Seen for the first time in February 2013.
"Nightmare Alley" is a very good film noir about a scummy, ambitious fellow, unscrupulous by even carney standards. It moves at a brisk pace and never fails to entertain while wallowing in the unseemliness of its protagonist. Takes on a spiritual angle at some point out of nowhere before becoming a kid icarus cautionary tale. Grade A-.
Showing posts with label Film. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Film. Show all posts
Monday, February 25, 2013
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
They Drive By Night
Seen for the first time in February 2013.
"They Drive By Night" is what I call a Frankenstein monster of a movie. It seems like a beast stitched together from the dead parts of aborted projects. It begins light and zippy, yet as some kind of bleak Upton Sinclair kind of thing. All kinds of depressing stuff happens to these two Depression era truck drivers where Humphrey Bogart plays second fiddle to George Raft, which doesn't seem quite right, but nonetheless works. The bleakness is leavened by the zippy dialogue and the fact that everyone is constantly smiling and telling jokes and laughing. The movie is fast paced and lightly entertaining and also serious. I almost thought I had stumbled upon an underrated gem, even if I suspected it was close to a formulaic iteration from a genre I am unfamiliar with.
Then it falls apart in the third act, appreciable only on a camp level. Shooting for drama or what not, the film misses our hearts and hits us in the funny bone. Ida Lupino in particular is too much. She overacts the shit out of her role. And what was tightly written sharp dialogue in the movie's first half becomes, in the second half, tedious at best, fatuous at worst, and all too often winkingly mawkish. But honestly, it sort of amazes me that Ida Lupino's career did not nosedive after this role. She is a hilariously bad actress here. Like the actors in "Troll 2" may have learned how to act by watching Ida Lupino's performance in "The Drive By Night." Anne Sheridan on the other hand is saucy, a tough broad who can crack wise with the best of them. Unfortunately, she and Humphrey Bogart disappear in the second half of the movie, as the bad moon of Ida Lupino rises. I liked Troll 2 though, and I enjoy camp. It's just so disappointing when the first half of the movie showed so much promise. Grade B-.
"They Drive By Night" is what I call a Frankenstein monster of a movie. It seems like a beast stitched together from the dead parts of aborted projects. It begins light and zippy, yet as some kind of bleak Upton Sinclair kind of thing. All kinds of depressing stuff happens to these two Depression era truck drivers where Humphrey Bogart plays second fiddle to George Raft, which doesn't seem quite right, but nonetheless works. The bleakness is leavened by the zippy dialogue and the fact that everyone is constantly smiling and telling jokes and laughing. The movie is fast paced and lightly entertaining and also serious. I almost thought I had stumbled upon an underrated gem, even if I suspected it was close to a formulaic iteration from a genre I am unfamiliar with.
Then it falls apart in the third act, appreciable only on a camp level. Shooting for drama or what not, the film misses our hearts and hits us in the funny bone. Ida Lupino in particular is too much. She overacts the shit out of her role. And what was tightly written sharp dialogue in the movie's first half becomes, in the second half, tedious at best, fatuous at worst, and all too often winkingly mawkish. But honestly, it sort of amazes me that Ida Lupino's career did not nosedive after this role. She is a hilariously bad actress here. Like the actors in "Troll 2" may have learned how to act by watching Ida Lupino's performance in "The Drive By Night." Anne Sheridan on the other hand is saucy, a tough broad who can crack wise with the best of them. Unfortunately, she and Humphrey Bogart disappear in the second half of the movie, as the bad moon of Ida Lupino rises. I liked Troll 2 though, and I enjoy camp. It's just so disappointing when the first half of the movie showed so much promise. Grade B-.
Monday, February 4, 2013
The Girl Who Knew Too Much - Mario Bava
Seen for the first time in February 2013.
"The Girl Who Knew Too Much" is a slow moving but nicely shot black and white thriller. Mario Bava would make more entertaining films in his career. This movie is a run of the mill giallo. Not too exciting or suspenseful, and the ending does nothing to justify what feels like a pedestrian movie experience. There is a really nice scene where bullets puncture the wall of a darkened room and light shines through the holes that prefigures an acclaimed scene from the Coens' "Blood Simple." Interesting to think that that particular bit was such an important part of building their early reputation and it was probably borrowed from Bava. But anyway this is the sort of movie which justifies the lazy's reluctance to watch older movies. Grade C+.
"The Girl Who Knew Too Much" is a slow moving but nicely shot black and white thriller. Mario Bava would make more entertaining films in his career. This movie is a run of the mill giallo. Not too exciting or suspenseful, and the ending does nothing to justify what feels like a pedestrian movie experience. There is a really nice scene where bullets puncture the wall of a darkened room and light shines through the holes that prefigures an acclaimed scene from the Coens' "Blood Simple." Interesting to think that that particular bit was such an important part of building their early reputation and it was probably borrowed from Bava. But anyway this is the sort of movie which justifies the lazy's reluctance to watch older movies. Grade C+.
Sunday, February 3, 2013
For Your Consideration - Christopher Guest
Seen for the first time in February 2013.
