The Great Dictator (Charels Chaplin, 1940)

The Great Dictator (Charels Chaplin, 1940)
Rating: 9.2

Links are to clips of scenes referred to:

Some complain that Chaplin was struggling to adapt to the sound era when he made The Great Dictator. There are a few instances where I think the film could have been cut down as it gets a bit too talky, but overall I found the film to be a lovely hybrid of silent and early sound aesthetics that was far ahead of it's time in terms of dark comedy and political satire. It's hard to believe the film came out in 1940 before the United States had even entered WWII. There are times where I think that the film could have just as easily been entirely silent, however there are certainly scenes that make me think otherwise such as the riveting final speech which is just as relevant now as it was then. Scenes such as the one where Hynkel plays with the balloon globe, the scene in which the men are eating cake with coins in them, or when the barber shaves along to the score play like Chaplin's classic silent pieces. Conversely the film also makes audio gags that work well too. For example when the crowd applauds Hynkel's speech only to be instantly muted by his hand gesture or the jingling of the coins in the jewish barber's belly as he hiccups. My favorite scene has to be the upside down plane bit which only gets more hilarious as they run out of gas and apathetically embrace death as the plane crashes.

The Great McGinty (Preston Sturges, 1940)

The Great McGinty (Preston Sturges, 1940)
Rating: 7.4

A pretty solid script that won an Academy Award and an overall impressive debut film for Sturges considering the severe budget constraints. This is the third film I've seen from Sturges and they all involve the lead characters pretending to be someone they aren't and the character arcs lead them to epiphany, which seems to work well, however I'd like to see a different formula from him in the future.

Stalag 17 (Billy Wilder, 1953)

Stalag 17 (Billy Wilder, 1953)
Rating: 8.3

Billy Wilder's film is an interesting mishmash of tension and comedy. A WWII prison camp was a bold location for such a film with so much humor, especially in 1953, less than ten years after the war, and it almost feels like two separate films at times because of the dynamic range of tone shifts from scene to scene. Animal and Harry make up a frequently used for broad humor that I could have done without, however there are a few pretty good gags such as the German's giving each barrack a copy of Mein Kampf and a mini evergreen as a Christmas gift, and the letter from a mother who is convinced that her son is fairing well in the prison camp which she hears has a tennis court which is frozen over in the winter and used as an ice skating rink. The German's are portrayed more as simple minded caricatures speaking in broken English who are easily duped, while the real villain is backstabbing American's ratting out their fellow comrades. Like most Wilder films, Stalag 17 has a pretty direct message. This time around he seems to be disturbed by the rampant Mcarthyism that ran wild during the late 40s through the late 50s. In 1947 Hollywood began blacklisting employees and people were anonymously being accused and interrogated based purely on hearsay in many cases. The film parallels these activities as the main character, Sgt. Sefton, the cynical swindler, played by William Holden who won an Academy Award for this role, is falsely accused of being the rat and Dunbar is sold out to the Germans and sent to be interrogated for his act of sabotage without any evidence. With a running time of just about 2 hours, I felt that the film was a little too long and became redundant towards the end, but still a very solid film.

Prosperity for 2008 (Apichatpong Weerasethakul, 2008)

Prosperity for 2008 (Apichatpong Weerasethakul, 2008)
Rating: 7.0

Le Scaphandre et le papillon (Julian Schnabel, 2007) aka

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (Julian Schnabel, 2007)
Rating: 9.4

A truly beautiful film to look at with a painterly touch as the cinematography seems to reflect the impressionist art movement. Much of the camerawork is a blurred first person perspective of the one eyed protagonist who suffers from "locked-in" syndrome following a sudden stroke. The flashy editing effects compliment the stylistic camera work, although I was confused by the occasional and seemingly nonsensical jump-cuts. The film is based on a moving true story, and it succeeds for the most part, however I was disappointed when the film abruptly cut away from an emotional sequence. Perhaps that was the point, but I didn't want to be taken out of those moments.

