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)
Sunday, May 25, 2014
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).
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
House of Frankenstein (1944)
A scientist escapes from prison along with another inmate, a hunchback who becomes his faithful assistant. The scientist's imprisonment was due to his scientific work, which was very much in the line of Dr. Frankenstein's. Now his goal is to avenge himself of the men who were responsible for his incarceration. They encounter a traveling carnival show who has among its attractions the skeleton of Count Dracula.
Completely insane in a self-parodic manner that reveals the decadence of the horror genre as it was made at Universal at that time (RKO was quite strong though). The hunchback assistant was to go into Young Frankenstein a few decades later. Apart from the fine cinematography, typical of Hollywood films at that time, it seems, and the mild ludicrousness of its conceptions, there is little to justify viewing it.
Rating: 32
Completely insane in a self-parodic manner that reveals the decadence of the horror genre as it was made at Universal at that time (RKO was quite strong though). The hunchback assistant was to go into Young Frankenstein a few decades later. Apart from the fine cinematography, typical of Hollywood films at that time, it seems, and the mild ludicrousness of its conceptions, there is little to justify viewing it.
Rating: 32
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
20000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)
Second viewing, probably; I do not remember when I saw it for the first time, but it was surely before 1987, and probably before 1983.
Based on the novel Vingt mille lieues sous les mers, by Jules Verne, first published in 1870.
A mysterious entity, generally thought to be a monster, is wrecking ships at sea in the late 19th century. A search expedition is assembled, led by a scientist. They eventually find what they think is the monster, and attack it, causing damage to their own ship. All those in it fall into the sea, and the scientist and his assistant, as well as a member of the ship's crew, are rescued by a submarine under a mysterious captain.
Being a Disney production, there are some touches aimed at the kid audience, mostly involving a seal. I do not remember the novel well, but apparently the pacifist motif is an invention of the movie, and an interesting one at that. It is also a bit problematic, because it lends Nemo some contradictory aspects, his pacifism belying his purported lack of humanity. Also, he seems to abhor both the American Civil War and slavery; in other words he wants to have his cake and eat it too. Of course, the trivial answer to this would be that he is mad, but I think he reflects the general mental confusion of many people in the time of the movie and in ours. Anyway, this is an entertaining adventure, with fine actors and some nice visuals. As a curiosity, I point out the influence on the Dr. Phibes' movies: both Phibes and Nemo are avenging their respective wives' deaths, and both play Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D Minor on the organ.
Rating: 54 (unchanged)
Based on the novel Vingt mille lieues sous les mers, by Jules Verne, first published in 1870.
A mysterious entity, generally thought to be a monster, is wrecking ships at sea in the late 19th century. A search expedition is assembled, led by a scientist. They eventually find what they think is the monster, and attack it, causing damage to their own ship. All those in it fall into the sea, and the scientist and his assistant, as well as a member of the ship's crew, are rescued by a submarine under a mysterious captain.
Being a Disney production, there are some touches aimed at the kid audience, mostly involving a seal. I do not remember the novel well, but apparently the pacifist motif is an invention of the movie, and an interesting one at that. It is also a bit problematic, because it lends Nemo some contradictory aspects, his pacifism belying his purported lack of humanity. Also, he seems to abhor both the American Civil War and slavery; in other words he wants to have his cake and eat it too. Of course, the trivial answer to this would be that he is mad, but I think he reflects the general mental confusion of many people in the time of the movie and in ours. Anyway, this is an entertaining adventure, with fine actors and some nice visuals. As a curiosity, I point out the influence on the Dr. Phibes' movies: both Phibes and Nemo are avenging their respective wives' deaths, and both play Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D Minor on the organ.
Rating: 54 (unchanged)
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Amarcord (1973)
Second viewing; the first one was on October 14, 1991.
A year in the life of a small Italian village in the Emilia-Romagna region, in the 1930s. The movie has a sort of center in 'Tita', a teenage boy. Another important character is 'Gradisca', a forty-ish unmarried woman who is the object of desire of practically the entire male population in that town.
What first struck me in this second viewing was the prodigiously precise mise en scène, and the flawlessness of form in general. Secondly, I was pleased by how sentimentality is never given a free rein. Overall this is a beautiful chronicle, solidly anchored in history but always looking for the poetic side of events.
Rating: 72 (up from 67)
A year in the life of a small Italian village in the Emilia-Romagna region, in the 1930s. The movie has a sort of center in 'Tita', a teenage boy. Another important character is 'Gradisca', a forty-ish unmarried woman who is the object of desire of practically the entire male population in that town.
What first struck me in this second viewing was the prodigiously precise mise en scène, and the flawlessness of form in general. Secondly, I was pleased by how sentimentality is never given a free rein. Overall this is a beautiful chronicle, solidly anchored in history but always looking for the poetic side of events.
Rating: 72 (up from 67)
Saturday, April 26, 2014
Såsom i en spegel (1961)
English title: Through a Glass Darkly.
Accurate translation of the original title: As in a Mirror.
A schizophrenic woman is released from a clinic after undergoing treatment and goes to live with her husband, her father, and her younger brother in a deserted island.
What a wonderful idea for a recovering psychiatric patient, to live in a deserted island with her horny teenage brother, her father who had abandoned her when she most needed her, and her caring but feckless husband. Well, that may not be very sound medicine but it makes for a reasonably entertaining drama, albeit one which fills in with dialogue wherever anything beyond the possibilities of its minuscule budget is to be depicted. Some similarly-minded horror films were made, mainly in England, mainly in the sixties, but they relied on images rather than words (needless to say, those films were scorned by critics whereas this one was and still is praised to the heavens). Anyway, what I gathered from this heavily Freudian concoction is that the word 'love' and its two distinct meanings (Eros on one side, which is based on desire and is therefore involuntary; Agape on the other, which is voluntary and based on social or religious constraints) are often confused as a single entity, with positive consequences (e.g. it binds husband and wife together even after desire fades away) and negative ones (e.g. general mental confusion). The title deserves some remarks. As is seen on the top of this entry, the English title is not exactly the same as the Swedish one, due, I think, to a difference in the translations of the biblical verse it is based on (the director mentions in an interview that ancient mirrors were made of bronze and the background of the image were blurry, the accuracy and explaining power of which I cannot vouch for). What is most curious, though, is that in Brazil the release title was a blend of the English and Swedish ones, "Through a Looking Glass", which is funny because it establishes a parallel between 'Karin' and that famous character by Lewis Carroll.
Rating: 51
Accurate translation of the original title: As in a Mirror.
A schizophrenic woman is released from a clinic after undergoing treatment and goes to live with her husband, her father, and her younger brother in a deserted island.
What a wonderful idea for a recovering psychiatric patient, to live in a deserted island with her horny teenage brother, her father who had abandoned her when she most needed her, and her caring but feckless husband. Well, that may not be very sound medicine but it makes for a reasonably entertaining drama, albeit one which fills in with dialogue wherever anything beyond the possibilities of its minuscule budget is to be depicted. Some similarly-minded horror films were made, mainly in England, mainly in the sixties, but they relied on images rather than words (needless to say, those films were scorned by critics whereas this one was and still is praised to the heavens). Anyway, what I gathered from this heavily Freudian concoction is that the word 'love' and its two distinct meanings (Eros on one side, which is based on desire and is therefore involuntary; Agape on the other, which is voluntary and based on social or religious constraints) are often confused as a single entity, with positive consequences (e.g. it binds husband and wife together even after desire fades away) and negative ones (e.g. general mental confusion). The title deserves some remarks. As is seen on the top of this entry, the English title is not exactly the same as the Swedish one, due, I think, to a difference in the translations of the biblical verse it is based on (the director mentions in an interview that ancient mirrors were made of bronze and the background of the image were blurry, the accuracy and explaining power of which I cannot vouch for). What is most curious, though, is that in Brazil the release title was a blend of the English and Swedish ones, "Through a Looking Glass", which is funny because it establishes a parallel between 'Karin' and that famous character by Lewis Carroll.
Rating: 51
Thursday, April 24, 2014
Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
Second viewing; the first one was in October or November of 1984.
Based on the novel The Hoods, by Herschel Goldberg (as Harry Grey), first published in 1952.
The story of four friends growing up in New York City during the 1920s, then becoming gangsters during Prohibition. Another section set in the 1960s is interspersed with the earlier time frame.
An imperfect film, but a strong one. The tone is clearly pulpish, and very Italian in style. Maybe it has to do with a taste for the grotesque, which seems to be alien to Anglo-Saxon sensibilities. It is hard for me to make a strictly rational sense of the movie in all its details. I think the basic point is how when you are a child there is a purity of emotion that gets screwed in a thousand ways as you grow old. A psychoanalytical interpretation wouldn't be too off, 'Max' perhaps being a pure Id version of 'Noodles', a la Jekyll and Hyde. I misinterpreted the ending on both viewings, and even the IMDb FAQ gets it wrong, in my opinion (the 'contract on Noodles' hypothesis seems very far-fetched). After I read a statement from a Leone interview I think I got it right (it is supposed to be a murder, not a suicide). But this is not clear on the screen, so I suppose anyone may think what he pleases.
Rating: 71 (up from 69)
Based on the novel The Hoods, by Herschel Goldberg (as Harry Grey), first published in 1952.
The story of four friends growing up in New York City during the 1920s, then becoming gangsters during Prohibition. Another section set in the 1960s is interspersed with the earlier time frame.
An imperfect film, but a strong one. The tone is clearly pulpish, and very Italian in style. Maybe it has to do with a taste for the grotesque, which seems to be alien to Anglo-Saxon sensibilities. It is hard for me to make a strictly rational sense of the movie in all its details. I think the basic point is how when you are a child there is a purity of emotion that gets screwed in a thousand ways as you grow old. A psychoanalytical interpretation wouldn't be too off, 'Max' perhaps being a pure Id version of 'Noodles', a la Jekyll and Hyde. I misinterpreted the ending on both viewings, and even the IMDb FAQ gets it wrong, in my opinion (the 'contract on Noodles' hypothesis seems very far-fetched). After I read a statement from a Leone interview I think I got it right (it is supposed to be a murder, not a suicide). But this is not clear on the screen, so I suppose anyone may think what he pleases.
Rating: 71 (up from 69)
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
The World Moves On (1934)
Drama which deals with a multinational conglomerate whose heads are all members of the same family; some of them become enemies when World War One breaks out.
A weird film, which sort of proves a personal theorem of mine, stating that the quality of a film is often closely related to the amenability of its story to fit an acceptable duration, given the market constraints. Here, it is obvious that this amenability does not happen, and the film feels like it has huge chunks of character development and plot altogether missing. Apart from that, there are other problems with the film that are screenplay-related and happen mostly in the last section; particularly unsavory is the bombastic behavior which is ascribed to character 'Richard'; the final appeal to religion is a bit awkward too, and, at least as viewed today, does not seem integral to the drama. But the film is not a total loss: it is lucid in its assessment of the post-WWI zeitgeist, and now we know that its worst fears became tragic reality in subsequent years; also, it is technically well-made, especially the battlefield sequences.
Rating: 37
A weird film, which sort of proves a personal theorem of mine, stating that the quality of a film is often closely related to the amenability of its story to fit an acceptable duration, given the market constraints. Here, it is obvious that this amenability does not happen, and the film feels like it has huge chunks of character development and plot altogether missing. Apart from that, there are other problems with the film that are screenplay-related and happen mostly in the last section; particularly unsavory is the bombastic behavior which is ascribed to character 'Richard'; the final appeal to religion is a bit awkward too, and, at least as viewed today, does not seem integral to the drama. But the film is not a total loss: it is lucid in its assessment of the post-WWI zeitgeist, and now we know that its worst fears became tragic reality in subsequent years; also, it is technically well-made, especially the battlefield sequences.
