Rating: 10
Thursday, February 05, 2009
The Dark Glow of the Mountains (Werner Herzog, 1984)
The Dark Glow of the Mountains (Werner Herzog, 1984)
Rating: 8.0
“Werner Herzog’s examination of mountain climber Reinhold Messner, who is highly regarded as the greatest mountain climber ever. Messner scaled two of the world’s most difficult peaks back to back when he reached the tops of Gasherbrum I & II, and is the first person to climb 14 of the world’s highest peaks. He is also regarded for his climbs that he did not use oxygen tanks and he also crossed Antarctica without animal or motorized power in 1989, which unfortunately was a few years after this documentary, but would have made a great addition. Here we get an in-depth study that only Herzog is able to often times capture with raw emotion and ability as he tries to get behind the determination of one of the most interesting characters of all time.”
Rating: 8.0
“Werner Herzog’s examination of mountain climber Reinhold Messner, who is highly regarded as the greatest mountain climber ever. Messner scaled two of the world’s most difficult peaks back to back when he reached the tops of Gasherbrum I & II, and is the first person to climb 14 of the world’s highest peaks. He is also regarded for his climbs that he did not use oxygen tanks and he also crossed Antarctica without animal or motorized power in 1989, which unfortunately was a few years after this documentary, but would have made a great addition. Here we get an in-depth study that only Herzog is able to often times capture with raw emotion and ability as he tries to get behind the determination of one of the most interesting characters of all time.”
Trouble Every Day (Claire Denis, 2001)
Trouble Every Day (Claire Denis, 2001)
Rating: 5.0
Not a great film, but Vincent Gallo jerks it and bites off a woman’s vagina…so that’s something I guess.
Rating: 5.0
Not a great film, but Vincent Gallo jerks it and bites off a woman’s vagina…so that’s something I guess.
La Soufriere (Werner Herzog, 1977)
La Soufriere (Werner Herzog, 1977)
Rating: 8.1
“In 1977, the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe was faced with seemingly unavoidable destruction when La Soufriere, a large and active volcano on the island, came to life and was expected to explode. Guadeloupe was quickly evacuated, but one man, an elderly hermit, refused to leave his tiny campsite near the volcano, and authorities were forced to leave him behind. When filmmaker Werner Herzog heard about the lone man who stayed behind, he was instantly fascinated with his story, and quickly assembled a small camera crew to journey to Guadeloupe and get his story before the volcano destroyed the island. As it happened, Herzog and his crew discovered that three penniless men were left behind, and in La Soufriere he talks to these last citizens of Guadeloupe as they share their thoughts about their lives and their likely death. Herzog and his cameramen also include eerie footage of the abandoned city near the volcano, the dangerous beauty of the volcano itself, and the true story of a disaster which befell the island in 1902. Ironically, for all the scientific evidence of the oncoming disaster and precautions that were taken, La Soufriere failed to erupt, leading Herzog to describe the experience as “an inevitable catastrophe that didn’t take place.” — Mark Deming
Rating: 8.1
“In 1977, the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe was faced with seemingly unavoidable destruction when La Soufriere, a large and active volcano on the island, came to life and was expected to explode. Guadeloupe was quickly evacuated, but one man, an elderly hermit, refused to leave his tiny campsite near the volcano, and authorities were forced to leave him behind. When filmmaker Werner Herzog heard about the lone man who stayed behind, he was instantly fascinated with his story, and quickly assembled a small camera crew to journey to Guadeloupe and get his story before the volcano destroyed the island. As it happened, Herzog and his crew discovered that three penniless men were left behind, and in La Soufriere he talks to these last citizens of Guadeloupe as they share their thoughts about their lives and their likely death. Herzog and his cameramen also include eerie footage of the abandoned city near the volcano, the dangerous beauty of the volcano itself, and the true story of a disaster which befell the island in 1902. Ironically, for all the scientific evidence of the oncoming disaster and precautions that were taken, La Soufriere failed to erupt, leading Herzog to describe the experience as “an inevitable catastrophe that didn’t take place.” — Mark Deming
Mad Foxes (Paul Grau, 1981)
Mad Foxes (Paul Grau, 1981)
There is absolutely no reason anyone should watch this film unless they want to laugh and puke at the same time.