Sang sattawat (Apichatpong Weerasethakul, 2006) aka Syndromes and a Century

Syndromes and a Century (Apichatpong Weerasethakul, 2006)
Rating: 9.7

Very few directors utilize the film medium in such a way Apichatpong Weerasethakul does. Of course Tarkovsky comes to mind, and perhaps a handful of others, but there is something about eliciting feelings and recreating dreams and memories that I find more engaging than narrative filmmaking. Syndromes and a Century is an exploration of memory and reflection for the director himself as well as the audience. The film is divided into two parts. As the Apichatpong explains, the first part recollects his parent's courtship. However this pretext isn't necessary for enjoying and understanding the film. To simplify things it's about different lives intersecting, and triggering memories and emotions through everyday seemingly innocuous events.
The first half of the film takes place at a small clinic where newly hired Dr. Nohng falls in love with another doctor. His confession of love to her sparks the story of her past love with an orchid expert. We are also introduced to a dentist who befriends a monk. As they get to know one another we discover the dentist is also a singer, while the monk once dreamed of being a DJ. In a touching scene the dentist asks the monk if he is the reincarnation of his brother who died when he was 8 years old. The dentist feels responsible for his death and wants a chance to apologize. The dentist offers the monk a toy horse that belonged to the his brother, however the monk explains that he was not a human and his past life so therefor cannot be his brother. So the dentist offers him his new album instead.
The setting and space evokes a certain warm emotion, as we see the sunshine beaming through open windows, lush greenery, and the comforting sounds of chirping birds. Occasionally the camera strays from the characters entirely and we are left with images of an open field or an eclipse. In the first half of the film the camera is mostly static with few very minimal movements in contrast to the second half of the film which includes a much more mobile camera reflecting the transition into a more modern environment. The second half of the film includes the same characters we met in the first half, and in fact some of the same events reoccur almost verbatim, except for the fact that the sequence of shots as well as the setting has changed, which in turns affects the relationships the characters have with one another. The setting becomes a large Metropolitan hospital with a much colder feel to it as machinery and the white walls replace the colorful palette created by the greenery and sunlight.
The environment is much more impersonal. This is most overt when the dentist and the monk reenact their meeting. Instead of forming a close bond, their is only awkward silence as the dentist performs his tasks. Only phrases like "open your mouth" and "rinse" are spoken between the two, leaving a sad emptiness when reflecting upon their relationship in the first half. Similarly Dr. Nohg never pursues the female doctor as they both have lovers already. The reflections the film triggers is the magic of it in my opinion. Syndromes and a Century is a film about memory that creates memories for the viewer to recall and compare these fractured scenes, making for a very cerebral experience.

Lost and Found (Ryan Slater, 2007)

Rating: 10
An epic masterpiece!

Seul contre tous (Gaspar Noé, 1998) aka I Stand Alone

I Stand Alone (Gaspar Noé, 1998)
Rating: 6.3

I Stand Alone continues from where the nameless butcher left off in Noe's short film Carne. He is now 50 years old, bankrupt, separated from his mentally challenged daughter, and completely unhappy with his life. His despair and confusion is expressed to us through his nihilistic monologues and anger filled violent fantasies. Unfortunately I find the editing and stylization of the film to detract from the social issued being addressed and the realistic nature of the butcher's suffering. I also didn't like the opening of the film which looked like a power point presentation summarizing the prequel. The final 20 minutes and most memorable part of the film is preceded by a 30 second title card warning the audience that this is their last chance to abandon the film. I suppose Noé wants his films to be associated with a sort of shock gimmick, using the nameless butcher/common man's story as and incestuous relationship as a means to convey a universal statement about creating one's own personal morality and justice.

The French Connection (William Friedkin, 1971)

The French Connection (William Friedkin, 1971)
Rating: 6.7

Although I'm sure during the time this film was made it wasn't as tired and played out as it seems today with the barrage of television crime dramas and dozens of police thrillers released every year. The story itself is pretty unengaging, as it follows a fairly insignificant drug bust. The film also is pretty racist, and especially portrays African Americans in a negative light without any sort of redeeming qualities. Obviously the car chase sequence is great, and there are a few impressive shot setups and rack focuses and zooms, but I suppose I was just too dissatisfied with the story and the characters. The direction and on location setting of the streets of New York are enjoyable, but it's basically like a sequel to The Naked City, which I personally prefer.

Cloverfield (Matt Reeves, 2008)