Rating: 37
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
35 Up (1991)
The Up series, continued. No huge surprises in this one, except one that concerns an absentee. One reads on the IMDB page, at the Frequently Asked Questions section (this was published 4 years ago, before 56 Up (2012) was made):
*quote* Peter criticised Thatcher's government in 28 Up and lost his teaching job after a tabloid media campaign; he did not appear in any more "Up" films. *unquote* .
(Observation inserted on May 30, 2014: Peter appeared on 56 Up and stated that his leaving the teaching profession had nothing to do with the tabloids, it was his decision entirely.)
Jackie and Sue and their new respective developments were the most interesting things in this installment, in my opinion. I will not comment further, except that, well, they just made me think.
This movie made the Dale Thomajan top ten lists, the second and last time an Up movie did.
*quote* Peter criticised Thatcher's government in 28 Up and lost his teaching job after a tabloid media campaign; he did not appear in any more "Up" films. *unquote* .
(Observation inserted on May 30, 2014: Peter appeared on 56 Up and stated that his leaving the teaching profession had nothing to do with the tabloids, it was his decision entirely.)
Jackie and Sue and their new respective developments were the most interesting things in this installment, in my opinion. I will not comment further, except that, well, they just made me think.
This movie made the Dale Thomajan top ten lists, the second and last time an Up movie did.
Sunday, April 20, 2014
The Gilded Lily (1935)
A young working-class woman is best friends with a reporter who is in love with her. She falls in love with a man she meets by accident, unaware that he is a wealthy member of English nobility. A series of misunderstandings interrupt their love affair, while at the same time conferring her celebrity status.
This is what is usually described as "fluff", or, even more deprecatingly, "pap". It is not that the screenwriter, director, and actors are not all geniuses. They are, but did these people have any power over a movie in 1930s Hollywood? The writer is given a very silly story to develop (cashing in on the success of It Happened One Night, reportedly), the director films it to perfection, and the actors play it superbly. But it all started as pap, and the finished product cannot be anything but pap.
Rating: 32
This is what is usually described as "fluff", or, even more deprecatingly, "pap". It is not that the screenwriter, director, and actors are not all geniuses. They are, but did these people have any power over a movie in 1930s Hollywood? The writer is given a very silly story to develop (cashing in on the success of It Happened One Night, reportedly), the director films it to perfection, and the actors play it superbly. But it all started as pap, and the finished product cannot be anything but pap.
Rating: 32
Saturday, April 19, 2014
Insomnia (1997)
In a Norwegian region where daylight is constant, the brutal murder of a teenage woman defies the local police. They sent for a Swedish expert to lead the investigation. He sets a trap for the criminal but makes a deadly mistake during an operation to catch him.
Intelligently plotted and competently directed criminal thriller. Crime as a result of mental confusion is the central theme; the sun has a central role (cp. Camus' The Stranger). There is still enough of a moral distinction between the hunter (policeman) and the hunted (novelist), but the film's point is that the policeman's mental mechanism is hardly distinguishable from the novelist's. The central performance is excellent. I found this version preferrable over the remake, which is also good.
Rating: 68
Intelligently plotted and competently directed criminal thriller. Crime as a result of mental confusion is the central theme; the sun has a central role (cp. Camus' The Stranger). There is still enough of a moral distinction between the hunter (policeman) and the hunted (novelist), but the film's point is that the policeman's mental mechanism is hardly distinguishable from the novelist's. The central performance is excellent. I found this version preferrable over the remake, which is also good.
Rating: 68
Friday, April 18, 2014
Abrir puertas y ventanas (2011)
Literal translation for the title: Open the Doors and the Windows
English distribution title: Back to Stay
Three student sisters in their early twenties (apparently) are living together in their recently deceased grandmother's house. Sofía is bossy and a bit devious; Marina seems to do all the house work and to be more emotionally honest than the others; Violeta is extremely lazy.
A psychological study where nothing much happens in the way of a plot. It is very well acted and seems to have some insight into how young women act and relate to one another. Another decent Argentinean movie written and directed by a woman (Mumenthaler), amongst several that have appeared in recent times (Galardi, Martel, Murga).
Rating: 61
English distribution title: Back to Stay
Three student sisters in their early twenties (apparently) are living together in their recently deceased grandmother's house. Sofía is bossy and a bit devious; Marina seems to do all the house work and to be more emotionally honest than the others; Violeta is extremely lazy.
A psychological study where nothing much happens in the way of a plot. It is very well acted and seems to have some insight into how young women act and relate to one another. Another decent Argentinean movie written and directed by a woman (Mumenthaler), amongst several that have appeared in recent times (Galardi, Martel, Murga).
Rating: 61
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Une chambre en ville (1982)
English title: A Room in Town
Mme. Langlois is a widow living in Nantes in 1955. Guilbaud is a factory worker who rents a room at Mme. Langlois' apartment. He has a girlfriend who loves him very much. Mme. Langlois has a daughter named Édith who got married recently to a man she does not love. He is jealous and violent. One day, Guilbaud and Édith meet by chance. Did I mention that there is a strike going on, and that's the reason Guilbaud has so much time in his hands?
Sung-through melodrama with no songs, only recitatives. Those who consider the working class and its organized movements through a romantic prism may find this entertaining or even enthralling. Those with a pathological aversion to the spoken word may be in for a treat, too. I am afraid there is little of interest for the rest of mankind, although, to be fair, it is not badly done within its own rather peculiar (and mysterious) constraints.
Rating: 30
Mme. Langlois is a widow living in Nantes in 1955. Guilbaud is a factory worker who rents a room at Mme. Langlois' apartment. He has a girlfriend who loves him very much. Mme. Langlois has a daughter named Édith who got married recently to a man she does not love. He is jealous and violent. One day, Guilbaud and Édith meet by chance. Did I mention that there is a strike going on, and that's the reason Guilbaud has so much time in his hands?
Sung-through melodrama with no songs, only recitatives. Those who consider the working class and its organized movements through a romantic prism may find this entertaining or even enthralling. Those with a pathological aversion to the spoken word may be in for a treat, too. I am afraid there is little of interest for the rest of mankind, although, to be fair, it is not badly done within its own rather peculiar (and mysterious) constraints.
Rating: 30
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
Le beau Serge (1958)
English titles: Handsome Serge; Bitter Reunion.
A young man in his early twenties returns to his home town after an absence of many years. He plans to spend the winter there and convalesce from an illness. He reencounters his childhood friend, now a married man and also a bitter alcoholic.
Interesting study of provincial life. The script, or what of it made it to the final cut, is a little reticent about many aspects concerning the characters and incidents, leaving it for the viewer to fill in with his imagination. The drama develops into a more or less traditional tale of redemption or sublimation or whatever else one may think is the case here.
Rating: 52
A young man in his early twenties returns to his home town after an absence of many years. He plans to spend the winter there and convalesce from an illness. He reencounters his childhood friend, now a married man and also a bitter alcoholic.
Interesting study of provincial life. The script, or what of it made it to the final cut, is a little reticent about many aspects concerning the characters and incidents, leaving it for the viewer to fill in with his imagination. The drama develops into a more or less traditional tale of redemption or sublimation or whatever else one may think is the case here.
Rating: 52
Monday, April 14, 2014
Jacquot de Nantes (1991)
U.S. title: Jacquot.
Based on the memoirs by Jacques Demy (b. 1931- d. 1990).
Jacquot is a boy growing up in Nantes, the son of a garage owner and a hairdresser. He is a happy child who loves songs and films. The Occupation disturbs his family life, but, despite all the incidents (including two allied bombings), Jacquot and his family come out unscathed (his statement that they have instilled in him a horror of violence seems insincere or self-deceptive). As a teenager, Jacquot develops a love for cinema. He buys an old camera and starts making stop-motion animations. His father does not regard filmmaking as a suitable career and forces him to attend technical school instead. He goes through a troubled and frustrated period until, finally, the support from a filmmaker visiting Nantes grants him a shot at following his aspirations.
This is a fairly banal biographical drama (interspersed with a few apparitions of the real Demy at the time of filming), but it is very well made and I saw myself watching it painlessly all the way through. To be honest, I do not think the kind of "popular culture"-oriented life led by the protagonist is very healthy. Anyway, certain people seem to adapt better to it than I ever could.
Rating: 50
Based on the memoirs by Jacques Demy (b. 1931- d. 1990).
Jacquot is a boy growing up in Nantes, the son of a garage owner and a hairdresser. He is a happy child who loves songs and films. The Occupation disturbs his family life, but, despite all the incidents (including two allied bombings), Jacquot and his family come out unscathed (his statement that they have instilled in him a horror of violence seems insincere or self-deceptive). As a teenager, Jacquot develops a love for cinema. He buys an old camera and starts making stop-motion animations. His father does not regard filmmaking as a suitable career and forces him to attend technical school instead. He goes through a troubled and frustrated period until, finally, the support from a filmmaker visiting Nantes grants him a shot at following his aspirations.
This is a fairly banal biographical drama (interspersed with a few apparitions of the real Demy at the time of filming), but it is very well made and I saw myself watching it painlessly all the way through. To be honest, I do not think the kind of "popular culture"-oriented life led by the protagonist is very healthy. Anyway, certain people seem to adapt better to it than I ever could.
Rating: 50
Saturday, April 12, 2014
28 Up (1984)
Upwards goes the On series, sorry, onwards goes the Up series, this time with the subjects at 28. This seems to be a sort of summit in the progression, though of course I may realize I am wrong when I watch the next installments. Anyway it is certainly an important point, a key point perhaps. Already there are two defections, which I regret. The filmmaker/interviewer comes out (I am not sure whether this is in stock footage from the previous installment, or in new one) as to the purpose of the series (among others, I suppose) being the study of social mobility, or, rather, the lack thereof. As I have been saying, he has the same (irritating) effect on me as most leftist types do, so, based on that, I have to assume he is a leftist. And it is leftists who are generally trying to prove there is little mobility and the government should boost it. But what if there is no way of boosting it? I have recently come across an article which reviews a book which seems to be saying precisely that. And I think this film (and the whole series) are precious evidence to that, if you analyze it carefully. You may argue that this isn't a statistically relevant sample, but then neither is it for the opposing, leftist view. I do think, at any rate, that this is an exceptionally interesting film in a, so far, exceptionally interesting series, and I can't wait to see the next one. Before I do, let me just point out that, when Neil speaks of an "impersonal society" referring to, if I recall correctly, the London suburbs, his definition fits our present-day society pretty much in its entirety with a vengeance, and the question should be, who is responsible for that? Who profits from that?
This film is number ten in critic Dale Thomajan's picks for 1985. This is probably what drew me in the first place towards this series, as, based on the films I have watched amongst his choices, he seems to be very reliable (he also has written a few books, amongst them an interesting compilation of film quotations called Great Movie Lines). His top ten lists can be read here.
This film is number ten in critic Dale Thomajan's picks for 1985. This is probably what drew me in the first place towards this series, as, based on the films I have watched amongst his choices, he seems to be very reliable (he also has written a few books, amongst them an interesting compilation of film quotations called Great Movie Lines). His top ten lists can be read here.
Hell Up in Harlem (1973)
Sequel to Black Caesar. Tommy recovers from his wounds, recruits his father as an underling, puts the D.A. under control, gets a new girlfriend, and is betrayed by his ambitious second-in-command.
Crude filmmaking is the rule here. The script (assuming there was one) has a certain level of intelligence, and the film is eventful, but the poorness of the execution makes it unequivocally dull.
Rating: 31
Crude filmmaking is the rule here. The script (assuming there was one) has a certain level of intelligence, and the film is eventful, but the poorness of the execution makes it unequivocally dull.