"For Your Consideration" is one of Guests stronger efforts along with "Best in Show," and a lot better than the middling "A Mighty Wind." It seems a bit mean-spirited at times, especially the plastic surgery joke, but it takes an easy target, i.e. Hollywood, and pokes some light trivial fun at it. Fred Willard is outstandingly funny and so is the ventriloquist weather girl, but the whole ensemble works pretty well. Unlike, "A Mighty Wind" this film has actual laughs. Grade B+.
"For Your Consideration" is one of Guests stronger efforts along with "Best in Show," and a lot better than the middling "A Mighty Wind." It seems a bit mean-spirited at times, especially the plastic surgery joke, but it takes an easy target, i.e. Hollywood, and pokes some light trivial fun at it. Fred Willard is outstandingly funny and so is the ventriloquist weather girl, but the whole ensemble works pretty well. Unlike, "A Mighty Wind" this film has actual laughs. Grade B+.
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Mad Cowgirl
Seen for the first time in February 2013.
I have to confess that I didn't quite finish "Mad Cowgirl." I fast-forwarded through the last 10 minutes and have no idea what happened there. It's not that bad of a movie though. It has potential. You watch it and think that this is somebody's first movie, and that that somebody has a lot of potential to make good movies though they aren't there yet. You also think, the premise of this movie has a lot of potential, but it never really delivers on it.
The biggest problem with this movie is that it has a pretty shitty sense of humor. My very first thought about it was that I wished this movie was more committed to delivering exploitation thrills than it was in trying to be funny. It has a sub-"Requiem For a Dream" artistic sensibility that works for the most part and is really the aspect that allowed me to power through much of the boredom and tedium that I felt for most of the movie before finally giving in after 75-80 minutes. Of particular weakness is the televangelist character, which kind of feels cliche and uninteresting. Also, apparently the film-maker here doesn't know the difference between roman catholicism and evangelical protestantism. It doesn't really matter except for the fact that its sloppy.
For a movie that's supposed to be a twisted thriller, I'd say it's strange enough, but it needs to deliver more thrills. Grade C-.
I have to confess that I didn't quite finish "Mad Cowgirl." I fast-forwarded through the last 10 minutes and have no idea what happened there. It's not that bad of a movie though. It has potential. You watch it and think that this is somebody's first movie, and that that somebody has a lot of potential to make good movies though they aren't there yet. You also think, the premise of this movie has a lot of potential, but it never really delivers on it.
The biggest problem with this movie is that it has a pretty shitty sense of humor. My very first thought about it was that I wished this movie was more committed to delivering exploitation thrills than it was in trying to be funny. It has a sub-"Requiem For a Dream" artistic sensibility that works for the most part and is really the aspect that allowed me to power through much of the boredom and tedium that I felt for most of the movie before finally giving in after 75-80 minutes. Of particular weakness is the televangelist character, which kind of feels cliche and uninteresting. Also, apparently the film-maker here doesn't know the difference between roman catholicism and evangelical protestantism. It doesn't really matter except for the fact that its sloppy.
For a movie that's supposed to be a twisted thriller, I'd say it's strange enough, but it needs to deliver more thrills. Grade C-.
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
La Grande Illusion - Jean Renoir
Seen for the first time in January 2013.
Something about watching "La Grande Illusion" reminds me of sipping a fine well-aged wheated bourbon. Now a good youngish wheated bourbon initially tastes of vanilla or caramel sweetness transitioning into a golden lushness mid-palate before a nice long soothing finish with a quiet burn. This is, in and of itself, a very tasty and satisfying way to finish off a ruminative and pensive day. But should you age that same bourbon for 10-15 years in new charred oak barrels, that same sip of bourbon will take on an extra dimension. There's a depth and texture that the younger bourbon lacks.
I'm comparing "La Grande Illusion" to aged bourbon, not because it's an old movie, but because it has that same extra dimension of depth and texture. Something that you didn't even know was lacking in other fine movies, and you're not even completely sure how to explain it. It's not greater complexity, or taste, or seriousness. It's another dimension entirely. It's an emanating warmth that pervades everything and yet is impalpable.
They say it's one of the first prison-break movies ever made. But there is no tension nor suspense surrounding the planned escape nor any thrills in its execution. It's notable and remarkable how amicably the Germans and their French prisoners seem to get a long. There is not an ounce of nationalistic propaganda in this film. It accentuates the similarities between people and their needs and at its most on the nose points out the artificiality of borders themselves. The Germans are not portrayed as barbarians, but with honor and a mutual respect for their prisoners.
While it stars the great Jean Gabin, I'd like to emphasize that Pierre Fresnay as aristocratic Boieldieu was a revelation. He's like the Jean Dujardin of another era. Just incredible amounts of gallic charisma and charm. The ending as well is super charming, showing no personal animosity between the French and Germans, which may be unrealistic in some sense, but admirable for striving toward a greater humanistic truth. Grade A.
