Thanks, Don, for your reviews. 'Red Eye' is on my netflix queue.
But I have seen three movies this year... including DVDs... so am at an all-time low for film commentary.
In brief:
Notes on a Scandal: Pleasant but unpersuasive diversion. Two noted actresses, though I noticed nothing about their acting, really, or the writing.
Children of Men: I rate this along with BLADERUNNER as an effective set design and evocation of a dystopian near-future. I followed the story of this fairy tale with close attention in the theater, but little stuck with me after I'd left beyond the images and the swift and striking changes in mood. I needed a little less fairy-tale-thin premise to get me into the time and place of the drama, so I never got into the characters who lived in it. But scenes taken in isolation were very visually and sensually persuasive... though not emotionally persuasive.
The Banff Mountain Film Festival: Every year Pat and I go to see this road show in Washington at the National Geographic auditorium. It's usually the highlight of my film year. But this year it ranged from pleasant to indifferent.
Asiemut: One film followed a man and woman who biked from Mongolia across China to India. For those of you who can read French [sigh], here's a link to their site. [http://www.asiemut.mine.nu/] It's a simple but eloquent story of two people who, in their own words, wish to go beyond their own limits. They succeed... and the story is enriching and moving.
Patagonia, a travel to the end of the world: The Patagonia icecap lies between the Andes mountains, and is frequently exposed to strong winds and whiteout. Norwegian Børge Ousland and Thomas Ulrich from Switzerland started from a small village in Chile to cross the world’s third largest icecap from the west to reach the eastern shores of Argentina. They had to carry all their equipment und food supplies for the 54-day-long expedition with skis and special kayaks, because they had no outside help. They used their kayaks as sled, and did some admirably manly and ill-advised lashing-together of kayaks to make rafts. Very Huck Finn. And cold and crazy and a tribute to Y chromosones and their epic adumbrations of common sense.
The most accessible films... not very interesting as films, but for their content... are the 'Kids Who Rip' films. These are very young kids doing extreme sports. These films are cute in the irrefutably compelling sense of talking dogs and cats playing pianos. They are fun to watch. Go here to watch a few. [http://www.kidswhorip.com/portal] - download a short teaser in several formats. I am, of course, far cooler and sick-awesome than any of these kids. I am extreme typing now, yeow, in the tube!
I have also been watching 'The Wire' on video. Yeaah! Sweeet! Maybe not as much fun as 'Homicide'. But it's been a slow year for me.
Showing posts with label Best-Of Lists. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Best-Of Lists. Show all posts
21 February 2007
27 March 2005
A Convenient Six Pack
INTERMISSION -- Charming Irish comedy, with lots of lovable characters. Not Ned Devine lovable -- more urban and accessible. At its core it's the story of a marriage in trouble, exploring the laws of unintended consequences. Young John breaks up with Deirdre, who takes up with a much older (and married) banker. John's friend Oscar (as a last resort after even pornography fails him) visits a "mature" singles bar where he meets the banker's wife. Intersecting this odd quadrangle is a violent but entertaining hood played by Colin Farrell, who has the stupidly brilliant idea of kidnapping Deirdre and demanding a ransom from the banker. This was a film where I was never sure what was going to happen next, a truth that's established right in the opening scene. Highly recommended, for good performances, a great ensemble cast and a well-crafted story.
DEAD MAN -- Slow, but watchable Jim Jarmisch Western, with Johnny Depp in the title role. He plays an accountant named William Blake, who's traveled to the town of Machine to accept a job in the local factory. He is accidentally involved in a shoot-out, killing the factory owner's son, and then has to take it on the lam. While lamming, he's befriended by a very literate Indian by the name of Nobody, who mistakes him for the poet of the same name and agrees to help him on his way. A lot of over-the-top performances by a lot of great character actors, and a bleak, black-and-white view of the West that feels right, even if it's as far as you could get from John Ford's Monument Valley. Highly recommended for Jarmish fans, mildly recommended for others.
TRAINSPOTTING -- Very funny, but sometimes grotesque, and it took me a while to get past the impenetrable Edinburgh accents. A sometimes surrealistic story of low-life drug addicts, who seem to be having a good time even though they're crawling through filth and slime. It's been criticized for romanticizing drug use, but it didn't seem too romantic to me. It's clear from the film that shooting heroin feels good. (I mean, if it didn't, why would anybody do it?) But it's also pretty clear it destroys whatever one has in the way of humanity. Recommended, but not for the squeamish.
THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION -- I don't understand why I never got around to seeing this until last month, since it seems to be playing almost every weekend on at least one of my cable channels. Although maybe that's why... In any case, I assume everyone's seen it already, so I don't need to say anything about it. Recommended, and hopeful, if not exactly a feel-good movie.
YOJIMBO -- One of my favorite Westerns, which I haven't seen in maybe 25 years. It struck me as less serious and more fun this time, perhaps because I'm older and wiser, or perhaps because I was seeing it without a scholarly critique from a Professional PBS Film Expert. Toshiro Mifune is the lone swordsman who flips a stick at a cross-roads and follows its chance direction to the next town. The locals are split into two factions, he offers his services to each, plays them both, and leaves after they destroy each other. "Now this town will be quiet," he says. See Also A FISTFULL OF DOLLARS. Recommended, and one of the best samurai pictures.
THE BICYCLE THIEF -- One of those must-see films, the title of which I first heard in a Woody Allen movie. It took a looong time for me to get around to it, but thanks to Netflix, I finally did. Engaging, despite a very small story. I was perhaps most intrigued by the hero's almost childlike assumption of a just world. After his bike is stolen, he still believes he'll be able to find it again, even if it's been broken into parts. He expects the authorities to help him, even in the sun-bleached chaos of post-war Rome. See Also PEE WEE'S BIG ADVENTURE (just kidding). Recommended, in the interest of cultural literacy.
DEAD MAN -- Slow, but watchable Jim Jarmisch Western, with Johnny Depp in the title role. He plays an accountant named William Blake, who's traveled to the town of Machine to accept a job in the local factory. He is accidentally involved in a shoot-out, killing the factory owner's son, and then has to take it on the lam. While lamming, he's befriended by a very literate Indian by the name of Nobody, who mistakes him for the poet of the same name and agrees to help him on his way. A lot of over-the-top performances by a lot of great character actors, and a bleak, black-and-white view of the West that feels right, even if it's as far as you could get from John Ford's Monument Valley. Highly recommended for Jarmish fans, mildly recommended for others.
TRAINSPOTTING -- Very funny, but sometimes grotesque, and it took me a while to get past the impenetrable Edinburgh accents. A sometimes surrealistic story of low-life drug addicts, who seem to be having a good time even though they're crawling through filth and slime. It's been criticized for romanticizing drug use, but it didn't seem too romantic to me. It's clear from the film that shooting heroin feels good. (I mean, if it didn't, why would anybody do it?) But it's also pretty clear it destroys whatever one has in the way of humanity. Recommended, but not for the squeamish.
THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION -- I don't understand why I never got around to seeing this until last month, since it seems to be playing almost every weekend on at least one of my cable channels. Although maybe that's why... In any case, I assume everyone's seen it already, so I don't need to say anything about it. Recommended, and hopeful, if not exactly a feel-good movie.
YOJIMBO -- One of my favorite Westerns, which I haven't seen in maybe 25 years. It struck me as less serious and more fun this time, perhaps because I'm older and wiser, or perhaps because I was seeing it without a scholarly critique from a Professional PBS Film Expert. Toshiro Mifune is the lone swordsman who flips a stick at a cross-roads and follows its chance direction to the next town. The locals are split into two factions, he offers his services to each, plays them both, and leaves after they destroy each other. "Now this town will be quiet," he says. See Also A FISTFULL OF DOLLARS. Recommended, and one of the best samurai pictures.
THE BICYCLE THIEF -- One of those must-see films, the title of which I first heard in a Woody Allen movie. It took a looong time for me to get around to it, but thanks to Netflix, I finally did. Engaging, despite a very small story. I was perhaps most intrigued by the hero's almost childlike assumption of a just world. After his bike is stolen, he still believes he'll be able to find it again, even if it's been broken into parts. He expects the authorities to help him, even in the sun-bleached chaos of post-war Rome. See Also PEE WEE'S BIG ADVENTURE (just kidding). Recommended, in the interest of cultural literacy.
18 January 2005
To date... I forgot...