Rating: 31
Friday, April 11, 2014
The Legend of Billie Jean (1985)
Based on the novella Michael Kohlhaas, by Heinrich von Kleist, first published in complete form in 1810 (which in turn was based on a 16th century real event). There is no credit for this in the film, though.
A young woman (the titular character) and her teenage brother are harassed by a young man and his gang, who steal her motor scooter and damage it. She demands financial compensation from the boy's shop owner father, but is sexually harassed instead. Her brother picks a gun from the shop's cash register and, after an altercation, shoots at the owner. Billie and her brother, plus two other teenage girls, flee in a borrowed car, and are pursued by the police.
This is an absolutely ridiculous film, and yet I can't say it hasn't its share of entertainment value in the form of self-parody. It is also an early example of a now prevalent trend that seeks the emasculation of America, in fact, of the civilized world as a whole (I counted three hits on a male character's testicles throughout the film!).
Rating: 30
A young woman (the titular character) and her teenage brother are harassed by a young man and his gang, who steal her motor scooter and damage it. She demands financial compensation from the boy's shop owner father, but is sexually harassed instead. Her brother picks a gun from the shop's cash register and, after an altercation, shoots at the owner. Billie and her brother, plus two other teenage girls, flee in a borrowed car, and are pursued by the police.
This is an absolutely ridiculous film, and yet I can't say it hasn't its share of entertainment value in the form of self-parody. It is also an early example of a now prevalent trend that seeks the emasculation of America, in fact, of the civilized world as a whole (I counted three hits on a male character's testicles throughout the film!).
Rating: 30
Thursday, April 10, 2014
Dead Birds (1963)
Ethnographic documentary about a people in New Guinea. I enjoyed it quite a bit.
Read the Wikipedia page about it.
Read also this review by Kevin Kelly.
This film's sound recordist was a Rockefeller. Read this article on rumors about his death.
Read the Wikipedia page about it.
Read also this review by Kevin Kelly.
This film's sound recordist was a Rockefeller. Read this article on rumors about his death.
Wednesday, April 09, 2014
21 (1977)
Alternate title (Internet Movie Database): 21 Up.
Third installment of the series of documentaries which every 7 years interviews the same set of British boys and girls. Not much to comment upon that would be significantly different from my comments to the previous installments. You can see my presumption of a certain "liberal" (in American terminology) bias on the filmmaker were to a certain extent addressed by one of the boys, who pointed out that the previous installments led one to believe (wrongly) that the rich kids' life were all privilege and no personal effort.
Third installment of the series of documentaries which every 7 years interviews the same set of British boys and girls. Not much to comment upon that would be significantly different from my comments to the previous installments. You can see my presumption of a certain "liberal" (in American terminology) bias on the filmmaker were to a certain extent addressed by one of the boys, who pointed out that the previous installments led one to believe (wrongly) that the rich kids' life were all privilege and no personal effort.
Tuesday, April 08, 2014
The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957)
Second viewing; the first one was on April 9, 1991.
A man is exposed to radiation while vacationing with his wife in a boat out on the sea. Some months later, another exposure triggers a process of decrease in his bodily size. He experiences serious psychological problems as well as physical dangers associated with his new condition.
I will, for once, decline from commenting on this movie, which I liked a lot, the same as I did the first time I saw it. It so happens, in this particular case, that I wholly agree with most people who liked it, and in the user review section of IMDb there are wonderful reviews to which I do not think I could add anything of interest. That is, apart from the fact that it bears a passing resemblance to Kafka's The Metamorphosis (lots of people noticed that, too).
Rating: 71
A man is exposed to radiation while vacationing with his wife in a boat out on the sea. Some months later, another exposure triggers a process of decrease in his bodily size. He experiences serious psychological problems as well as physical dangers associated with his new condition.
I will, for once, decline from commenting on this movie, which I liked a lot, the same as I did the first time I saw it. It so happens, in this particular case, that I wholly agree with most people who liked it, and in the user review section of IMDb there are wonderful reviews to which I do not think I could add anything of interest. That is, apart from the fact that it bears a passing resemblance to Kafka's The Metamorphosis (lots of people noticed that, too).
Rating: 71
Monday, April 07, 2014
L'horloger de Saint-Paul (1974)
U.S. title: The Clockmaker.
Based on the 1954 novel L'horloger d'Everton, by Georges Simenon.
A man learns from the police that his son committed a murder. The victim was a security guard (or floor manager, I am not sure) at the factory where the young man's girlfriend (and apparent accomplice) worked. The two criminals' whereabouts are unknown.
The plot of this psychological drama is comprised basically of a lot of bullshit and mysteries which remain partly unsolved. To be fair, much of the film can still be endured (and, occasionally, even enjoyed) regardless of that, as it concerns the problems of a middle-aged man who questions his role as a father (and as a citizen, perhaps, though this is part of the bullshit). The excellent central performance is key to that enjoyment, and, to yield to a cliché, carries the film. One of the thematic aspects concerns the problem of excessive liberalism in education producing disoriented kids, which the filmmaker would tackle again in L'appât, again, in my opinion, without great success. In The Clockmaker, politics fogs the issue a little, perhaps, and I honestly cannot make head or tail of the protagonist's stance in court, which seems to me more of the same attitude he had in the past, only radicalized.
Rating: 41
Based on the 1954 novel L'horloger d'Everton, by Georges Simenon.
A man learns from the police that his son committed a murder. The victim was a security guard (or floor manager, I am not sure) at the factory where the young man's girlfriend (and apparent accomplice) worked. The two criminals' whereabouts are unknown.
The plot of this psychological drama is comprised basically of a lot of bullshit and mysteries which remain partly unsolved. To be fair, much of the film can still be endured (and, occasionally, even enjoyed) regardless of that, as it concerns the problems of a middle-aged man who questions his role as a father (and as a citizen, perhaps, though this is part of the bullshit). The excellent central performance is key to that enjoyment, and, to yield to a cliché, carries the film. One of the thematic aspects concerns the problem of excessive liberalism in education producing disoriented kids, which the filmmaker would tackle again in L'appât, again, in my opinion, without great success. In The Clockmaker, politics fogs the issue a little, perhaps, and I honestly cannot make head or tail of the protagonist's stance in court, which seems to me more of the same attitude he had in the past, only radicalized.
Rating: 41
Saturday, April 05, 2014
It Came from Outer Space (1953)
An object collides with the Earth in the Arizona desert and is at first thought to be a meteorite, but actually is an alien spaceship. An amateur astronomer investigates the incident with the help of his girlfriend and, later on, other townspeople.
Insipid sci-fi, with little to recommend it aside from the musical score. A few scenes are kind of cool, such as the monster's eye glowing in the dark, and the rock avalanche, but overall the film's suspense level is low due to the fact that we suspect early on that the aliens are on the level and mean no harm. These are, by the way, the best kind of aliens: they do not stay here longer than necessary, destroy very little, and did not come here to preach anything. The downside is that they're simply not fun. The film seemed badly filmed to me, in the sense that, at times, the takes follow one another in a poorly designed fashion. For instance, when the protagonist first inspects the landing site, I was at first under the impression that there was another person there, an alien possibly; after I watched it a second time, I realized it was always the same guy, who was filmed first facing the camera and then from behind at a much larger distance. Anyway, most people praised the direction, so these perceptions of mine must be faulty, somehow.
Rating: 32
Insipid sci-fi, with little to recommend it aside from the musical score. A few scenes are kind of cool, such as the monster's eye glowing in the dark, and the rock avalanche, but overall the film's suspense level is low due to the fact that we suspect early on that the aliens are on the level and mean no harm. These are, by the way, the best kind of aliens: they do not stay here longer than necessary, destroy very little, and did not come here to preach anything. The downside is that they're simply not fun. The film seemed badly filmed to me, in the sense that, at times, the takes follow one another in a poorly designed fashion. For instance, when the protagonist first inspects the landing site, I was at first under the impression that there was another person there, an alien possibly; after I watched it a second time, I realized it was always the same guy, who was filmed first facing the camera and then from behind at a much larger distance. Anyway, most people praised the direction, so these perceptions of mine must be faulty, somehow.
Rating: 32
Junior (1994)
Two male medical researchers are trying to get a fertility drug approved. When they get a "no" from the FDA, they come up with the bold idea of testing the drug on one of them and then submitting the results to a prospective buyer.
Again, what seemed to be a rare event is becoming alarmingly frequent: I like a film more than the IMDb average voter. And I find it odd that this film has so few user reviews. One would think it is a real stinker, and it is not. The artistry of the writers and of the director shows in several occasions, especially in the first half of the movie, which plays out as a sophisticated comedy. The second half is worse, and admittedly overindulges in trite "drag" humor. The overall theme of the movie, however, is the very relevant issue of medicine for profit. The movie has found a funny way to show that some (I am being conservative here) people in the medical world will do anything for money.
Rating: 50
Wednesday, April 02, 2014
Knight and Day (2010)
A woman boards the same plane as a rogue agent who is in possession of a new invention and is on the run from his employers who are trying to recover the device. She gets mixed-up in this war, under the rogue agent's protection. They all go after the scientist who created the coveted device and a frantic cat-and-dog chase ensues.
Action thriller with a tongue-in-cheek attitude towards the genre. As the old expression goes, there is never a dull moment in it. I enjoyed it more than the average IMDb voter, an unusual occurrence. The only criticisms I have to offer concern the weird title and the awful song which plays during the end credits. I would probably have passed this film up had I not come across French critic Jean-Sébastien Chauvin's top ten list for 2010 in Cahiers du cinéma.
Rating: 68
Action thriller with a tongue-in-cheek attitude towards the genre. As the old expression goes, there is never a dull moment in it. I enjoyed it more than the average IMDb voter, an unusual occurrence. The only criticisms I have to offer concern the weird title and the awful song which plays during the end credits. I would probably have passed this film up had I not come across French critic Jean-Sébastien Chauvin's top ten list for 2010 in Cahiers du cinéma.
Rating: 68
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Darling Lili (1970)
Second viewing; first viewed on July 17, 1993.
During World War One, an English singer acts as a German spy. She is assigned with extracting military secrets from an ally flyer.
Here's a case of a good script (except for the absurd ending) which is made into a not so good film, reportedly because of producer's interference (I read that S.O.B., by the same director, is based on this incident). The excessive shifting in tone and pace (now mellow, now comic, now dramatic) gets in the way of a pleasant viewing experience (there is a director's cut which, it appears, improves the overall result, but I haven't seen it). And then there is the ending, of course, one of the most implausible of fiction's history.
Saw a 142 min version (actually, 136 min in my country's PAL system).
Saw it in pan-and-scan.
Rating: 50 (unchanged)
During World War One, an English singer acts as a German spy. She is assigned with extracting military secrets from an ally flyer.
Here's a case of a good script (except for the absurd ending) which is made into a not so good film, reportedly because of producer's interference (I read that S.O.B., by the same director, is based on this incident). The excessive shifting in tone and pace (now mellow, now comic, now dramatic) gets in the way of a pleasant viewing experience (there is a director's cut which, it appears, improves the overall result, but I haven't seen it). And then there is the ending, of course, one of the most implausible of fiction's history.
Saw a 142 min version (actually, 136 min in my country's PAL system).
Saw it in pan-and-scan.
Rating: 50 (unchanged)
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Hwanghae (2010)
English title: The Yellow Sea
A Chinese national of Korean ethnicity is in deep debt and is offered a hit job in South Korea as a way to settle it. His wife is down there and has long stopped making contact with him. He takes the job but everything does not go as planned.