Something about watching "La Grande Illusion" reminds me of sipping a fine well-aged wheated bourbon. Now a good youngish wheated bourbon initially tastes of vanilla or caramel sweetness transitioning into a golden lushness mid-palate before a nice long soothing finish with a quiet burn. This is, in and of itself, a very tasty and satisfying way to finish off a ruminative and pensive day. But should you age that same bourbon for 10-15 years in new charred oak barrels, that same sip of bourbon will take on an extra dimension. There's a depth and texture that the younger bourbon lacks.
I'm comparing "La Grande Illusion" to aged bourbon, not because it's an old movie, but because it has that same extra dimension of depth and texture. Something that you didn't even know was lacking in other fine movies, and you're not even completely sure how to explain it. It's not greater complexity, or taste, or seriousness. It's another dimension entirely. It's an emanating warmth that pervades everything and yet is impalpable.
They say it's one of the first prison-break movies ever made. But there is no tension nor suspense surrounding the planned escape nor any thrills in its execution. It's notable and remarkable how amicably the Germans and their French prisoners seem to get a long. There is not an ounce of nationalistic propaganda in this film. It accentuates the similarities between people and their needs and at its most on the nose points out the artificiality of borders themselves. The Germans are not portrayed as barbarians, but with honor and a mutual respect for their prisoners.
While it stars the great Jean Gabin, I'd like to emphasize that Pierre Fresnay as aristocratic Boieldieu was a revelation. He's like the Jean Dujardin of another era. Just incredible amounts of gallic charisma and charm. The ending as well is super charming, showing no personal animosity between the French and Germans, which may be unrealistic in some sense, but admirable for striving toward a greater humanistic truth. Grade A.
In a Lonely Place
Seen for the first time in January 2013.
Though I enjoyed it, I don't think "In a Lonely Place" is actually a very good movie. It's biggest problem is that it's overwritten. But it's also choppy and there's lots of stilted dialogue. On the other hand, this is one of the best performances Bogart ever gave, and the underrated Gloria Grahame matches him every step of the way. I wish they had been a more likable couple though. The "honeymoon" period of their relationship was quite sickening. Watching their googly-eyed lovey-doveyness and public displays of affection made me cringe with embarrassment. It's like hanging out with a friend and his new girlfriend and they don't know how to behave in front of people. Sickening. But then of course that changes and things go in a disturbing direction.
It turns out Bogart's character doesn't just have anger management issues. His rage is palpable and disturbing and quite likely homicidal and very scary. This thing becomes a monster movie and Bogart is the monster and we hope poor Gloria Grahame makes it out okay. It's actually a pretty impressive depiction, for its time, of a controlling abusive relationship. I'm pretty sure there wasn't a short-hand understanding about the dynamics of these relationships at the time. I admire and am impressed with the insight on display, but ultimately, the film is close to a failure as a matter of style. And by the by, that nonsense little poem "I was born when she kissed me..." is pretty much the shittiest attempt at evocative ponderousness I've seen in a movie in a long time. Grade B-.
Though I enjoyed it, I don't think "In a Lonely Place" is actually a very good movie. It's biggest problem is that it's overwritten. But it's also choppy and there's lots of stilted dialogue. On the other hand, this is one of the best performances Bogart ever gave, and the underrated Gloria Grahame matches him every step of the way. I wish they had been a more likable couple though. The "honeymoon" period of their relationship was quite sickening. Watching their googly-eyed lovey-doveyness and public displays of affection made me cringe with embarrassment. It's like hanging out with a friend and his new girlfriend and they don't know how to behave in front of people. Sickening. But then of course that changes and things go in a disturbing direction.
It turns out Bogart's character doesn't just have anger management issues. His rage is palpable and disturbing and quite likely homicidal and very scary. This thing becomes a monster movie and Bogart is the monster and we hope poor Gloria Grahame makes it out okay. It's actually a pretty impressive depiction, for its time, of a controlling abusive relationship. I'm pretty sure there wasn't a short-hand understanding about the dynamics of these relationships at the time. I admire and am impressed with the insight on display, but ultimately, the film is close to a failure as a matter of style. And by the by, that nonsense little poem "I was born when she kissed me..." is pretty much the shittiest attempt at evocative ponderousness I've seen in a movie in a long time. Grade B-.
Eugenie De Sade - Jess Franco
Seen for the first time in January 2013.
"Eugenie de Sade" is Jess Franco at his sleazy, salacious best. This film stands out among Franco's oeuvre as one of the few made with seeming love and care, with scintillating eroticism and surreal villainy. At its most dramatic moments one wants to bust out laughing. It plays like a parody of drama, most reminiscent of certain moments from David Lynch's television show "Twin Peaks", particularly the fake soap opera "Invitation to Love".
But the thing about any Jess Franco film is that you're never quite sure how much you're laughing at it, and how much you're laughing with it. Whether Jess Franco is brilliant or if he's an incompetent hack. Probably he's been both in his career. "Eugenie De Sade" is no exception, but it's definitely among the films a person would cite to argue the man is in fact a brilliant artist. It's an engaging mix of the surreal and silly, dramatic and sleazy, and shows what Franco is capable of when inspired and in full use of his talents and effort.