Where the Buffalo Roam [1980] Bill Murray plays Hunter S. Thompson. I saw Terry Gillam's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas [his screenplay], and liked it somewhat. Johnny Depp was very satisfying. And I remembered loving Where the Buffalo Roam when I first saw it many years ago. I was so wrong. It is Bad. I'm sure I would profit by reflecting on why I liked it then. Maybe it was odd. Maybe I liked the Counterculture then. But it's just unwatchable.
2005 Viewing to Date...
Note on Ratings:
Must See: Five Stars. Has a good chance of being on the top ten recommended at the end of the year.
Recommended Entertainment: Four stars for fun.
Recommended Exploration: Four stars from making you a better person.
Good: Three stars. You'll never be sorry you saw a good film.
Lame: Two Stars. Hire the handicapped. Usually not actually so much bad as silly or predictable or pointless or manipulative or Hollywood crap.
Bad: One Star. Waste of time. No redeeming features. Not noteworthy in its lameness.
Awful: No star. Surprisingly bad. Bad on a grand scale, or in an original way. Stunning. Inspires rage or anhedonia. Examples: Van Helsing, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.
Jan 03: The Return: Russian Father suddenly appears after many years absence and takes his two sons on a very odd fishing trip. Minimum of dialog; lots of character and storytelling. Absorbing characters. Lyrical photgraphy. Enigmatic story poetic resolution. Remarkable 'about the film" feature. Must see.
Jan 04 [tues]: House of Flying Daggers: A love story with beautiful wide-screen and costumes; fine dance and bamboo forest set-pieces. I think it is probably Better than Hero. Very pretty. But mushy and romantic... not in a bad way, but in a way that a Hong Kong martial arts epic really shouldn't be. So I liked Hero better, for pretty juvenile and manly reason. Plenty of entertainment, though. Recommended entertainment.
Jan 05 [wed]: The Very Long Engagement: French, Tatou, World War I; five men condemned to die for self-mutilation to avoid service. Good.
Jan 12 [Tues]: Hotel Rwanda. Honorable. Terrible. Wrenching. Bad things happened in Rwanda. I read "We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will be Killed With Our Families: Stories from Rwanda" by Philip Gourevitch, so I knew the plot. It was pretty tough watching, but not so tough that you can't stand it. And very good. A Must See.
Jan 16 [Sun]: the Circle
Director Jafar Panahi; women in fundamentalist Iran. Frustrating. Doesn't tell you what's going on. But the director did it on purpose, so stay patient. The frustration is worth it. Strong characters and themes, and strong, intelligent filmmaking. Recommended Exploration.
Jan 18 [Tues]: The Woodsman
[netflix blurb] After spending 10 years in prison on charges of sexually abusing small children, Walter (Kevin Bacon) is released and works hard to regain some sense of normalcy in his life. He lands a job working in a lumberyard and beings a halting romance with a woman he meets named Vickie (Kyra Sedgwick). Co-stars Benjamin Bratt, Mos Def and David Alan Grier. Kevin Bacon. Exquisitely creepy. Not pretty creepy. REAL creepy. Not Wes Craven creepy. REAL creepy. Very human. I was afraid it would be forced to develop according to predictable expectations, but I didn't see it coming. Recommended Exploration.
Must See: Five Stars. Has a good chance of being on the top ten recommended at the end of the year.
Recommended Entertainment: Four stars for fun.
Recommended Exploration: Four stars from making you a better person.
Good: Three stars. You'll never be sorry you saw a good film.
Lame: Two Stars. Hire the handicapped. Usually not actually so much bad as silly or predictable or pointless or manipulative or Hollywood crap.
Bad: One Star. Waste of time. No redeeming features. Not noteworthy in its lameness.
Awful: No star. Surprisingly bad. Bad on a grand scale, or in an original way. Stunning. Inspires rage or anhedonia. Examples: Van Helsing, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.
Jan 03: The Return: Russian Father suddenly appears after many years absence and takes his two sons on a very odd fishing trip. Minimum of dialog; lots of character and storytelling. Absorbing characters. Lyrical photgraphy. Enigmatic story poetic resolution. Remarkable 'about the film" feature. Must see.