This second feature by the director of The Chaser has some of the virtues of that film, namely, energetic direction, excellent performances, and a touch of gritty realism in the screenplay. Some thematic elements are very relevant today, as ethnic minorities in Ukraine and Crimea make the headlines. The film's problems, however, outnumber its virtues. Despite the realism in some details, a huge inverisimilitude prevails through much of the film. By the way, a similar combination of realism and inverisimilitude was, to a lesser extent, also a characteristic of his previous film, but here it simply goes out of control. Another feature of The Chaser which is present in The Yellow Sea is the plot's complexity. However, what was a virtue there becomes a vice here, thanks to the lack of a sense of proportion. It is nearly impossible to follow all the details of the plot, especially in a single viewing, and, what is worse, this exercise in deciphering just does not add to one's enjoyment. The user reviews and discussion boards at IMDb are useful for understanding some plot details and they offer very pointed criticism too (some liked the film more than I did, though).
Rating: 48
A Chinese national of Korean ethnicity is in deep debt and is offered a hit job in South Korea as a way to settle it. His wife is down there and has long stopped making contact with him. He takes the job but everything does not go as planned.
This second feature by the director of The Chaser has some of the virtues of that film, namely, energetic direction, excellent performances, and a touch of gritty realism in the screenplay. Some thematic elements are very relevant today, as ethnic minorities in Ukraine and Crimea make the headlines. The film's problems, however, outnumber its virtues. Despite the realism in some details, a huge inverisimilitude prevails through much of the film. By the way, a similar combination of realism and inverisimilitude was, to a lesser extent, also a characteristic of his previous film, but here it simply goes out of control. Another feature of The Chaser which is present in The Yellow Sea is the plot's complexity. However, what was a virtue there becomes a vice here, thanks to the lack of a sense of proportion. It is nearly impossible to follow all the details of the plot, especially in a single viewing, and, what is worse, this exercise in deciphering just does not add to one's enjoyment. The user reviews and discussion boards at IMDb are useful for understanding some plot details and they offer very pointed criticism too (some liked the film more than I did, though).
Rating: 48
Sunday, March 23, 2014
The Flim-Flam Man (1967)
Second viewing; the date of the first one is doubtful, the possibilities being either the period 1983-1986 or 1991.
An aging confidence man meets a fugitive from Army justice, and the two become partners.
There is only so much fun one may have from watching people deceive each other, but this film complements the strictly criminal activities with thrilling chases, a love affair, and a bit of moral philosophizing. The result is entertaining.
Watched it in a pan-and-scan copy.
Rating: 54 (unchanged)
An aging confidence man meets a fugitive from Army justice, and the two become partners.
There is only so much fun one may have from watching people deceive each other, but this film complements the strictly criminal activities with thrilling chases, a love affair, and a bit of moral philosophizing. The result is entertaining.
Watched it in a pan-and-scan copy.
Rating: 54 (unchanged)
Friday, March 21, 2014
La cuisine au beurre (1963)
U.S. title: My Wife's Husband
Tentative English translation of French title: Butter Cooking.
A World War II combatant remains abroad way past the war's end. Upon returning to his native France, he encounters his wife remarried. The new husband is an amiable type, who now runs the restaurant that used to belong to the former husband, now with a different culinary profile.
Congenial low-brow comedy, which is worth watching mainly for the two comedians which star in it. Maybe the movie's most interesting aspect is how the jealousy motif is downplayed relative to the one of contrasting temperaments of people from different regions of France. I found the cinematography stunning, but this may be due to inevitable comparison with recent productions which invariably look like shit.
Rating: 43
Tentative English translation of French title: Butter Cooking.
A World War II combatant remains abroad way past the war's end. Upon returning to his native France, he encounters his wife remarried. The new husband is an amiable type, who now runs the restaurant that used to belong to the former husband, now with a different culinary profile.
Congenial low-brow comedy, which is worth watching mainly for the two comedians which star in it. Maybe the movie's most interesting aspect is how the jealousy motif is downplayed relative to the one of contrasting temperaments of people from different regions of France. I found the cinematography stunning, but this may be due to inevitable comparison with recent productions which invariably look like shit.
Rating: 43
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
The Rains Came (1939)
In British India's state of Ranchipur, in the late 1930s, several characters interact, and deal with a huge natural catastrophe.
Rather conventional (yet entertaining) disaster-movie based on a novel by an American conservative and conservationist. Its utter lack of anticolonialism would of course be unthinkable in a film of our days, even though India is one of the worst countries to live in (they now have "postcolonial studies" to justify that). The interesting thing is that there isn't much of a difference in structure between a political movie and an apolitical one such as this. In a politically-minded story, one would probably have an overwrought activist as protagonist, whereas here one has an equally overwrought doctor. It's always someone trying to make the world a better place. Well, good luck to them.
Rating: 52
Rather conventional (yet entertaining) disaster-movie based on a novel by an American conservative and conservationist. Its utter lack of anticolonialism would of course be unthinkable in a film of our days, even though India is one of the worst countries to live in (they now have "postcolonial studies" to justify that). The interesting thing is that there isn't much of a difference in structure between a political movie and an apolitical one such as this. In a politically-minded story, one would probably have an overwrought activist as protagonist, whereas here one has an equally overwrought doctor. It's always someone trying to make the world a better place. Well, good luck to them.
Rating: 52
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Indiscreet (1958)
An actress living in London has a love affair with an economist living in Paris. He tells her he is married but cannot get a divorce.
This is not a film without interest, and in fact it tackles some subjects concerning the dialogue of the sexes which are still important today, although not in the same terms. The problem for me was that it moves at a snail's pace for most of its duration (the pace suddenly picks up near the end). There is also the problem that this is the kind of film which focuses on wealthy people and distorts a bit their feelings and attitudes so as to conform with those of the general audience of mostly working and middle class women. From the present day's vantage point this is a slightly dated film. Anyway, the bottom line in any age is that most women want to marry for economic reasons. In the movie both are rich, so I would have to guess whether some of the behavior depicted made much sense.
Rating: 37
This is not a film without interest, and in fact it tackles some subjects concerning the dialogue of the sexes which are still important today, although not in the same terms. The problem for me was that it moves at a snail's pace for most of its duration (the pace suddenly picks up near the end). There is also the problem that this is the kind of film which focuses on wealthy people and distorts a bit their feelings and attitudes so as to conform with those of the general audience of mostly working and middle class women. From the present day's vantage point this is a slightly dated film. Anyway, the bottom line in any age is that most women want to marry for economic reasons. In the movie both are rich, so I would have to guess whether some of the behavior depicted made much sense.
Rating: 37
Monday, March 17, 2014
Sleeping Beauty (2011)
The life of a white lumpen-proletariat University student in Australia in the present age. To support herself, she has to work at several jobs -- at a café, at a research lab as a test subject, and as a prostitute. She answers an ad looking for women to work as high-class prostitutes who are required to perform some unusual tasks.
This movie by an Australian female underwhelmed some viewers (judging from the mediocre rating it received on IMDB), a fact which surprised me, and which I cannot explain with certainty. It's not that I liked the movie much more than them; it's that I was under the assumption that this, like most independent movies, was the kind of movie that was either loved or not watched at all. In fact, low ratings are rare on IMDB. People generally get what they asked for, and know what they are about to get beforehand. Anyway, in this case it apparently didn't work this way. Possible causes for this is that the movie has no plot, a somewhat abrupt ending, and, generally, little explanation for what happens (some scenes are downright enigmatic). For me, these were real flaws of the movie. But the fact that more than a few people did not like it may signal that the movie somehow expresses ideas, or exposes facts, that defy current ideologies among the "indie" crowd. For example, there is a case for it being interpreted as an anti-feminist movie. Its protagonist would, under this interpretation, stand for the modern liberated woman who has nothing but a huge vacuum inside of her. Also (and this is by no means uncorrelated to the first interpretation) it may be seen as a denunciation of the decay of the European ethnicity in Australia. This is the story of a white woman (a redhead, so there can be no doubt) in perfectly good health, whose only medication is "the pill", and who has no apparent family ties and no support group; her only friend is a young guy who is a chronic depressive and an alcoholic. In fact, the white people in the movie do not interact much, and show little or no sympathy for one another. The aging customers of the brothel she works at are quite probably the elite of Australia, and therefore share more than a little responsibility for the state of things in that country. One of them, who wears a Viking-like ponytail, tries to act out his primal fantasy of carrying a naked virgin in his arms... and fails. There are other peoples besides Maoris who once were warriors. It is about time this sleeping beauty awakens.
Rating: 53
This movie by an Australian female underwhelmed some viewers (judging from the mediocre rating it received on IMDB), a fact which surprised me, and which I cannot explain with certainty. It's not that I liked the movie much more than them; it's that I was under the assumption that this, like most independent movies, was the kind of movie that was either loved or not watched at all. In fact, low ratings are rare on IMDB. People generally get what they asked for, and know what they are about to get beforehand. Anyway, in this case it apparently didn't work this way. Possible causes for this is that the movie has no plot, a somewhat abrupt ending, and, generally, little explanation for what happens (some scenes are downright enigmatic). For me, these were real flaws of the movie. But the fact that more than a few people did not like it may signal that the movie somehow expresses ideas, or exposes facts, that defy current ideologies among the "indie" crowd. For example, there is a case for it being interpreted as an anti-feminist movie. Its protagonist would, under this interpretation, stand for the modern liberated woman who has nothing but a huge vacuum inside of her. Also (and this is by no means uncorrelated to the first interpretation) it may be seen as a denunciation of the decay of the European ethnicity in Australia. This is the story of a white woman (a redhead, so there can be no doubt) in perfectly good health, whose only medication is "the pill", and who has no apparent family ties and no support group; her only friend is a young guy who is a chronic depressive and an alcoholic. In fact, the white people in the movie do not interact much, and show little or no sympathy for one another. The aging customers of the brothel she works at are quite probably the elite of Australia, and therefore share more than a little responsibility for the state of things in that country. One of them, who wears a Viking-like ponytail, tries to act out his primal fantasy of carrying a naked virgin in his arms... and fails. There are other peoples besides Maoris who once were warriors. It is about time this sleeping beauty awakens.
Rating: 53
Sunday, March 16, 2014
Chugyeogja (2008)
English title: The Chaser.
An ex-cop who is now a pimp has several of his employees gone missing recently and he suspects one of his clients is selling them. When he gets a call from his missing whores' last customer, he hatches a plan to capture him, but things do not go as planned.
South Korean thriller. Be warned that it has some graphic violence that may prove very disturbing to some. All the characters save (possibly) the leading one have very low IQ, judging from their courses of action. This gives it unmistakable satirical undertones which have put off some viewers who perhaps expected a more "serious" realistic approach. The narrative is complex, taut, and undeniably gripping. The fundamental core of the movie, perhaps, is a a critique of liberal-minded modernity which just gets in the way of efficiency and order. I am all for that kind of vision, naturally. Down with so-called universal human rights, "free" press, "democracy" and the likes of those. No hopes of anything good happening where I live, though. Criminals of all kinds will continue to roam the streets at night (and in broad daylight also!) and scare peace-loving citizens like myself for as long as I live, I am sure.
Thanks to the friend who suggested this movie to me.
Rating: 68
An ex-cop who is now a pimp has several of his employees gone missing recently and he suspects one of his clients is selling them. When he gets a call from his missing whores' last customer, he hatches a plan to capture him, but things do not go as planned.
South Korean thriller. Be warned that it has some graphic violence that may prove very disturbing to some. All the characters save (possibly) the leading one have very low IQ, judging from their courses of action. This gives it unmistakable satirical undertones which have put off some viewers who perhaps expected a more "serious" realistic approach. The narrative is complex, taut, and undeniably gripping. The fundamental core of the movie, perhaps, is a a critique of liberal-minded modernity which just gets in the way of efficiency and order. I am all for that kind of vision, naturally. Down with so-called universal human rights, "free" press, "democracy" and the likes of those. No hopes of anything good happening where I live, though. Criminals of all kinds will continue to roam the streets at night (and in broad daylight also!) and scare peace-loving citizens like myself for as long as I live, I am sure.