Not that the movie isn't slow in parts. It's typical 70's exploitation in a lot of ways. The plot is ridiculously bad. The characters are grotesquely thin, and seemingly the whole thing is a weak pretext for making what is basically what would seem like little more than an obscene and creepy little movie in more routine hands. But in Franco's hands, it's a kind of masterpiece. Not a masterpiece for respectable audiences, maybe, but a masterpiece for the rare breed of grimy connoisseur, who looks for and finds art in the unlikely places, including the disreputable ones. Grade A.
"Eugenie de Sade" is Jess Franco at his sleazy, salacious best. This film stands out among Franco's oeuvre as one of the few made with seeming love and care, with scintillating eroticism and surreal villainy. At its most dramatic moments one wants to bust out laughing. It plays like a parody of drama, most reminiscent of certain moments from David Lynch's television show "Twin Peaks", particularly the fake soap opera "Invitation to Love".
But the thing about any Jess Franco film is that you're never quite sure how much you're laughing at it, and how much you're laughing with it. Whether Jess Franco is brilliant or if he's an incompetent hack. Probably he's been both in his career. "Eugenie De Sade" is no exception, but it's definitely among the films a person would cite to argue the man is in fact a brilliant artist. It's an engaging mix of the surreal and silly, dramatic and sleazy, and shows what Franco is capable of when inspired and in full use of his talents and effort.
Not that the movie isn't slow in parts. It's typical 70's exploitation in a lot of ways. The plot is ridiculously bad. The characters are grotesquely thin, and seemingly the whole thing is a weak pretext for making what is basically what would seem like little more than an obscene and creepy little movie in more routine hands. But in Franco's hands, it's a kind of masterpiece. Not a masterpiece for respectable audiences, maybe, but a masterpiece for the rare breed of grimy connoisseur, who looks for and finds art in the unlikely places, including the disreputable ones. Grade A.
Monday, January 28, 2013
The Girl From Monaco
Seen for the first time in January 2013.
For the first hour or so, "The Girl From Monaco" seems like the kind of crappy romantic-comedy that one need not go to France and subtitles for. It's okay as far as that formula goes, with an uptight nebbish lawyer, a sexually available trollop, and a grim body-guard. There is humor present, though maybe not the laugh out loud kind. But as the film goes on, it stops trying to be funny, and we start to notice some interesting parallels between the love triangle in the lawyer's case and the love triangle in the lawyer's life. And so there's only one way this will end up, and it's not funny, but it is interesting. Maybe in the final few moments, the film tries too hard to be evocative. And fails. But it ends up being a pretty good movie that sucks you in with its relatability. Grade B +.
For the first hour or so, "The Girl From Monaco" seems like the kind of crappy romantic-comedy that one need not go to France and subtitles for. It's okay as far as that formula goes, with an uptight nebbish lawyer, a sexually available trollop, and a grim body-guard. There is humor present, though maybe not the laugh out loud kind. But as the film goes on, it stops trying to be funny, and we start to notice some interesting parallels between the love triangle in the lawyer's case and the love triangle in the lawyer's life. And so there's only one way this will end up, and it's not funny, but it is interesting. Maybe in the final few moments, the film tries too hard to be evocative. And fails. But it ends up being a pretty good movie that sucks you in with its relatability. Grade B +.
Macao - Josef Von Sternberg
Seen for the first time in January 2013.
I don't consider myself particularly well-versed in Mitchum, but in "Macao" I can definitely see why he was a star. It's maybe not the best film of his that I've seen, but it's probably the most charismatic Mitchum performance that I've seen. Jane Russell also gives a great performance. Her smile is intoxicating, illuminating a deceptive beauty. She brings a crass sophistication to her tenderly cynical role. Matched with Mitchum's charisma, this seedily glamorous noir is both routine and excellent. Grade A-.
I don't consider myself particularly well-versed in Mitchum, but in "Macao" I can definitely see why he was a star. It's maybe not the best film of his that I've seen, but it's probably the most charismatic Mitchum performance that I've seen. Jane Russell also gives a great performance. Her smile is intoxicating, illuminating a deceptive beauty. She brings a crass sophistication to her tenderly cynical role. Matched with Mitchum's charisma, this seedily glamorous noir is both routine and excellent. Grade A-.
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Violette - Claude Chabrol
Seen for the first time in January 2013.
At first glance "Violette" did not exactly cater to my sensibilities. It seemed at first what I might describe as bourgeois or perhaps middlebrow. But once the crime is committed and the arrests are made, it becomes quite a good movie. The story really is shocking, and Violette, intensely played by Isabella Huppert is an astonishing and memorable character. Chabrol depicts the sensationalism surrounding her trial in all of its humanity-is-little-more-than-apes-flinging-shit-at-each-other ignominy.
And upon her conviction when Violette calls the panel of jurors bastards who disgust her... I don't even know how to react to that. Cause on the one hand, it seems a fair indictment of humanity in general at that point, but on the other hand, there's a fairly sizable plank in her eye. She's a complex character, toward whom we're surprised to feel some sympathy despite her seeming monstrousnes which is on reminiscent of the main character in Camus's "L'etranger."
