of United Kingdom people every seven years.
A single sequence makes this worth viewing. Michael asks Tony whether he feels the East End has changed much, Tony answers affirmatively, saying it has become "cosmopolitan" and adds "For me, it's rather sad", and we are shown a glimpse of an East End street with the people in it, and there is no telling whether this is London or, say, Cairo. If you asked my opinion, I would say this is really rather sad, and not only for Tony; I am not even British and it is sad for me too. Apart from a few misguided souls who, at various stages of their education, received a toxic mixture of Christianism and Marxism (one such specimen may be seen right here in the Up series), and think this is all very good and well, I would be ready to bet that the majority of the English people had no desire to see their country flooded with hordes of immigrants. And yet, this came to pass in a so-called democracy. The million-dollar question is: how come? Also, how well does this speak for democracy?
It's about time I'd point out a serious mistake made by this series. Its quotation "Give me a child until he is seven and I will give you the man" is interpreted in a completely wrong way by the filmmakers (and also by at least one of the interviewees, but that was in an earlier installment). From the Breaking Spells site, one reads:
"That was the Jesuit motto, alleged to be attributed to Francis Xavier, the co-founder of the Jesuit Order. The implication is that the best opportunity to indoctrinate a person in a lifetime of belief and devotion to religious dogma is when they are young."
The meaning ascribed to it by the people who made this series is that one's personality is already fully formed by the age of seven.
Of course the latter interpretation is one of the points of interest of the show, whereas the former isn't. Or is it?
Sixth installment in the series which interviews a set of United Kingdom people every seven years.
A single sequence makes this worth viewing. Michael asks Tony whether he feels the East End has changed much, Tony answers affirmatively, saying it has become "cosmopolitan" and adds "For me, it's rather sad", and we are shown a glimpse of an East End street with the people in it, and there is no telling whether this is London or, say, Cairo. If you asked my opinion, I would say this is really rather sad, and not only for Tony; I am not even British and it is sad for me too. Apart from a few misguided souls who, at various stages of their education, received a toxic mixture of Christianism and Marxism (one such specimen may be seen right here in the Up series), and think this is all very good and well, I would be ready to bet that the majority of the English people had no desire to see their country flooded with hordes of immigrants. And yet, this came to pass in a so-called democracy. The million-dollar question is: how come? Also, how well does this speak for democracy?
It's about time I'd point out a serious mistake made by this series. Its quotation "Give me a child until he is seven and I will give you the man" is interpreted in a completely wrong way by the filmmakers (and also by at least one of the interviewees, but that was in an earlier installment). From the Breaking Spells site, one reads:
"That was the Jesuit motto, alleged to be attributed to Francis Xavier, the co-founder of the Jesuit Order. The implication is that the best opportunity to indoctrinate a person in a lifetime of belief and devotion to religious dogma is when they are young."
The meaning ascribed to it by the people who made this series is that one's personality is already fully formed by the age of seven.
Of course the latter interpretation is one of the points of interest of the show, whereas the former isn't. Or is it?
Sunday, May 04, 2014
The Way We Were (1973)
Second viewing; previously viewed somewhere between 1983 and 1986.
A leftist, working-class college girl falls in love with a colleague from the economic elite, in the 1930s. After graduation, they go to Hollywood, where he finds a job as a screenwriter. Their romance has its ups and downs, which are modulated simultaneously by their different temperaments and by the historic events which shake the US and the world.
It was hard for me to simply bypass this movie, despite all the objections I had to it. Its very shortcomings are somewhat compelling to the student of the discourse and filmmaking practices of Hollywood. According to Wikipedia, the interference of the director over the screenplay caused severe production problems, and affected the film negatively. This is ironic because it is almost exactly what happens to the male protagonist during his stay in Hollywood. The film makes a big fuss about it, but the whole thing is just unconvincing: a screenwriter knows from the get-go that he will have no power over the final product, unless of course he is also the producer. Concerning The Way We Were, I doubt that those alleged problems, which I vaguely surmised to be insufficiently developed plot points or somewhat inconsistent characters, were what really bothered me about the movie. And, to be honest, I think that, strictly as a metteur en scène, the director did a great job. The real problem for me, which I strongly suspect would still be a problem had it followed the original script faithfully, is that the film is clearly biased toward leftist values. At one specific scene at least, this becomes so blatantly obvious as to be involuntarily comical, namely, when Hubbell and J.J. are on a boat relaxing and discussing their failed marriages, and J.J. states that in his case it was not a great loss, but in Hubbell's, his ex-wife, well, that was a loss to be really regretted. Are they kidding? So, gorgeous upper-class women with a college education are not attractive as a rule, unlike, say, perhaps equally literate yet insufferably self-righteous commie loudmouthed egomaniacs? Well, I can see their point. And the film has a devious way of pretending it shows us both sides of an issue when in fact it does not. For instance, in an argument about whether or not one should testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee, the two parties disagree on several points but agree that the Committee is a violation of the First Amendment (the one regarding Free Speech), which I think is a bit of a stretch and an oversimplification of the whole issue. Anyway, I do not live in the U.S.A., and have more pressing concerns in my own country, so I prefer not to delve further into such discussions and just say that I enjoyed this film and its endearing romantic story, and hope the Katies of this world are still alive and well and very active in the defense of LBGTQ, Immigration 'Reform', the end of White Privilege, and whatever else their present concerns are.