Thanks to the friend who suggested this movie to me.
Rating: 68
Thursday, March 13, 2014
7 Plus Seven (1970)
Alternate title: 14 Up.
Sequel to Seven Up! (1964), and a part of an ongoing series of documentaries which every seven years has been interviewing the same fourteen British persons, who were chosen from various social backgrounds. In this installment they are, you guessed it, 14 years old. The movie inserts scenes from the previous movie so you can compare the children at the two points in their lives. It is a fascinating experiment, and it is proving a fascinating viewing experience for me. I intend to see the whole series. I am not sure the interviewer did an ideal job regarding the choice of questions (I would bet that he votes Labour...). He insisted on the race questions (they were also asked in the first movie), and, curiously enough, only one of the boys seemed to be aware that blacks do not appear out of thin air in a country like England, and that immigration may upset the country's economy. Anyway, I enjoyed the movie, and the boys and girls came up with a lot of interesting stuff, so I guess it was a job well done after all.
I do not rate documentaries numerically, for reasons I cannot properly explain.
Sequel to Seven Up! (1964), and a part of an ongoing series of documentaries which every seven years has been interviewing the same fourteen British persons, who were chosen from various social backgrounds. In this installment they are, you guessed it, 14 years old. The movie inserts scenes from the previous movie so you can compare the children at the two points in their lives. It is a fascinating experiment, and it is proving a fascinating viewing experience for me. I intend to see the whole series. I am not sure the interviewer did an ideal job regarding the choice of questions (I would bet that he votes Labour...). He insisted on the race questions (they were also asked in the first movie), and, curiously enough, only one of the boys seemed to be aware that blacks do not appear out of thin air in a country like England, and that immigration may upset the country's economy. Anyway, I enjoyed the movie, and the boys and girls came up with a lot of interesting stuff, so I guess it was a job well done after all.
I do not rate documentaries numerically, for reasons I cannot properly explain.
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
The Godfather: Part II (1974)
Second viewing; my first one was at some point between January 1983 and December 1986.
The film alternates between being a prequel to the first film and a sequel to it. The prequel sections tell us about Vito's childhood in Sicilia, his coming to America, and his beginnings as a crime lord. The sequel sections show the consolidation of Michael as the new godfather, his problems with Roth, with his brother, and with his wife.
A complement to the first film, which explains a little more about Michael's psychology, especially in the final sequence. It is a well-made film, which entertains, but is not exactly my kind. It is more like a miniseries, and I do not like this kind of narrative economy, which privileges small personal affairs of a multitude of characters. The film oscillates between curbed sentimentality and effusive displays of it. The notion of a man traveling from America to Sicily to get revenge does not, I suspect, have much to do with real life; neither does getting away with it as easily as he does here.
Rating: 65 (up from 58)
The film alternates between being a prequel to the first film and a sequel to it. The prequel sections tell us about Vito's childhood in Sicilia, his coming to America, and his beginnings as a crime lord. The sequel sections show the consolidation of Michael as the new godfather, his problems with Roth, with his brother, and with his wife.
A complement to the first film, which explains a little more about Michael's psychology, especially in the final sequence. It is a well-made film, which entertains, but is not exactly my kind. It is more like a miniseries, and I do not like this kind of narrative economy, which privileges small personal affairs of a multitude of characters. The film oscillates between curbed sentimentality and effusive displays of it. The notion of a man traveling from America to Sicily to get revenge does not, I suspect, have much to do with real life; neither does getting away with it as easily as he does here.
Rating: 65 (up from 58)
Sunday, March 09, 2014
Jury Duty (1995)
Unemployed Tommy gets a jury duty notification and, although initially inclined to disregard it, is compelled to change his mind, the reason being that he is now temporarily homeless and as a juror he will get free housing and food during the time of the trial. He chooses the case against a man accused of murdering several fast-food restaurant workers.
While this is not top-quality comedy, it is inventive enough for a few laughs and an overall good time. The curious thing is that it displays an above-average uninhibition to talk about certain subjects that no one seems willing to talk about lately, for example the problem of immigration in America. Part of this is done is a very disguised manner through the story of the man at whose trial the protagonist is a juror. The defendant is a very angry-looking white man who lost his job and is now being accused of making threats against and even murdering people who have the same kind of job that he used to have. The immigration connection is probably barely distinguishable for the unattentive viewer, although the witnesses to his threats are all ethnic Americans. On the other hand, there are more explicit bits which involve another character, a hispanic juror who has just been granted the American citizenship. He continually praises America and the American system, and at one point the protagonist replies: "Yes, and you can even drink the water." Later in the film, the hispanic man states that in his original country the defendant would not have the benefit of a fair trial; and so on. Another curious bit from this movie is the quotation of a shot from Fireworks (the milk shower), a very weird short film from the 40s.
Rating: 50
While this is not top-quality comedy, it is inventive enough for a few laughs and an overall good time. The curious thing is that it displays an above-average uninhibition to talk about certain subjects that no one seems willing to talk about lately, for example the problem of immigration in America. Part of this is done is a very disguised manner through the story of the man at whose trial the protagonist is a juror. The defendant is a very angry-looking white man who lost his job and is now being accused of making threats against and even murdering people who have the same kind of job that he used to have. The immigration connection is probably barely distinguishable for the unattentive viewer, although the witnesses to his threats are all ethnic Americans. On the other hand, there are more explicit bits which involve another character, a hispanic juror who has just been granted the American citizenship. He continually praises America and the American system, and at one point the protagonist replies: "Yes, and you can even drink the water." Later in the film, the hispanic man states that in his original country the defendant would not have the benefit of a fair trial; and so on. Another curious bit from this movie is the quotation of a shot from Fireworks (the milk shower), a very weird short film from the 40s.
Rating: 50
The Godfather (1972)
Third viewing (previous one was on May 17, 2003).
The film starts immediately after World War II, and focuses on a family of Italian-Americans who control illegal activities like gambling and prostitution in the East Coast. The head of the family is Don Vito, and the film shows how his son Michael, initially destined to be the family's bridge to legitimate activities, ends up getting into crime himself and becomes the successor of his father. The film also shows the dilemma faced by the family concerning the drug trade, and how they decide to move to the West Coast.
A necessarily dull exposition of machiavellian strategies and tactics, with all its sordid details. Apart from the elementary political science education provided by watching it, there is also the intrinsic pleasure derived from well-staged set-pieces (Don Vito's death is my favorite). The film doesn't explicitly account for the changes in Michael's behavior. In the beginning of the film, he says to his girlfriend that he has nothing in common with his family, and then he changes completely to a zealous mafioso. One possibility is that he wasn't being sincere, just as he was not sincere in the end, to the same person. Another is that there was a vacuum that could only be filled by him, and blood ties did the rest. A recurring pattern in the film is the problem of getting the truth from someone. People are led to confess by several psychological tricks which necessarily involve a level of naïveté on their part (e.g., Carlo's confession). This is a requirement of the drama which wouldn't necessarily find a counterpart in reality. In fact, this is perhaps the film's biggest problem. One tries to be realistic, and sacrifices a good deal of the movie's dynamics to achieve it, but can only go so far. As a result, one ends up with a flawed realism, and a lot of dullness. I may only wonder about the reasons about this film's popularity. A very wild guess is that the essentially anti-liberal politics it puts on display may have found an echo among American audiences back in 1972. The stark contrast between a so-called democratic society that was sending its sons to die in Vietnam in the name of universal values, and the dictator embodied by Don Vito, who was ruthless to his enemies but acted as a protector to those under his wings may have signaled that a particularistic moral system is better and more honest than a universalistic one.
Rating: 65 (down from 70)
The film starts immediately after World War II, and focuses on a family of Italian-Americans who control illegal activities like gambling and prostitution in the East Coast. The head of the family is Don Vito, and the film shows how his son Michael, initially destined to be the family's bridge to legitimate activities, ends up getting into crime himself and becomes the successor of his father. The film also shows the dilemma faced by the family concerning the drug trade, and how they decide to move to the West Coast.
A necessarily dull exposition of machiavellian strategies and tactics, with all its sordid details. Apart from the elementary political science education provided by watching it, there is also the intrinsic pleasure derived from well-staged set-pieces (Don Vito's death is my favorite). The film doesn't explicitly account for the changes in Michael's behavior. In the beginning of the film, he says to his girlfriend that he has nothing in common with his family, and then he changes completely to a zealous mafioso. One possibility is that he wasn't being sincere, just as he was not sincere in the end, to the same person. Another is that there was a vacuum that could only be filled by him, and blood ties did the rest. A recurring pattern in the film is the problem of getting the truth from someone. People are led to confess by several psychological tricks which necessarily involve a level of naïveté on their part (e.g., Carlo's confession). This is a requirement of the drama which wouldn't necessarily find a counterpart in reality. In fact, this is perhaps the film's biggest problem. One tries to be realistic, and sacrifices a good deal of the movie's dynamics to achieve it, but can only go so far. As a result, one ends up with a flawed realism, and a lot of dullness. I may only wonder about the reasons about this film's popularity. A very wild guess is that the essentially anti-liberal politics it puts on display may have found an echo among American audiences back in 1972. The stark contrast between a so-called democratic society that was sending its sons to die in Vietnam in the name of universal values, and the dictator embodied by Don Vito, who was ruthless to his enemies but acted as a protector to those under his wings may have signaled that a particularistic moral system is better and more honest than a universalistic one.
Rating: 65 (down from 70)
Sábado (1995)
English title: Saturday.
At the lobby of a run-down skyscraper in a major Brazilian city, a TV commercial is to be shot using one of its elevators, which hasn't been in use for a long time. The other elevator -- the operating one -- breaks down with people in it, amongst them a member of the film crew, two undertakers and a corpse. The lobby gets crammed with people. The production faces several problems and near-chaos ensues.
One of those "microcosmos" comedies, which tries to make satire out of the forced proximity of people from several social and cultural backgrounds. The targets are as varied as the smugness of the Brazilian middle class, the aversion to work of its lower class, the banalization of crime, the authoritarian traits buried deep within the little man's psyche, the consumeristic ideology sold by publicity, the tension between different regions of a big country, the exploitation of the poor by festering religious sects, etc. This all-over-the-place humor strategy feels contrived and unfunny, but perhaps might work had it been given a better script and direction than the ones we see here.
Rating: 25
At the lobby of a run-down skyscraper in a major Brazilian city, a TV commercial is to be shot using one of its elevators, which hasn't been in use for a long time. The other elevator -- the operating one -- breaks down with people in it, amongst them a member of the film crew, two undertakers and a corpse. The lobby gets crammed with people. The production faces several problems and near-chaos ensues.
One of those "microcosmos" comedies, which tries to make satire out of the forced proximity of people from several social and cultural backgrounds. The targets are as varied as the smugness of the Brazilian middle class, the aversion to work of its lower class, the banalization of crime, the authoritarian traits buried deep within the little man's psyche, the consumeristic ideology sold by publicity, the tension between different regions of a big country, the exploitation of the poor by festering religious sects, etc. This all-over-the-place humor strategy feels contrived and unfunny, but perhaps might work had it been given a better script and direction than the ones we see here.
Rating: 25
Mona Lisa (1986)
Second viewing (the first one happened on May 31, 1987).
A small-time thug is released from prison and must find work. He looks up his former associate, now a big-time thug, and is given the job of driving for a black prostitute. Between the two of them an unusual relationship develops (gee, this is becoming a mandatory phrase in my synopses!).