All said, "Violette," which is based upon a true story was a nicely layered and thoughtful film that told its story and depicted its characters with remarkable grace and subtlety. Grade B.
At first glance "Violette" did not exactly cater to my sensibilities. It seemed at first what I might describe as bourgeois or perhaps middlebrow. But once the crime is committed and the arrests are made, it becomes quite a good movie. The story really is shocking, and Violette, intensely played by Isabella Huppert is an astonishing and memorable character. Chabrol depicts the sensationalism surrounding her trial in all of its humanity-is-little-more-than-apes-flinging-shit-at-each-other ignominy.
And upon her conviction when Violette calls the panel of jurors bastards who disgust her... I don't even know how to react to that. Cause on the one hand, it seems a fair indictment of humanity in general at that point, but on the other hand, there's a fairly sizable plank in her eye. She's a complex character, toward whom we're surprised to feel some sympathy despite her seeming monstrousnes which is on reminiscent of the main character in Camus's "L'etranger."
All said, "Violette," which is based upon a true story was a nicely layered and thoughtful film that told its story and depicted its characters with remarkable grace and subtlety. Grade B.
Friday, January 25, 2013
The Two Jakes
Seen for the first time in January 2013.
That a film is not as good as "Chinatown," one of the finest films of the 70's, is not at all a fair criticism to level any film. But by virtue of being its sequel, I probably won't be able to keep myself from spending much of my time explaining why "The Two Jakes" is not as good as "Chinatown." This is despite the fact that I think "The Two Jakes" is a very enjoyable film with many entertaining parts. I would certainly watch it again.
Nonetheless, it's not as good as "Chinatown." First of all, I don't really understand it. I don't understand the plot. The motivations are opaque. It's moody, but we don't really understand why it's moody. And I suppose I could rewatch the scene where Keitel's Jake Berman character actually talks about his motivations and figure things out better, but truthfully I don't really care. Fundamentally the plot of this movie doesn't really make any sense, and whatever the contrived explanation is, it isn't really going to make it make sense. By the way, did Berman's business partner really not know who his wife is? It's easy enough to figure out well before the movie reveals it.
Also, "The Two Jakes" is a little tawdry, a little tacky. Listening to the pleasured moans of a women engaged in sexual congress strikes a dissonant note for example. "Chinatown" was a classy movie. A fine movie. "The Two Jakes" is a base thriller. I like cheap thrills. But you want "The Two Jakes" to be respectful to its heritage. It doesn't quite succeed.
And on the other hand, "The Two Jakes" is portentious. Jake Gittes, and in this movie everyone pronounces his name how it's spelled, is haunted by the past. Characters talk about how you can "never escape" the past and we get serious voice-overs and and a such a serious tone at times. "Chinatown" did not try so hard to be a serious movie. It was before it was anything else, a suspenseful thriller with a particularly great iconic 70's film ending. It didn't have to tell you it was serious, it just was. True to the best of noir's instincts. it featured a flawed protagonist, in an irredeemably corrupt world, who fought that corruption on behalf of one innocent. And who lost, because corruption is inexorable, and the innocent do not survive. Maybe "The Two Jakes" tries to gesture at this sort of thing, but it's not really integrated into the story cohesively and we're back at the fact that all in all this movie doesn't make any sense.
But it entertains nonetheless. And when it isn't being tacky or corny, it can be pretty funny. I don't really get it. I don't get what's going on with Harvey Keitel for example pretty much at all. But Jack Nicholson more or less carries the film with his charisma nonetheless. Grade B.
That a film is not as good as "Chinatown," one of the finest films of the 70's, is not at all a fair criticism to level any film. But by virtue of being its sequel, I probably won't be able to keep myself from spending much of my time explaining why "The Two Jakes" is not as good as "Chinatown." This is despite the fact that I think "The Two Jakes" is a very enjoyable film with many entertaining parts. I would certainly watch it again.
Nonetheless, it's not as good as "Chinatown." First of all, I don't really understand it. I don't understand the plot. The motivations are opaque. It's moody, but we don't really understand why it's moody. And I suppose I could rewatch the scene where Keitel's Jake Berman character actually talks about his motivations and figure things out better, but truthfully I don't really care. Fundamentally the plot of this movie doesn't really make any sense, and whatever the contrived explanation is, it isn't really going to make it make sense. By the way, did Berman's business partner really not know who his wife is? It's easy enough to figure out well before the movie reveals it.
Also, "The Two Jakes" is a little tawdry, a little tacky. Listening to the pleasured moans of a women engaged in sexual congress strikes a dissonant note for example. "Chinatown" was a classy movie. A fine movie. "The Two Jakes" is a base thriller. I like cheap thrills. But you want "The Two Jakes" to be respectful to its heritage. It doesn't quite succeed.