Rating: 59 (down from 63)
A leftist, working-class college girl falls in love with a colleague from the economic elite, in the 1930s. After graduation, they go to Hollywood, where he finds a job as a screenwriter. Their romance has its ups and downs, which are modulated simultaneously by their different temperaments and by the historic events which shake the US and the world.
It was hard for me to simply bypass this movie, despite all the objections I had to it. Its very shortcomings are somewhat compelling to the student of the discourse and filmmaking practices of Hollywood. According to Wikipedia, the interference of the director over the screenplay caused severe production problems, and affected the film negatively. This is ironic because it is almost exactly what happens to the male protagonist during his stay in Hollywood. The film makes a big fuss about it, but the whole thing is just unconvincing: a screenwriter knows from the get-go that he will have no power over the final product, unless of course he is also the producer. Concerning The Way We Were, I doubt that those alleged problems, which I vaguely surmised to be insufficiently developed plot points or somewhat inconsistent characters, were what really bothered me about the movie. And, to be honest, I think that, strictly as a metteur en scène, the director did a great job. The real problem for me, which I strongly suspect would still be a problem had it followed the original script faithfully, is that the film is clearly biased toward leftist values. At one specific scene at least, this becomes so blatantly obvious as to be involuntarily comical, namely, when Hubbell and J.J. are on a boat relaxing and discussing their failed marriages, and J.J. states that in his case it was not a great loss, but in Hubbell's, his ex-wife, well, that was a loss to be really regretted. Are they kidding? So, gorgeous upper-class women with a college education are not attractive as a rule, unlike, say, perhaps equally literate yet insufferably self-righteous commie loudmouthed egomaniacs? Well, I can see their point. And the film has a devious way of pretending it shows us both sides of an issue when in fact it does not. For instance, in an argument about whether or not one should testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee, the two parties disagree on several points but agree that the Committee is a violation of the First Amendment (the one regarding Free Speech), which I think is a bit of a stretch and an oversimplification of the whole issue. Anyway, I do not live in the U.S.A., and have more pressing concerns in my own country, so I prefer not to delve further into such discussions and just say that I enjoyed this film and its endearing romantic story, and hope the Katies of this world are still alive and well and very active in the defense of LBGTQ, Immigration 'Reform', the end of White Privilege, and whatever else their present concerns are.
Rating: 59 (down from 63)
Saturday, May 03, 2014
The Island at the Top of the World (1974)
Based on the novel The Lost Ones, by Donald Gordon Payne (as Ian Cameron), first published in 1961.
A wealthy man summons a renowned archaeologist to accompany him in an expedition to the Arctic in search of the former's son, who went missing while looking for a legendary place where it was said that whales gathered to die.
Unremarkable and derivative adventure for children, which I nevertheless had to see on account of some thematic elements which I found interesting. It is from the same author of The Children (also published pseudonymously, as James Vance Marshall), later renamed Walkabout to cash in on its movie adaptation. Based on these two films, it appears that he has a consistent interest in primitive cultures, and their contrast with civilized ones (these are the thematic elements which drew me to this movie, by the way).
Rating: 34
A wealthy man summons a renowned archaeologist to accompany him in an expedition to the Arctic in search of the former's son, who went missing while looking for a legendary place where it was said that whales gathered to die.
Unremarkable and derivative adventure for children, which I nevertheless had to see on account of some thematic elements which I found interesting. It is from the same author of The Children (also published pseudonymously, as James Vance Marshall), later renamed Walkabout to cash in on its movie adaptation. Based on these two films, it appears that he has a consistent interest in primitive cultures, and their contrast with civilized ones (these are the thematic elements which drew me to this movie, by the way).
Rating: 34
Thursday, May 01, 2014
Singin' in the Rain (1952)
Second viewing at least, the previous one having occurred earlier than 1987, on a forgotten date.