There is absolutely no reason anyone should watch this film unless they want to laugh and puke at the same time.
2046 (Wong Kar-Wai, 2004)
2046 (Wong Kar-Wai, 2004)
Rating: 10
I recently re-watched 2046. It’s been several years since I first saw Wong Kar-Wai’s loose trilogy, but I had convinced myself that In the Mood For Love was by far the best of the three films, however now I’m not so sure, but I don’t think there is a need to decide. To me In the Mood For Love and 2046 work together more so than any 2 films I’ve seen. I feel you cannot watch one and not the other, as they are essentially one long continuous film; In the Mood for Love just being an extended flashback, of Mr. Chow’s most important relationship. Wong Kar-Wai refers to it as an echo rather than a sequel. It’s a shame Criterion didn’t package and release these films together. Whereas In the Mood for Love is more of an intimate portrait, 2046 is an ambitious more sensual and melancholic exploration of memory and love; a longing for another time and place, of how things used to be, but never will be.
Rating: 10
I recently re-watched 2046. It’s been several years since I first saw Wong Kar-Wai’s loose trilogy, but I had convinced myself that In the Mood For Love was by far the best of the three films, however now I’m not so sure, but I don’t think there is a need to decide. To me In the Mood For Love and 2046 work together more so than any 2 films I’ve seen. I feel you cannot watch one and not the other, as they are essentially one long continuous film; In the Mood for Love just being an extended flashback, of Mr. Chow’s most important relationship. Wong Kar-Wai refers to it as an echo rather than a sequel. It’s a shame Criterion didn’t package and release these films together. Whereas In the Mood for Love is more of an intimate portrait, 2046 is an ambitious more sensual and melancholic exploration of memory and love; a longing for another time and place, of how things used to be, but never will be.
Waltz With Bashir (Ari Folman, 2008)
Waltz With Bashir (Ari Folman, 2008)
Rating: 9.2
In this incredible documentary/animation hybrid, filmmaker Ari Folman attempts to unlock his repressed memories from his Israeli Army mission in the first Lebanon War of the early eighties. The film consists of him interviewing former soldiers and recreating their memories and dreams with gorgeous and surreal imagery and a great score from Max Richter. In one scene a therapist decribes an incident where a war photographer used his camera as a mechanism for distancing himself from the horrors of war, and he only begins to become truly aware of the experience when his camera breaks. Waltz With Bashir employs a similar tactic on the audience, no longer allowing the animation to distance us from the atrocity; in the final scene following the massacres in the Palestinian camp, the animated images become actual archive footage of crying women and children and corpes. This is a very powerful, and heavy film. I’ve seen it referred to as one of the greatest antiwar films as well as one of the best animated films ever made, and those statements aren’t much of an exaggeration in my opinion.
Rating: 9.2
In this incredible documentary/animation hybrid, filmmaker Ari Folman attempts to unlock his repressed memories from his Israeli Army mission in the first Lebanon War of the early eighties. The film consists of him interviewing former soldiers and recreating their memories and dreams with gorgeous and surreal imagery and a great score from Max Richter. In one scene a therapist decribes an incident where a war photographer used his camera as a mechanism for distancing himself from the horrors of war, and he only begins to become truly aware of the experience when his camera breaks. Waltz With Bashir employs a similar tactic on the audience, no longer allowing the animation to distance us from the atrocity; in the final scene following the massacres in the Palestinian camp, the animated images become actual archive footage of crying women and children and corpes. This is a very powerful, and heavy film. I’ve seen it referred to as one of the greatest antiwar films as well as one of the best animated films ever made, and those statements aren’t much of an exaggeration in my opinion.
Revolutionary Road (Sam Mendes, 2008)
Revolutionary Road (Sam Mendes, 2008)
Rating: 4.3
The source material seemed pretty good; it’s just a shame they butchered this into being one of the most melodramatic films I’ve seen in a long time. I hated the score, and most of the acting aside from Michael Shannon as the alleged “psychotic” who was fantastic and ended up stealing the show.
Rating: 4.3
The source material seemed pretty good; it’s just a shame they butchered this into being one of the most melodramatic films I’ve seen in a long time. I hated the score, and most of the acting aside from Michael Shannon as the alleged “psychotic” who was fantastic and ended up stealing the show.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)