And on the other hand, "The Two Jakes" is portentious. Jake Gittes, and in this movie everyone pronounces his name how it's spelled, is haunted by the past. Characters talk about how you can "never escape" the past and we get serious voice-overs and and a such a serious tone at times. "Chinatown" did not try so hard to be a serious movie. It was before it was anything else, a suspenseful thriller with a particularly great iconic 70's film ending. It didn't have to tell you it was serious, it just was. True to the best of noir's instincts. it featured a flawed protagonist, in an irredeemably corrupt world, who fought that corruption on behalf of one innocent. And who lost, because corruption is inexorable, and the innocent do not survive. Maybe "The Two Jakes" tries to gesture at this sort of thing, but it's not really integrated into the story cohesively and we're back at the fact that all in all this movie doesn't make any sense.
But it entertains nonetheless. And when it isn't being tacky or corny, it can be pretty funny. I don't really get it. I don't get what's going on with Harvey Keitel for example pretty much at all. But Jack Nicholson more or less carries the film with his charisma nonetheless. Grade B.
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Nototrious - Alfred Hitchcock
Seen for the first time in January 2013.
"Notorious" is definitely among Hitchcock's very best. It is a flawless movie. It's maybe Hitchcock's best shot movie, and Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman, and Claude Rains are all amazing in it. It's heartbreaking to watch Grant and Bergman's characters, obviously in love with each other, treat each other shittily throughout the film. I constantly thought to myself that life is too short to be spending time treating people you love in a shitty way. It shares quite a bit with Casablanca, though it's somehow a colder more sterile film. I think the subtlety of the emotions Grant has to play are tough to pull off and he does it ably. But the real strength of the movie is the building of tension and suspense and the final dramatic pay-off. Grade A.
"Notorious" is definitely among Hitchcock's very best. It is a flawless movie. It's maybe Hitchcock's best shot movie, and Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman, and Claude Rains are all amazing in it. It's heartbreaking to watch Grant and Bergman's characters, obviously in love with each other, treat each other shittily throughout the film. I constantly thought to myself that life is too short to be spending time treating people you love in a shitty way. It shares quite a bit with Casablanca, though it's somehow a colder more sterile film. I think the subtlety of the emotions Grant has to play are tough to pull off and he does it ably. But the real strength of the movie is the building of tension and suspense and the final dramatic pay-off. Grade A.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
The Sister of Ursula
Seen for the first time in January 2013.
What "The Sister of Ursula" lacks in originality and pacing, it makes up for in tawdriness. Ultimately this film has a nice twist and builds to a solid climax, but one might never make it there without the sordid sleaze and atmospheric suspense of the first half of this solid if undistinguished giallo. Grade B.
What "The Sister of Ursula" lacks in originality and pacing, it makes up for in tawdriness. Ultimately this film has a nice twist and builds to a solid climax, but one might never make it there without the sordid sleaze and atmospheric suspense of the first half of this solid if undistinguished giallo. Grade B.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
The Girl From Rio - Jess Franco
Seen for the first time in January 2013.
I didn't know that I was going to be watching a Jess Franco film until I saw his name in the opening credits. This changed my expectations considerably, though perhaps it ought not to have, as "The Girl From Rio" is at the conventional end of the Franco spectrum without also being at the positive end of the qualitative spectrum. Though Franco's imprint is subtle, it is still definitely there.
Evidently this is an adaption of a Sax Rohmer story, about a sex-crazed villainess who wants to enslave all men. Like "Barbarella," it's more of a b-movie than any kind of exploitation movie - if we can draw a distinction between the two as a matter of genre than as a matter of production and marketing. Also, like "Barbarella," it's kind of boring.
The qualities that make a Franco film distinctive are somewhat lacking here. It's sensual without being smutty. There's no surrealism, nor any obvious incompetence. A reasonable amount of effort seems to have gone into making it. It is, to put it plainly, a very conventional bad movie that one could easily imagine leaving an audience of tasteful middle class adults bored yet not ashamed. This is not the sort of film that Franco is known for. At his best, he would leave that same audience either scandalized and corrupted or astonished that a movie that bad had ever been made.
Nonetheless, little touches bear the Franco imprint, e.g. awkward dubbed dialogue, an incoherent twist, etc. Franco is a frustrating film-maker. What makes him distinctive is hard to pin down, and his oeuvre is so vast and he's worked in so many different genres and styles with varieties of budgets and seeming effort on his part. A person is probably a lot better off if they dismiss him casually before they find themselves corrupted by one of his gems and find themselves wading in and sifting through more and more of his work in an effort to duplicate that initial experience. Though sometimes one is rewarded by finding another gem. Just not in this case. Grade C.
I didn't know that I was going to be watching a Jess Franco film until I saw his name in the opening credits. This changed my expectations considerably, though perhaps it ought not to have, as "The Girl From Rio" is at the conventional end of the Franco spectrum without also being at the positive end of the qualitative spectrum. Though Franco's imprint is subtle, it is still definitely there.
Evidently this is an adaption of a Sax Rohmer story, about a sex-crazed villainess who wants to enslave all men. Like "Barbarella," it's more of a b-movie than any kind of exploitation movie - if we can draw a distinction between the two as a matter of genre than as a matter of production and marketing. Also, like "Barbarella," it's kind of boring.