Jan 04 [tues]: House of Flying Daggers: A love story with beautiful wide-screen and costumes; fine dance and bamboo forest set-pieces. I think it is probably Better than Hero. Very pretty. But mushy and romantic... not in a bad way, but in a way that a Hong Kong martial arts epic really shouldn't be. So I liked Hero better, for pretty juvenile and manly reason. Plenty of entertainment, though. Recommended entertainment.
Jan 05 [wed]: The Very Long Engagement: French, Tatou, World War I; five men condemned to die for self-mutilation to avoid service. Good.
Jan 12 [Tues]: Hotel Rwanda. Honorable. Terrible. Wrenching. Bad things happened in Rwanda. I read "We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will be Killed With Our Families: Stories from Rwanda" by Philip Gourevitch, so I knew the plot. It was pretty tough watching, but not so tough that you can't stand it. And very good. A Must See.
Jan 16 [Sun]: the Circle
Director Jafar Panahi; women in fundamentalist Iran. Frustrating. Doesn't tell you what's going on. But the director did it on purpose, so stay patient. The frustration is worth it. Strong characters and themes, and strong, intelligent filmmaking. Recommended Exploration.
Jan 18 [Tues]: The Woodsman
[netflix blurb] After spending 10 years in prison on charges of sexually abusing small children, Walter (Kevin Bacon) is released and works hard to regain some sense of normalcy in his life. He lands a job working in a lumberyard and beings a halting romance with a woman he meets named Vickie (Kyra Sedgwick). Co-stars Benjamin Bratt, Mos Def and David Alan Grier. Kevin Bacon. Exquisitely creepy. Not pretty creepy. REAL creepy. Not Wes Craven creepy. REAL creepy. Very human. I was afraid it would be forced to develop according to predictable expectations, but I didn't see it coming. Recommended Exploration.
Film 2004 Recommendations
For those who haven't already been gifted with this list, a reference copy.
These are the movies I saw in 2004 that I want all my friends to see so we can talk about them. Or I'd like to force my friends to watch with me so they can admire my good taste.
After the title I have listed the Rotten Tomatoes Freshness Rating [0-100%] and the *Ke*n*s* star ratings [***** Must See; **** Recommended; *** Good; ** Lame; * Bad; :0 Awful]
Film 2004 Recommendations
1. Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring [96%] *****
Ken: Visually brilliant. Thematically rich. Full of narrative surprise. Extra Korean.
2. Triplets of Belleville [96%] *****
Ken: Extra French. Don't need subtitles... tells story visually. And brilliantly. Great music. Pure fun and amazement.
3. Yi Yi [96%] *****
Ken: Extra Taiwanese. Great people stories told with charm and delicate irony. But the little kid just kicks ass.
4. Touching the Void [93%] *****
Ken: Great adventure film. Beautiful, amazing, deadly scenery. Men with Gloriously Bad Ideas Live to Tell About It. Kinda English.
5. The Incredibles [99%] **** Entertainment
Ken: Perfect movie. Totally satisying. Not deep or profound. But it has so much charm it throws it away in crates. All American, ina good way.
6. Zus & Zo [44%] ****
Ken: Extra Dutch. Extra Modern Life. Very fine, very sweet, romantic comedy with lots of sour and spicy sauce.
7. Medea [80%] **** Exploration
Ken: Probably my favorite of all, but epic and grim. Not for everyone. I love Greek Tragedy, and Scandanavian gloom. Extra Danish, but made from Greek ingredients. Directed by Lars von Trier from an unpublished screenplay by Carl Theodor Dreyer [The Passion of Joan of Arc, silent, 1928] from Euripides' play.
8. Hero [94%] **** Entertainment
Ken: Hong Kong epic martial hero trappings married beautifully to a charmingly complex narrative of conflicting narrators, with grand themes. Not profound. But gloriously visualized, charmingly exotic fantasy. Yup. You guessed it. Extra Chinese.
9. Vera Drake [89%] **** Exploration
Ken: Mike Leigh is the director. Leisurely, patient slice of life illuminated by a profound theme and touching earnestness of character. Not fun, but grand.
10. Sideways [96%] **** Entertainment
Two men go on an excursion and end up inducing mid-life crises in this comedy-drama. Pinot Noir lover Miles (Paul Giamatti) convinces friend Jack (Thomas Haden Church) to enjoy his last days of bachelorhood with a wine country road trip. Miles tries to teach Jack about wine, but Jack just wants a final fling. The pair get involved with two women (Sandra Oh and Virginia Madsen) and inevitably come face to face with their past and their present.