The plot doesn't make a lot of sense, as is perceptively explained in the following two reviews I have lifted from IMDB (I do not agree with all they say, though).
[quote]
Author: simon-118 from London
25 March 2006
Well, back to little old me, the film is reasonably stylish and eventful; also, it benefits enormously from the male leading performance (the black girl is not so good though).
What really struck me was the social background to this story, expressed, for example, in the following exchange near the beginning of the movie, after he visits his ex-wife's house:
[quote]
A: So where'd they all come from? They live here? Since when?
B: Since you went inside.
A: Jesus!
[unquote]
He is referring to the black punks in the street. A little later, he tries to make contact with his daughter at her school, and we get to see the students' queue and its multiethnic composition.
All this, mind you, was back in 1986! In our days, the pope keeps exhorting rich nations to extend a helping hand to people living in less-favored ones who would want to immigrate. Way to go, Francis. Now that Europeans have wised up about the futility of religion, just call on the poor uneducated masses from the third and fourth worlds to replenish the churches' seats.
Rating: 54 (down from 63)
A small-time thug is released from prison and must find work. He looks up his former associate, now a big-time thug, and is given the job of driving for a black prostitute. Between the two of them an unusual relationship develops (gee, this is becoming a mandatory phrase in my synopses!).
The plot doesn't make a lot of sense, as is perceptively explained in the following two reviews I have lifted from IMDB (I do not agree with all they say, though).
[quote]
Effective film which gets away with its major flaws
Author: simon-118 from London
25 March 2006
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
I'm very fond of Mona Lisa. It's a story of innocence in a world dripping with sin, and Hoskins is perfection as the ex-con quite capable of dishing out a beating when he's up against it but childlike in his naivety to the horrors of child prostitution.
The two performances that really stand out for me though are Michael Caine and Clarke Peters who are both absolutely terrifying, Caine also very funny in places too.
The major problem with the film is that the plot is, frankly, rubbish! Why does Anderson spend years trying to find Simone when she's working for his colleague Caine as part of the same business? Why is Caine paying George to drive her around? If he is her pimp why doesn't Anderson know this? It's all rather odd. And also how come George just walks away from the climax scot-free? That, and also why the girl in the room who is from Ireland have a Birmingham accent...
But a haunting, touching and frightening film, although it's interesting that the film offers no sympathy to Tyson's character despite the fact that she clearly uses George because she by now only sees men as a means to an end.
[unquote]
[quote]The two performances that really stand out for me though are Michael Caine and Clarke Peters who are both absolutely terrifying, Caine also very funny in places too.
The major problem with the film is that the plot is, frankly, rubbish! Why does Anderson spend years trying to find Simone when she's working for his colleague Caine as part of the same business? Why is Caine paying George to drive her around? If he is her pimp why doesn't Anderson know this? It's all rather odd. And also how come George just walks away from the climax scot-free? That, and also why the girl in the room who is from Ireland have a Birmingham accent...
But a haunting, touching and frightening film, although it's interesting that the film offers no sympathy to Tyson's character despite the fact that she clearly uses George because she by now only sees men as a means to an end.
[unquote]
2 out of 10 people found the following review useful:
Author: writers_reign from London, England
20 October 2006
There Goes Mr. Jordan
Author: writers_reign from London, England
20 October 2006
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Neil Jordan is a graduate of the Ken Loach I-Hate-England school of film-making which means that like Loach he spurns no opportunity to explore its worst aspects in loving detail. This time around it's the sex industry that sleazes its way into his spotlight. The story is improbable-to-ridiculous, one leave it out, guv, after another. Why, for example does Michael Caine's Mr Big wait til Bob Hoskins gets out of the slammer before hiring a driver for Cathy Tyson's hooker - what did she do before, take a bus? In turn why does Tyson wait until their initial antipathy has thawed before asking him to locate another hooker when 1) surely the world of London hookers is not that large, there's obviously some kind of network whereby one can locate another without charming a violent oak into doing the job and 2) for what she spent kitting out Hoskins with shirts, suit and topcoat in a trendy Men's Store she could have hired a private detective for a month but given how easy the hooker was to find he'd have taken about a day and a half tops. This leaves us with the acting; for Hoskins it's the mixture as before, all contained violence and effing and blinding, sure he was phoning it in by that stage, Robbie Coltrane is totally unconvincing and Mike Tyson could have done as well as Cathy. Okay, it's twenty years old - a freebie with a newspaper, just as well I didn't spend more than the price of a paper I buy anyway on this pap - and maybe at the time it looked better but it's way past its sell-by date.
[unquote]
[unquote]
Well, back to little old me, the film is reasonably stylish and eventful; also, it benefits enormously from the male leading performance (the black girl is not so good though).
What really struck me was the social background to this story, expressed, for example, in the following exchange near the beginning of the movie, after he visits his ex-wife's house:
[quote]
A: So where'd they all come from? They live here? Since when?
B: Since you went inside.
A: Jesus!
[unquote]
He is referring to the black punks in the street. A little later, he tries to make contact with his daughter at her school, and we get to see the students' queue and its multiethnic composition.
All this, mind you, was back in 1986! In our days, the pope keeps exhorting rich nations to extend a helping hand to people living in less-favored ones who would want to immigrate. Way to go, Francis. Now that Europeans have wised up about the futility of religion, just call on the poor uneducated masses from the third and fourth worlds to replenish the churches' seats.
Rating: 54 (down from 63)
Saturday, March 08, 2014
Tommy Boy (1995)
The heir of an auto-parts manufacturer takes over the factory after his father dies. The company is in poor economic shape and has a prospective buyer who wants to close it down and use its brand name. The young owner decides to make a last sales trip effort in the company of a skillful employee, in the hope of not having to sell the company.
Moderately enjoyable comedy, which however is not overly original. Farley is particularly brilliant in it. Among the films it has been accused of borrowing from are Plains, Trains and Automobiles and The Great Race. A curious critical mistake which is made about this film (even by people who admit, somewhat guiltily, to liking it) is stating that its humor is stupid; actually, a film about someone's lack of intelligence is not necessarily unintelligent. Another misperception, not unrelated to that, and which has a long history, has been observed among Tommy Boy's critics, consisting in assessing slapstick as an inferior genre. But I think that over time this film has garnered of fair amount of appreciation.
Rating: 52
Moderately enjoyable comedy, which however is not overly original. Farley is particularly brilliant in it. Among the films it has been accused of borrowing from are Plains, Trains and Automobiles and The Great Race. A curious critical mistake which is made about this film (even by people who admit, somewhat guiltily, to liking it) is stating that its humor is stupid; actually, a film about someone's lack of intelligence is not necessarily unintelligent. Another misperception, not unrelated to that, and which has a long history, has been observed among Tommy Boy's critics, consisting in assessing slapstick as an inferior genre. But I think that over time this film has garnered of fair amount of appreciation.
Rating: 52
My Week with Marilyn (2011)
A film is being produced in England starring a famous Shakespearean actor and a sexy American star. She is emotionally unstable and unable to be on the set on time. She takes a fancy to a young errand runner, who is henceforth used as a bridge between the director and her. Between the woman and the youth an improbable relationship develops.
Not a terribly exciting story, I'm afraid. The emotional content is at once too explicit and too shallow, and didn't resonate with me. Some people have complained that it was not convincing, but for me it was worse: I wasn't even interested enough to ponder about it. Perhaps you can assess my level of empathy if I tell you the thought that the sight of Ulysses at the protagonist's bedside table prompted in me (but please do not call me insensitive). My thought was that her interest in the book arose from an identification with the book's female protagonist, a slut married to a Jew.
Rating: 32
Friday, March 07, 2014
Around the World in Eighty Days (1956)
Second viewing (first viewing was on April 24, 1994).
Based on the novel Le tour du monde en quatre-vingts jours by Jules Verne, first published in 1872, in serial form in a newspaper.
An Englishman named Phileas Fogg makes a wager with his fellow club members that he will make a trip around the Earth in eighty days at the most. His newly hired servant Passepartout is taken along with him. Several unforeseen incidents appear along the way to delay them. To complicate things further, a Scotland Yard agent follows Fogg on the suspicion that he is the man who robbed the Bank of England.
It doesn't quite do justice to the novel in terms of excitement and pace, which are sacrificed for set-pieces like a bullfighting sequence, a Spanish dance sequence, and a balloon voyage which is not in the novel. Still, the set-pieces are somewhat enjoyable for their own sake, and the film as a whole has a reasonable amount of entertainment value. The English club sequence in the beginning is a very funny satire of the English character. Although almost a century separates the novel from the film, the societal values expressed by both are pretty much the same, implicitly praising European values and criticizing a backward society like India through a depiction of its fanatical practice of the suttee (in which a widow is sacrificed when her husband dies). Native-Americans are portrayed as mere savages (remember this is based on a French author who probably was neither aware of nor interested in the subtleties of Native-American history). All this would be inadmissible in our "politically correct" days and, in fact, the 2004 remake has nothing of the sort, and none of the values expressed by the novel.
Watched it in a pan-and-scan copy of about 150 minutes (the uncut version is about 180 minutes).
Rating: 51 (up from 47)
Based on the novel Le tour du monde en quatre-vingts jours by Jules Verne, first published in 1872, in serial form in a newspaper.
An Englishman named Phileas Fogg makes a wager with his fellow club members that he will make a trip around the Earth in eighty days at the most. His newly hired servant Passepartout is taken along with him. Several unforeseen incidents appear along the way to delay them. To complicate things further, a Scotland Yard agent follows Fogg on the suspicion that he is the man who robbed the Bank of England.
It doesn't quite do justice to the novel in terms of excitement and pace, which are sacrificed for set-pieces like a bullfighting sequence, a Spanish dance sequence, and a balloon voyage which is not in the novel. Still, the set-pieces are somewhat enjoyable for their own sake, and the film as a whole has a reasonable amount of entertainment value. The English club sequence in the beginning is a very funny satire of the English character. Although almost a century separates the novel from the film, the societal values expressed by both are pretty much the same, implicitly praising European values and criticizing a backward society like India through a depiction of its fanatical practice of the suttee (in which a widow is sacrificed when her husband dies). Native-Americans are portrayed as mere savages (remember this is based on a French author who probably was neither aware of nor interested in the subtleties of Native-American history). All this would be inadmissible in our "politically correct" days and, in fact, the 2004 remake has nothing of the sort, and none of the values expressed by the novel.
Watched it in a pan-and-scan copy of about 150 minutes (the uncut version is about 180 minutes).
Rating: 51 (up from 47)
Wednesday, March 05, 2014
Grease 2 (1982)
Musical set in the early 1960s. It depicts the incidents at a High School establishment, which is somewhat upset by the arrival of a new student, an Englishman. The boys and girls group themselves in gangs (the film shows two rival gangs of boys, but only one girls' gang, if I am not mistaken). There is a musical competition which will award a prize in long-playing records to the winning performance. The newcomer remains an outsider, which proves an obstacle to his achieving the love of the school's most popular girl.
While not perhaps a great film, this was quite better than I expected, and an exceptional case of a film to which I awarded a greater score than the IMDb users' average. Both screenplay and direction are quite reasonable, with a greater leaning toward comedy than the first Grease, if I recall correctly after all these decades since I last watched that movie. The songs are not memorable, but work well within the movie's structure.
Rating: 50
While not perhaps a great film, this was quite better than I expected, and an exceptional case of a film to which I awarded a greater score than the IMDb users' average. Both screenplay and direction are quite reasonable, with a greater leaning toward comedy than the first Grease, if I recall correctly after all these decades since I last watched that movie. The songs are not memorable, but work well within the movie's structure.
Rating: 50
Sunday, March 02, 2014
Intouchables (2011)
U.K. title: Untouchable.