The qualities that make a Franco film distinctive are somewhat lacking here. It's sensual without being smutty. There's no surrealism, nor any obvious incompetence. A reasonable amount of effort seems to have gone into making it. It is, to put it plainly, a very conventional bad movie that one could easily imagine leaving an audience of tasteful middle class adults bored yet not ashamed. This is not the sort of film that Franco is known for. At his best, he would leave that same audience either scandalized and corrupted or astonished that a movie that bad had ever been made.
Nonetheless, little touches bear the Franco imprint, e.g. awkward dubbed dialogue, an incoherent twist, etc. Franco is a frustrating film-maker. What makes him distinctive is hard to pin down, and his oeuvre is so vast and he's worked in so many different genres and styles with varieties of budgets and seeming effort on his part. A person is probably a lot better off if they dismiss him casually before they find themselves corrupted by one of his gems and find themselves wading in and sifting through more and more of his work in an effort to duplicate that initial experience. Though sometimes one is rewarded by finding another gem. Just not in this case. Grade C.
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Diabolique - Henri-Georges Clouzot
Seen for the first time in January 2013.
"Diabolique" is taut and suspenseful and clearly hugely influential. It takes a minute to get rolling, but once it does the tension and mystery build to a great climax. The idea behind the twist popped through my head a few times, but probably only because I had seen enough movies that aped that twist. A really well done film. Well thought and well executed. Grade A.
"Diabolique" is taut and suspenseful and clearly hugely influential. It takes a minute to get rolling, but once it does the tension and mystery build to a great climax. The idea behind the twist popped through my head a few times, but probably only because I had seen enough movies that aped that twist. A really well done film. Well thought and well executed. Grade A.
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
The Dead Zone - David Cronenberg
Seen for the first time in January 2013.
Putting Christopher Walken as the lead role in "The Dead Zone" is some crazy yet brilliant casting. I don't know if it's perfect casting but it's definitely inspired. Walken is so off-putting and it works well with the creepy and ominous atmosphere this film has going for it, but I can't help but wonder how it would play with a different actor.
But this is of no import. "The Dead Zone" is probably the very best adaption of a Stephen King novel bar none, which when faithful tend to err on the side of the boring for long stretches. And which when non-faithful there exists no easily applicable generalization. But suffice it to say Cronenberg delivers a strong movie here. I am not generally fan, but this is a great effort.
The ending in particular is brilliant. First of all, Michael Douglas's final actions are hilarious.And then the overblown pathos of Christopher Walken's final moments is almost camp. But it works. Grade A-.
Putting Christopher Walken as the lead role in "The Dead Zone" is some crazy yet brilliant casting. I don't know if it's perfect casting but it's definitely inspired. Walken is so off-putting and it works well with the creepy and ominous atmosphere this film has going for it, but I can't help but wonder how it would play with a different actor.
But this is of no import. "The Dead Zone" is probably the very best adaption of a Stephen King novel bar none, which when faithful tend to err on the side of the boring for long stretches. And which when non-faithful there exists no easily applicable generalization. But suffice it to say Cronenberg delivers a strong movie here. I am not generally fan, but this is a great effort.
The ending in particular is brilliant. First of all, Michael Douglas's final actions are hilarious.And then the overblown pathos of Christopher Walken's final moments is almost camp. But it works. Grade A-.
Sunday, January 6, 2013
And God Created Woman
Seen for the first time in January 2012.
"And God Created Woman" is a fairly slight movie for the bulk of its duration. We seemingly have a good-hearted trollop, iconically played by Brigitte Bardot, surrounded by wolves, by who's machinations she ends up marrying a likeable and sympathetic guy. But maybe and by "maybe" I mean "obviously," she is in love with her husband's brother who is attracted to her but put off by her wild ways. Husband and wife try their damnedest to make each other happy, but the wolves are circling, and of course she succumbs to temptation.
This is where the movie gets good. The tension builds and she goes into a frenzy of dancing in a pretty good scene toward the end. And the ambiguity of the ending works pretty well. Will she ever make that poor fellow happy or will she just drive him to misery? We don't know, but me, I wish 'em the best. Grade B-.
"And God Created Woman" is a fairly slight movie for the bulk of its duration. We seemingly have a good-hearted trollop, iconically played by Brigitte Bardot, surrounded by wolves, by who's machinations she ends up marrying a likeable and sympathetic guy. But maybe and by "maybe" I mean "obviously," she is in love with her husband's brother who is attracted to her but put off by her wild ways. Husband and wife try their damnedest to make each other happy, but the wolves are circling, and of course she succumbs to temptation.
This is where the movie gets good. The tension builds and she goes into a frenzy of dancing in a pretty good scene toward the end. And the ambiguity of the ending works pretty well. Will she ever make that poor fellow happy or will she just drive him to misery? We don't know, but me, I wish 'em the best. Grade B-.
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Django Unchained - Quentin Tarantino
Seen in the theater for the first time in January 2013.
I thought I would never again utter the words "that might be his best movie" about a new Tarantino movie, but that's exactly what I found myself saying after finishing "Django Unchained." I think the key thing about this movie is the love story. It's something that's really lacking in Tarantino's other movies. This is the fitst time that Tarantino has filmed genuinely moving scenes. The closest he has come before was in "Jackie Brown" (and to some extent "Reservoir Dogs"), but the stakes are so much higher here.