Ken: A real nice comedy featuring two not-very-lovable buddies. Purely entertaining and satisfying. Some romance. Okay. Pretty Californian.
11. Nowhere in Africa [84%] ***
Ken: Shortly before World War II, a Jewish couple and their young daughter emigrate to Kenya from Germany to escape the Nazis. Well, THIS one is German and African. Interesting visit to another time and another world. A domestic drama with a difference -- history and high themes.
12. Control Room [96%] *****
Ken: Okay. I don't know if it was MADE by Arabs, but it is an excellent and persuasive perspective on the complex stuff going on over there. Very interesting people with very thoughtful ideas and compelling principles. Glad to know something about Al Jazeera besides what our Government tells us.
These are the movies I saw in 2004 that I want all my friends to see so we can talk about them. Or I'd like to force my friends to watch with me so they can admire my good taste.
After the title I have listed the Rotten Tomatoes Freshness Rating [0-100%] and the *Ke*n*s* star ratings [***** Must See; **** Recommended; *** Good; ** Lame; * Bad; :0 Awful]
Film 2004 Recommendations
1. Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring [96%] *****
Ken: Visually brilliant. Thematically rich. Full of narrative surprise. Extra Korean.
2. Triplets of Belleville [96%] *****
Ken: Extra French. Don't need subtitles... tells story visually. And brilliantly. Great music. Pure fun and amazement.
3. Yi Yi [96%] *****
Ken: Extra Taiwanese. Great people stories told with charm and delicate irony. But the little kid just kicks ass.
4. Touching the Void [93%] *****
Ken: Great adventure film. Beautiful, amazing, deadly scenery. Men with Gloriously Bad Ideas Live to Tell About It. Kinda English.
5. The Incredibles [99%] **** Entertainment
Ken: Perfect movie. Totally satisying. Not deep or profound. But it has so much charm it throws it away in crates. All American, ina good way.
6. Zus & Zo [44%] ****
Ken: Extra Dutch. Extra Modern Life. Very fine, very sweet, romantic comedy with lots of sour and spicy sauce.
7. Medea [80%] **** Exploration
Ken: Probably my favorite of all, but epic and grim. Not for everyone. I love Greek Tragedy, and Scandanavian gloom. Extra Danish, but made from Greek ingredients. Directed by Lars von Trier from an unpublished screenplay by Carl Theodor Dreyer [The Passion of Joan of Arc, silent, 1928] from Euripides' play.
8. Hero [94%] **** Entertainment
Ken: Hong Kong epic martial hero trappings married beautifully to a charmingly complex narrative of conflicting narrators, with grand themes. Not profound. But gloriously visualized, charmingly exotic fantasy. Yup. You guessed it. Extra Chinese.
9. Vera Drake [89%] **** Exploration
Ken: Mike Leigh is the director. Leisurely, patient slice of life illuminated by a profound theme and touching earnestness of character. Not fun, but grand.
10. Sideways [96%] **** Entertainment
Two men go on an excursion and end up inducing mid-life crises in this comedy-drama. Pinot Noir lover Miles (Paul Giamatti) convinces friend Jack (Thomas Haden Church) to enjoy his last days of bachelorhood with a wine country road trip. Miles tries to teach Jack about wine, but Jack just wants a final fling. The pair get involved with two women (Sandra Oh and Virginia Madsen) and inevitably come face to face with their past and their present.
Ken: A real nice comedy featuring two not-very-lovable buddies. Purely entertaining and satisfying. Some romance. Okay. Pretty Californian.
11. Nowhere in Africa [84%] ***
Ken: Shortly before World War II, a Jewish couple and their young daughter emigrate to Kenya from Germany to escape the Nazis. Well, THIS one is German and African. Interesting visit to another time and another world. A domestic drama with a difference -- history and high themes.
12. Control Room [96%] *****
Ken: Okay. I don't know if it was MADE by Arabs, but it is an excellent and persuasive perspective on the complex stuff going on over there. Very interesting people with very thoughtful ideas and compelling principles. Glad to know something about Al Jazeera besides what our Government tells us.
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