U.S. title: The Intouchables.
A rich tetraplegic guy hires a black man with a shady past and a troubled present as his personal nurse. A friendship develops between them.
As IMDb user Bossa Nova puts it, this is "for very simple-minded people", who, I add, will not mind, for example, troubling details such as someone stealing a Fabergé egg and coming back to his victim's house the next day. One onumbersix, another IMDb user, shrewdly points out the similarity between Cluzet's looks and smiles to Hoffman's in Rain Man. Anyway, I guess after France opened its borders to all peoples of the Earth, it must periodically produce this kind of educational piece in order to keep the internal harmony from falling to alarmingly low levels. I presume the task at hand was a demanding one, but they have taken every care not to offend anyone; among other things, we learn that a beautiful redhead will only reject a handsome lumpen-proletariat black guy if she is a certified lesbian.
Rating: 14
U.S. title: The Intouchables.
A rich tetraplegic guy hires a black man with a shady past and a troubled present as his personal nurse. A friendship develops between them.
As IMDb user Bossa Nova puts it, this is "for very simple-minded people", who, I add, will not mind, for example, troubling details such as someone stealing a Fabergé egg and coming back to his victim's house the next day. One onumbersix, another IMDb user, shrewdly points out the similarity between Cluzet's looks and smiles to Hoffman's in Rain Man. Anyway, I guess after France opened its borders to all peoples of the Earth, it must periodically produce this kind of educational piece in order to keep the internal harmony from falling to alarmingly low levels. I presume the task at hand was a demanding one, but they have taken every care not to offend anyone; among other things, we learn that a beautiful redhead will only reject a handsome lumpen-proletariat black guy if she is a certified lesbian.
Rating: 14
Monday, February 24, 2014
Picture Perfect (1997)
An advertising executive doesn't get promoted because she is single (her boss thinks people with attachments are less likely to move to rival companies). A work colleague tries to help her by spreading the news that she became engaged to a guy she appears with in a photo.
Watchable romantic comedy which is not actually very romantic, and isn't exactly funny. It is in fact a bit more amoral than the average Hollywood stuff, which is not necessarily a bad thing in itself. I guess it does not accurately portray the corporate environment, although there is a certain logic to the ideas and behaviors depicted. Not an unpleasant film, but not likely to grab you by the balls, either (sorry for the expression, lady readers, and ball-less male ones).
Rating: 46
Watchable romantic comedy which is not actually very romantic, and isn't exactly funny. It is in fact a bit more amoral than the average Hollywood stuff, which is not necessarily a bad thing in itself. I guess it does not accurately portray the corporate environment, although there is a certain logic to the ideas and behaviors depicted. Not an unpleasant film, but not likely to grab you by the balls, either (sorry for the expression, lady readers, and ball-less male ones).
Rating: 46
Sunday, February 23, 2014
12 Years a Slave (2013)
Based on the 1853 memoir by Solomon Northup. According to that book, Northup was a free black man who was conned by two white men and sold into slavery.
A pamphlet against slavery, with implausibilities which range from the obvious (e.g., a sailor killing a valuable slave with no reasonable cause) to the subtler (general psychological characterizations, details of the plot). An interesting review was published in the user review section of this film's IMDB page, under the nickname Ashley Blanner (but the correspondent user page identifies him (or her) as robinbishop34). Said review has several sections of text which are identical to another review written by American writer Steve Sailer.
Rating: 35
A pamphlet against slavery, with implausibilities which range from the obvious (e.g., a sailor killing a valuable slave with no reasonable cause) to the subtler (general psychological characterizations, details of the plot). An interesting review was published in the user review section of this film's IMDB page, under the nickname Ashley Blanner (but the correspondent user page identifies him (or her) as robinbishop34). Said review has several sections of text which are identical to another review written by American writer Steve Sailer.
Rating: 35
Philomena (2013)
A woman teams up with a journalist in the search for the son whom she had as a teenager and was taken away from her.
A further examination of the issue tackled in The Magdalene Sisters (2002), this time from another angle. Apart from other virtues and faults with which I will deal in a bit, this is a minor film, yet mostly watchable, except for some annoyingly overscored passages and a tendency to schmaltz at some points. The film's greatest virtues are the psychological characterization of the title character, and the performance that materializes it. Its major fault is, alas, something a bit embarrassing for me to talk about, considering my previous enthusiastic endorsement of The Magdalene Sisters. Fact is, a year ago a report by the Irish government has seriously put into question the allegations of that film, as you can read here. Thus, I am taking a more balanced view of Philomena, and it has some aspects which are a bit problematic. The demonization of Sister Hildegard is childish, particularly in the embarrassingly ridiculous scenes near the end. When you read that these scenes are entirely fictitious (that nun died before the investigation started), you get a sense of anti-Catholic persecution and bigotry just as evil as any hypothetical Catholic traits of the same kind. To wrap this review up, there is also a profoundly stupid dialogue between Philomena and the journalist in which she admits to having suspected her infant son (three years old, if I am not mistaken) of homosexual tendencies on account of how he looked in overalls (or whatever the name of that type of clothes is). No further comments.
Rating: 40
A further examination of the issue tackled in The Magdalene Sisters (2002), this time from another angle. Apart from other virtues and faults with which I will deal in a bit, this is a minor film, yet mostly watchable, except for some annoyingly overscored passages and a tendency to schmaltz at some points. The film's greatest virtues are the psychological characterization of the title character, and the performance that materializes it. Its major fault is, alas, something a bit embarrassing for me to talk about, considering my previous enthusiastic endorsement of The Magdalene Sisters. Fact is, a year ago a report by the Irish government has seriously put into question the allegations of that film, as you can read here. Thus, I am taking a more balanced view of Philomena, and it has some aspects which are a bit problematic. The demonization of Sister Hildegard is childish, particularly in the embarrassingly ridiculous scenes near the end. When you read that these scenes are entirely fictitious (that nun died before the investigation started), you get a sense of anti-Catholic persecution and bigotry just as evil as any hypothetical Catholic traits of the same kind. To wrap this review up, there is also a profoundly stupid dialogue between Philomena and the journalist in which she admits to having suspected her infant son (three years old, if I am not mistaken) of homosexual tendencies on account of how he looked in overalls (or whatever the name of that type of clothes is). No further comments.
Rating: 40
Saturday, February 22, 2014
L'homme du train (2002)
Title in English-speaking countries: Man on the Train.
Better translation for the title: Man from the Train.
A man arrives at a small town with the intent of robbing the local bank. He meets by chance a local who invites him to stay at his place. Between them an improbable friendship develops.
The essential idea behind the story is that everyone of us lives only half a life; our choices inevitably preclude experiences which are antagonistic in nature to them. The film has two men who chose opposite paths meet and contemplate what they have missed out of life's possibilities. An interesting film which could be reduced to half its size with profit. The girlfriend sections are irrelevant and frankly not well done at all (some of her lines are cringeworthy). The robber's quirky partner is a funny notion but, again, adds nothing to the film's essential point. The two main actors are perfect for the parts.
Rating: 50
Better translation for the title: Man from the Train.
A man arrives at a small town with the intent of robbing the local bank. He meets by chance a local who invites him to stay at his place. Between them an improbable friendship develops.
The essential idea behind the story is that everyone of us lives only half a life; our choices inevitably preclude experiences which are antagonistic in nature to them. The film has two men who chose opposite paths meet and contemplate what they have missed out of life's possibilities. An interesting film which could be reduced to half its size with profit. The girlfriend sections are irrelevant and frankly not well done at all (some of her lines are cringeworthy). The robber's quirky partner is a funny notion but, again, adds nothing to the film's essential point. The two main actors are perfect for the parts.
Rating: 50
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Sister Act (1992)
An important witness in a case against a gangster takes refuge in a convent. The contrast between her pagan way of life and that of the nuns is the basis for the humor.
Despite the inevitable (and hypocritical) "I came out of it a better person" kind of ending, it is obvious to me that, rather than being a case of nuns teaching values to an irreligious person, it is actually the other way around that prevails in this movie: it's Hollywood telling the Catholic Church how to behave in order to be "cool". Anyway, sticking to more prosaic matters, one IMDb user nicknamed winner55 pointed out an important flaw of this movie, namely, that the main character was written as a Latino woman, not a black one. And, I add, especially not the physical type embodied by its actual main actress. Anyway, the film went through seven screenwriters so as to ensure nothing remotely deviant from absolute blandness would happen in it. Of course, offending Catholics does not depart from that standard, as it's, as late writer Gore Vidal once brilliantly put it, "beating on a dead dog". But the direction is competent and, within its limits and considering its target audience, the film works.
Rating: 34
Despite the inevitable (and hypocritical) "I came out of it a better person" kind of ending, it is obvious to me that, rather than being a case of nuns teaching values to an irreligious person, it is actually the other way around that prevails in this movie: it's Hollywood telling the Catholic Church how to behave in order to be "cool". Anyway, sticking to more prosaic matters, one IMDb user nicknamed winner55 pointed out an important flaw of this movie, namely, that the main character was written as a Latino woman, not a black one. And, I add, especially not the physical type embodied by its actual main actress. Anyway, the film went through seven screenwriters so as to ensure nothing remotely deviant from absolute blandness would happen in it. Of course, offending Catholics does not depart from that standard, as it's, as late writer Gore Vidal once brilliantly put it, "beating on a dead dog". But the direction is competent and, within its limits and considering its target audience, the film works.
Rating: 34
Monday, February 17, 2014
Music and Lyrics (2007)
This concerns the efforts of a pop singer and composer who had a brief period of fame back in the 1980s and is now trying to revive his moribund career. Romantic interest is provided by a young woman whom he hires to help him with the lyrics, and who was once an aspiring writer.
The plot is thin as ice, but there is a certain charm in some of the dialogue, and the casting was felicitous. The music video that opens the film is a masterpiece of 80s style emulation, both in image and in sound.
Rating: 41
The plot is thin as ice, but there is a certain charm in some of the dialogue, and the casting was felicitous. The music video that opens the film is a masterpiece of 80s style emulation, both in image and in sound.
Rating: 41
Saturday, February 15, 2014
Seven Up! (1964)
Documentary. A number (twenty, it is said at some point, I didn't count) of seven-year-old British children from varying socioeconomic backgrounds are brought together during one day of leisure. They go to the zoo and other places. They are also interviewed.
This is the first installment of a series of films featuring the same persons, and made at intervals of seven years; in the latest film to date the subjects are 56, I think. In this first installment, the narration and questioning of the children reflect the transitional ideology of the 1960s, and embody the adult's viewpoint of the world. These children are simply viewed as adult prototypes, not as children. The fact that they are children shows of course in their answers, and the result is sometimes quite funny; sometimes you can see they were coached by their parents, and that is funny too. In those days the U.K. was not nearly as multicultural and multiracial as it is today, but the mindframe was already shifting, as evidenced by the question about how the children feel about persons of color; it is obvious from the answers that then this was exclusively a concern of adults (and, I speculate, of few of them). An enigmatic moment arises when, after this question is posed to some white kids and they answer it, the scene shifts to a different place and, without explicitly showing the question, we see another interviewee, a mixed-race kid, say that "they are pretty much like myself" (quoted from memory).
This is the first installment of a series of films featuring the same persons, and made at intervals of seven years; in the latest film to date the subjects are 56, I think. In this first installment, the narration and questioning of the children reflect the transitional ideology of the 1960s, and embody the adult's viewpoint of the world. These children are simply viewed as adult prototypes, not as children. The fact that they are children shows of course in their answers, and the result is sometimes quite funny; sometimes you can see they were coached by their parents, and that is funny too. In those days the U.K. was not nearly as multicultural and multiracial as it is today, but the mindframe was already shifting, as evidenced by the question about how the children feel about persons of color; it is obvious from the answers that then this was exclusively a concern of adults (and, I speculate, of few of them). An enigmatic moment arises when, after this question is posed to some white kids and they answer it, the scene shifts to a different place and, without explicitly showing the question, we see another interviewee, a mixed-race kid, say that "they are pretty much like myself" (quoted from memory).