And this is an important point in comparison to "Inglorious Basterds," where the stakes somehow don't feel as high or as real, where Tarantino basically made a stupid cartoon. I nicknamed Tarantino "the master of cartoon violence" after that film and I meant it as a complement. It's quite a thing to be, but it was little more than transferring what's great about "Kill Bill Vol. 1" to WWII and making what felt like a dumb cartoon, where many of Tarantino's signature elements and obsessions grated highly.
Django on the other hand deals with its material in a genuine way. It's hard not to call much of it a cartoon as well, but it nonetheless deals with the subject in a such a serious way that the cartoonish elements work within and in complement to a larger more serious framework. Tarantino gets many little details right as well, and the racial component was surprisingly nuanced in my opinion. Most obviously in the form of Samuel L. Jackson's character, but also even in Django himself, who's willing to sacrifice other slaves in the pursuit of his own goals. A detail Tarantino gets wrong however is when Candie's sister brings Hildy to Schulz's room. This is something a southern lady would have pretended not to know about. But even here, I wonder if Tarantino's version isn't better. Sometimes art must lie to tell bigger truths.
Strangely I was not dazzled by the violence here as I have been by other Tarantino films. Of course the film is incredibly violent, but it doesn't stand out as a dazzling tour de force of violent extravaganza the way the first Kill Bill did upon seeing it in the theater. I feel like, as in Tarantino's first three movies, the story and the film stand up on its own without the incredibly stylish violence.
And yet at the end of the day I am still not 100% convinced it's his best film. It's something I'll have to ruminate on more and frankly, I'll probably have to re-screen it and see how it holds up. It's a long movie, after all, and while I'm still dizzy from the thrills, I can't help but wonder how much bloat is in here. But I'm inclined to give it the benefit of the doubt. This is Tarantino for the first time in a long time wrestling with serious impulses and perhaps biting off more than he can chew. But I think I favor it. If "Kill Bill Vol. 1" is a stunning display of his mastery of cartoon violence and "Inglorious Basterds" is his cartoon treatment of the holocaust, then "Django Unchained" is a perhaps imperfect mix of Tarantino's cartoonishness and seiousness. His first three movies mixed the cartoonishness and seriousness more expertly, but the stakes were also much lower. Grade A.
I thought I would never again utter the words "that might be his best movie" about a new Tarantino movie, but that's exactly what I found myself saying after finishing "Django Unchained." I think the key thing about this movie is the love story. It's something that's really lacking in Tarantino's other movies. This is the fitst time that Tarantino has filmed genuinely moving scenes. The closest he has come before was in "Jackie Brown" (and to some extent "Reservoir Dogs"), but the stakes are so much higher here.
And this is an important point in comparison to "Inglorious Basterds," where the stakes somehow don't feel as high or as real, where Tarantino basically made a stupid cartoon. I nicknamed Tarantino "the master of cartoon violence" after that film and I meant it as a complement. It's quite a thing to be, but it was little more than transferring what's great about "Kill Bill Vol. 1" to WWII and making what felt like a dumb cartoon, where many of Tarantino's signature elements and obsessions grated highly.
Django on the other hand deals with its material in a genuine way. It's hard not to call much of it a cartoon as well, but it nonetheless deals with the subject in a such a serious way that the cartoonish elements work within and in complement to a larger more serious framework. Tarantino gets many little details right as well, and the racial component was surprisingly nuanced in my opinion. Most obviously in the form of Samuel L. Jackson's character, but also even in Django himself, who's willing to sacrifice other slaves in the pursuit of his own goals. A detail Tarantino gets wrong however is when Candie's sister brings Hildy to Schulz's room. This is something a southern lady would have pretended not to know about. But even here, I wonder if Tarantino's version isn't better. Sometimes art must lie to tell bigger truths.
Strangely I was not dazzled by the violence here as I have been by other Tarantino films. Of course the film is incredibly violent, but it doesn't stand out as a dazzling tour de force of violent extravaganza the way the first Kill Bill did upon seeing it in the theater. I feel like, as in Tarantino's first three movies, the story and the film stand up on its own without the incredibly stylish violence.
And yet at the end of the day I am still not 100% convinced it's his best film. It's something I'll have to ruminate on more and frankly, I'll probably have to re-screen it and see how it holds up. It's a long movie, after all, and while I'm still dizzy from the thrills, I can't help but wonder how much bloat is in here. But I'm inclined to give it the benefit of the doubt. This is Tarantino for the first time in a long time wrestling with serious impulses and perhaps biting off more than he can chew. But I think I favor it. If "Kill Bill Vol. 1" is a stunning display of his mastery of cartoon violence and "Inglorious Basterds" is his cartoon treatment of the holocaust, then "Django Unchained" is a perhaps imperfect mix of Tarantino's cartoonishness and seiousness. His first three movies mixed the cartoonishness and seriousness more expertly, but the stakes were also much lower. Grade A.
Friday, December 28, 2012
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