In 1927, a duo of film stars have a huge fan base and a for-the-press-only romance. The coming of sound upsets the way movies were made and also the status of established silent stars. The male star in question meets a struggling actress and singer who has a much better voice than his female co-star.
This is a succession of wonderful musical numbers, and also a good comedy on the advent of sound cinema. To be fair and honest, there is not a tight thematic unity among all parts of the movie. There is just no correlation between, for example, the Charisse number and the outward plot. Therefore, you have to accept that you are watching a somewhat fragmentary work of art. By the way, this also happens in The Band Wagon, which is even more fragmentary. Singin' in the Rain is a good case against the frequent label of escapism applied to Hollywood musicals. It paints no rosy picture of reality. To begin with, even though it ends in a positive way, it has no classical happy ending. Its romantic climax occurs at midmovie, and, more important, the ending is consistent with a zero-sum game worldview: one person's gain is necessarily another's loss. Hagen's character, the big loser here, has few really hateable characteristics, especially when one considers that in real life Reynolds herself had at least some of her songs dubbed by a professional singer. Another aspect which is a mild downer for me is that O'Connor plays a character which is a bit like himself in real life: the guy struggled all his life to have the recognition he deserved. And the irony of ironies is that some years later he would star in a biopic about the most tragic casualty of the advent of sound. Come to think of it, I wonder if the Make 'Em Laugh number is not some sort of conscience appeasement on the part of the filmmakers.
Rating: 88 (down from 95)
In 1927, a duo of film stars have a huge fan base and a for-the-press-only romance. The coming of sound upsets the way movies were made and also the status of established silent stars. The male star in question meets a struggling actress and singer who has a much better voice than his female co-star.
This is a succession of wonderful musical numbers, and also a good comedy on the advent of sound cinema. To be fair and honest, there is not a tight thematic unity among all parts of the movie. There is just no correlation between, for example, the Charisse number and the outward plot. Therefore, you have to accept that you are watching a somewhat fragmentary work of art. By the way, this also happens in The Band Wagon, which is even more fragmentary. Singin' in the Rain is a good case against the frequent label of escapism applied to Hollywood musicals. It paints no rosy picture of reality. To begin with, even though it ends in a positive way, it has no classical happy ending. Its romantic climax occurs at midmovie, and, more important, the ending is consistent with a zero-sum game worldview: one person's gain is necessarily another's loss. Hagen's character, the big loser here, has few really hateable characteristics, especially when one considers that in real life Reynolds herself had at least some of her songs dubbed by a professional singer. Another aspect which is a mild downer for me is that O'Connor plays a character which is a bit like himself in real life: the guy struggled all his life to have the recognition he deserved. And the irony of ironies is that some years later he would star in a biopic about the most tragic casualty of the advent of sound. Come to think of it, I wonder if the Make 'Em Laugh number is not some sort of conscience appeasement on the part of the filmmakers.
Rating: 88 (down from 95)
The Eagle Has Landed (1976)
Second viewing, sort of; my first viewing, on June 3, 1997, missed the beginning of the movie, if I recall it correctly.
In 1943, Hitler has the idea of kidnapping Churchill. His officers are initially pessimistic about the viability of such a project, but a favorable set of circumstances presents itself, and they decide to do it.
World War II has become a mythology, one which of course has everything to do with who won it, and I honestly cannot be sure I have ever seen anything which could be called a realistic depiction of it. This film appeared at a time when Nazis no longer had to be portrayed as supernatural devils. It is an entertaining fiction, with lots of action. It has some humor too, but that aspect didn't always work for me. I saw the shorter TV version, which leaves much to be desired in terms of plot comprehensibility and proper development.
Saw it in pan-and-scan.
Rating: 50 (I didn't rate it exactly the previous time I saw it, only gave it a coarser rating between 10 and 30).
In 1943, Hitler has the idea of kidnapping Churchill. His officers are initially pessimistic about the viability of such a project, but a favorable set of circumstances presents itself, and they decide to do it.
World War II has become a mythology, one which of course has everything to do with who won it, and I honestly cannot be sure I have ever seen anything which could be called a realistic depiction of it. This film appeared at a time when Nazis no longer had to be portrayed as supernatural devils. It is an entertaining fiction, with lots of action. It has some humor too, but that aspect didn't always work for me. I saw the shorter TV version, which leaves much to be desired in terms of plot comprehensibility and proper development.
Saw it in pan-and-scan.
Rating: 50 (I didn't rate it exactly the previous time I saw it, only gave it a coarser rating between 10 and 30).
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