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
This Above All (1942)
Second viewing; first one was on January 11, 1992.
A working-class deserter and an aristocrat who joined the WAF have an affair during World War II.
Wartime propaganda aimed at disencouraging desertion. Of course, one can always view it as a psychological study of sexual pressure and other pressure that lead a person to finally complying with the sad business of fighting in a war. The use of the title expression, from Shakespeare, is an example of how a lie may be disguised as the truth through sheer emotionalism; in my perception, the case of the main character is such that being "true to himself" implies precisely following his first line of action, that is, deserting; he only diverts from it because of the abovementioned pressures, and then he of course is not being "true to himself". On the more prosaic aspects of dramatic efficacy and verisimilitude, the film falls short, this being the most incompetent deserter of history (unless of course he wanted to get caught); the movie's "highlight" of badness is the female protagonist's speech about England. The author of the source novel died in a plane crash while on Army duty, a case of poetic justice.
Rating: 25 (up from 20)
A working-class deserter and an aristocrat who joined the WAF have an affair during World War II.
Wartime propaganda aimed at disencouraging desertion. Of course, one can always view it as a psychological study of sexual pressure and other pressure that lead a person to finally complying with the sad business of fighting in a war. The use of the title expression, from Shakespeare, is an example of how a lie may be disguised as the truth through sheer emotionalism; in my perception, the case of the main character is such that being "true to himself" implies precisely following his first line of action, that is, deserting; he only diverts from it because of the abovementioned pressures, and then he of course is not being "true to himself". On the more prosaic aspects of dramatic efficacy and verisimilitude, the film falls short, this being the most incompetent deserter of history (unless of course he wanted to get caught); the movie's "highlight" of badness is the female protagonist's speech about England. The author of the source novel died in a plane crash while on Army duty, a case of poetic justice.
Rating: 25 (up from 20)
Friday, February 07, 2014
Django Unchained (2012)
A bounty hunter and a former slave team up, and after some time working together go after the slave's wife with the intention of buying her freedom.
Epic melodrama with interesting characters, yet extremely unimaginative action. In fact, it seems in recollection that there is only one type of resolution to every conflict: the hero exterminates a dozen or so antagonists with serial shooting. And although "epic" is the general tone of the work, there is no care whatsoever in respecting that tone; an example of tone-breaking is a sequence depicting a Ku Klux Klan raid which follows the Mel Brooks line of humor.
Rating: 50
Epic melodrama with interesting characters, yet extremely unimaginative action. In fact, it seems in recollection that there is only one type of resolution to every conflict: the hero exterminates a dozen or so antagonists with serial shooting. And although "epic" is the general tone of the work, there is no care whatsoever in respecting that tone; an example of tone-breaking is a sequence depicting a Ku Klux Klan raid which follows the Mel Brooks line of humor.
Rating: 50
Sunday, February 02, 2014
Lock Up (1989)
A prisoner nearing the completion of his term for a minor crime is transferred to another prison run by a man with a deep grudge against him.
Prison drama expounding the political opposition of individualism versus civilization, the fundamental dilemmma of which is hammered down the viewer's head in a histerically exaggerated and repetitive manner. If all institutions are corrupt - it implies - fighting them in a more than strictly individualistic way will inevitably be corrupted too. The way these things are resolved in movies like this is always felicitous for the protagonist and unsatisfactory for the viewer.
Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.
Rating: 33
Prison drama expounding the political opposition of individualism versus civilization, the fundamental dilemmma of which is hammered down the viewer's head in a histerically exaggerated and repetitive manner. If all institutions are corrupt - it implies - fighting them in a more than strictly individualistic way will inevitably be corrupted too. The way these things are resolved in movies like this is always felicitous for the protagonist and unsatisfactory for the viewer.
Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.
Rating: 33
Saturday, February 01, 2014
La voie lactée (1969)
English title: The Milky Way.
Second viewing; first one was between the beginning of 1983 and the end of 1986.
Two wanderers follow the Way of St. James, an ancient pilgrimage road which crosses France and ends in Santiago de Compostela (Spain). They encounter many people along the way, and go through many incidents, all somehow related to the history of dissensions in and from the Catholic Church.
It is like a History of Catholicism through its heresies. Mostly an intelligent film, occasionally funny, but also occasionally frivolous, like in the joke about Jesus' beard. Upon my original viewing, I didn't enjoy it as much as now, and I vaguely remember having then reasoned that making fun of religion is unfit for a Catholic and irrelevant for a nonbeliever. I now think this is a wrong assessment of the film. To begin with, what is done here is not simply "making fun", but rather postulating an alternative history of one religion, by the angle of its problematic, or, if you prefer, more interesting points. And the kind of events and ideas depicted are exactly the stuff surrealism is made of.
Rating: 58 (up from 38)
Second viewing; first one was between the beginning of 1983 and the end of 1986.
Two wanderers follow the Way of St. James, an ancient pilgrimage road which crosses France and ends in Santiago de Compostela (Spain). They encounter many people along the way, and go through many incidents, all somehow related to the history of dissensions in and from the Catholic Church.
It is like a History of Catholicism through its heresies. Mostly an intelligent film, occasionally funny, but also occasionally frivolous, like in the joke about Jesus' beard. Upon my original viewing, I didn't enjoy it as much as now, and I vaguely remember having then reasoned that making fun of religion is unfit for a Catholic and irrelevant for a nonbeliever. I now think this is a wrong assessment of the film. To begin with, what is done here is not simply "making fun", but rather postulating an alternative history of one religion, by the angle of its problematic, or, if you prefer, more interesting points. And the kind of events and ideas depicted are exactly the stuff surrealism is made of.
Rating: 58 (up from 38)
Red Sonja (1985)
Based on a character created by Robert E. Howard, which first appeared in 1934.
In a savage land, Sonja vows revenge against the Queen for having killed her parents and subjected her to rape by soldiers. The Queen steals a magical object (an "orb", as described in IMDB) which gives its owner immense power and was in the process of being destroyed or neutralized because of the dangers it posed to the world. A gallant warrior offers his help to Sonja but will have to overcome her aversion to men.
Undistinguished epic with occasional comic bits. The production design is reasonably attractive, and the overall narrative is bearable.
Rating:33
In a savage land, Sonja vows revenge against the Queen for having killed her parents and subjected her to rape by soldiers. The Queen steals a magical object (an "orb", as described in IMDB) which gives its owner immense power and was in the process of being destroyed or neutralized because of the dangers it posed to the world. A gallant warrior offers his help to Sonja but will have to overcome her aversion to men.
Undistinguished epic with occasional comic bits. The production design is reasonably attractive, and the overall narrative is bearable.
Rating:33
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Red River (1948)
Second viewing; my first one was on December 29, 1989.
A man decides to move his cattle from Texas to Missouri. Along the way, things get rough and his men get restless and he becomes more and more tyrannical. The man's adoptive son faces a dilemma.
I really like this film and its dramatic and epic vigor which is felt in most of its scenes. Upon this second viewing, a few weaknesses became apparent (e.g., the romantic scenes). The ending is also notoriously weak. But it is still a gripping western, highly enjoyable, and with Wayne giving a brilliant performance (but here I differ with some: I think he is alway good). Clift is fine too. The obvious inspiration is Mutiny on the Bounty; Christopher Mulrooney draws a parallel with the Saul and David biblical story.
Rating: 83 (down from 90)
A man decides to move his cattle from Texas to Missouri. Along the way, things get rough and his men get restless and he becomes more and more tyrannical. The man's adoptive son faces a dilemma.
I really like this film and its dramatic and epic vigor which is felt in most of its scenes. Upon this second viewing, a few weaknesses became apparent (e.g., the romantic scenes). The ending is also notoriously weak. But it is still a gripping western, highly enjoyable, and with Wayne giving a brilliant performance (but here I differ with some: I think he is alway good). Clift is fine too. The obvious inspiration is Mutiny on the Bounty; Christopher Mulrooney draws a parallel with the Saul and David biblical story.
Rating: 83 (down from 90)
The Neighbor (1993)
A couple moves to an old house, with a creepy neighbor. He seems to have evil designs on the pregnant woman's baby.
This is a predictable suspenser, not badly directed, and with a memorable performance by Steiger.
Seen dubbed in Portuguese.
Rating: 50
This is a predictable suspenser, not badly directed, and with a memorable performance by Steiger.
Seen dubbed in Portuguese.
Rating: 50
Thursday, January 23, 2014
Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight (2013)
A dramatization of the legal proceedings surrounding an American prizefighter's refusal to fight in the Vietnam war on allegedly religious grounds.
Well-written drama involving some interesting issues which transcend the merely legal sphere into the historical and political ones. Do not expect anything earth-shattering, and do not watch it if you do not have a minimal amount of interest in its theme.
Rating: 55
Well-written drama involving some interesting issues which transcend the merely legal sphere into the historical and political ones. Do not expect anything earth-shattering, and do not watch it if you do not have a minimal amount of interest in its theme.
Rating: 55
Monday, January 20, 2014
My Super Ex-Girlfriend (2006)
A man starts a relationship with a woman, not knowing her secret identity is G-Girl, a superhero. Whe he decides to break up with her, she doesn't take it lightly.
An intelligent premise, to a good extent well developed, but limited, especially toward the last section, by a TV-show style of humor characterized by excessive self-consciousness.
Rating: 60
An intelligent premise, to a good extent well developed, but limited, especially toward the last section, by a TV-show style of humor characterized by excessive self-consciousness.
Rating: 60
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Joyeux Noël (2005)
Title's English translation: Merry Christmas.
Highly fictionalized dramatization of the Christmas truce of 1914, when World War I soldiers of enemy armies agreed on a truce and during several days engaged in fraternization with one another.
Mediocre and dull, with some terrible performances on the German section, yet it has a high score on IMDB, go figure, guess this is what the "average taste" favors. For the historical facts about the truce, see here.
Saw it dubbed in Portuguese, a bizarre experience, the different nationalities are expressed by accents, I wonder if this was also how it was done in the original.
Rating: 35
Highly fictionalized dramatization of the Christmas truce of 1914, when World War I soldiers of enemy armies agreed on a truce and during several days engaged in fraternization with one another.
Mediocre and dull, with some terrible performances on the German section, yet it has a high score on IMDB, go figure, guess this is what the "average taste" favors. For the historical facts about the truce, see here.
Saw it dubbed in Portuguese, a bizarre experience, the different nationalities are expressed by accents, I wonder if this was also how it was done in the original.
Rating: 35
Sunday, January 05, 2014
Eames: The Architect and the Painter (2011)
Documentary about two industrial designers, and also architects, filmmakers, exposition planners, etc.
A conventional documentary, informative enough. The most interesting aspect of the Eames phenomenon is perhaps the conjunction of the artist's individualistic temperament with the necessities of collective creation; also, the contrast between the creative individuals and the mass-targeted products they made. I am not familiar with much of the Eameses' products, except of course the famous chairs, and a short film they made (it was mostly Charles' film, it seems) called Powers of Ten.
A conventional documentary, informative enough. The most interesting aspect of the Eames phenomenon is perhaps the conjunction of the artist's individualistic temperament with the necessities of collective creation; also, the contrast between the creative individuals and the mass-targeted products they made. I am not familiar with much of the Eameses' products, except of course the famous chairs, and a short film they made (it was mostly Charles' film, it seems) called Powers of Ten.
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