Cloverfield (Matt Reeves, 2008)
Rating: 7.3

Typically this sort of film wouldn't interest me, but because of the unique documentary style it was shot in along with the brilliant marketing campaign, I was intrigued, but still very skeptical. A concise pitch would most likely describe Cloverfield as "The Blair Witch Project meets Godzilla", however I think that the film is more inspired by the amateur footage collected post 9/11 as well as Paul Greengrass' United 93, among other things. The film is a unique and incredibly visceral experience as the setup is that we are literally watching a government owned footage from a single tape found at the site of the incident. We are first introduced to footage of a couple, Robert and Beth, who enjoy a romantic afternoon in Coney Island, only to be interrupted by footage from Robert's brother and his girlfriend as they plan for Rob's going away party. After a few cuts back and forth between the two different footage which show dates separated by nearly a month, we discover that the older footage is actually being recorded over, essentially acting as a sporadic flashback, serving as a brilliant bookend to the film as well as a back story and character development device. Hud, Robert's best friend, takes over the camera duties once the party begins, as he goes around collecting good look testimonies from everyone. As the mayhem begins, Hud appoints himself as the noble documenter and dutifully captures incredible first hand footage of the destruction and deaths of those around him. Hud also serves as comic relief, perhaps a little too often, with his often boneheaded statements and attempts at flirting with Marlena. Although there really isn't much to the narrative itself, and a lot of things are left ambiguous or flat out unaddressed, I found this supported the realism and immediacy of the film. I was worried the acting and the dialogue would come across as too phony, however I was pleasantly surprised, as it played out better than anticipated. although there are some lines I could have done without. The hand held digital camerawork obviously was the biggest factor in selling the reality in which such a fantastical situation was conveyed. Perhaps the most impressive part of the film is the choreography, especially with the cinematography and special effects, which I also found to work well. I wasn't as concerned with the monster, although a lot of people seemed to be preoccupied with it. I found myself more interested in the group of characters and their isolated experience. I saw the film in front of a packed house at the midnight showing at the Grauman's Chinese Mann theater, and have to say it was the most fun I've had at the movies in a long time, but the film is more than just empty entertainment and sensationalism; the monster itself could be considered an embodiment of our fear of terrorism, or the general unknown. In this modern age where everyone has access to media technology, as well as Youtube and the like, this film is very relevant. There is a great scene where people crowd around the Statue of Liberty's head and frantically take pictures with their cellphones. Most importantly it's a new way of experiencing cinema, and certainly a great way to start 2008. Granted Blair Witch did it first, but Cloverfield takes it to the next level and does it better.

Visions of Europe (Various 2004)

Visions of Europe (Various 2004)
Rating: 5.2

25 5 minute shorts from each of the 25 states of the European Union, dealing with political and social issues. Unfortunately most of the shorts are duds, although it's interesting to see films from some of the smaller, lesser known countries.

Fatih Akin (Germany segment "Die alten bösen Lieder")
Barbara Albert (Austria segment "Mars")

Sharunas Bartas (Lithuania segment "Children Lose Nothing")
This was by far my favorite. The cinematography and general feel for it reminded me of Tarkovsky's films. Maybe I'm just a sucker for children and woodland environments.

Andy Bausch (Luxemburg segment "The Language School")
Decent comedy about a pimp taking his prostitutes to language classes.

Christoffer Boe (Denmark segment "Europe Does Not Exist")
Francesca Comencini (Italy segment "Anna Lives in Marghera")
Stijn Coninx (Belgium segment "Self Portrait")
Tony Gatlif (France segment "Paris by Night")
One of several shorts dealing with refugees and aliens.

Sasa Gedeon (Czech Republic segment "Unisono")
Christos Georgiou (Cyprus segment "My Life on Tape")
Touching story about two men who were forced out of their home, but get a chance to return to visit.
Constantine Giannaris (Greece segment "Room for All")
Theo van Gogh (Netherlands segment "Euroquiz")
This was a very funny short, about a woman on a quiz show who begins revealing her alcoholism in the pregame interview and how it caused a car accident that killed her husband and child.

Peter Greenaway (United Kingdom segment "European Showerbath")

Miguel Hermoso (Spain segment "Our Kids")
Arvo Iho (Estonia segment "Euroflot")
Aki Kaurismäki (Finland segment "Bico")
Damjan Kozole (Slovenia segment "Europa")
Laila Pakalnina (Latvia segment "It'll Be Fine")
Kenneth Scicluna (Malta segment "The Isle")
Martin Sulík (Slovak Republic segment "The Miracle")

Malgorzata Szumowska (Poland segment "Crossroad")
My second favorite film of the bunch follows the adventures of a statue of jesus and the people who pass by it, including a man who pisses on a tree, a couple having sex in a nearby car, and 2 teenage boys who replace it with a cheerier more colorful statue, using a power drill rather than rusty nails.

Béla Tarr (Hungary segment "Prologue")
A continuous pan through a long line of haggard faces as they wait for food rations.

Jan Troell (Sweden segment "The Yellow Tag")
Teresa Villaverde (Portugal segment "Cold Wa(te)r")

Aisling Walsh (Ireland segment "Invisible State")
A Powerful monologue on the forgotten human cargo, refugees, aliens, slaves, etc. juxtaposed with moving imagery.

The Apartment (Billy Wilder, 1960)

The Apartment (Billy Wilder, 1960)
Rating: 7.0

I have enjoyed every film I've seen directed by Billy Wilder, and many people consider The Apartment to be one of his better if not his best film, so coming into this I had pretty high expectations. The film is formally and technically a great achievement, from the editing, sound, to the art direction, blocking, framing, etc. Jack Lemmon is excellent in his role and Shirley MacLaine is adorable. Unfortunately the story felt like something I've seen hundreds of times in romantic comedies and sitcom television, chalked full of stereotypical characters and familiar genre devices. Wilder brings a few tinges of darkness as usual with a suicide attempt and excessive infidelity, but nothing stood out enough for me to consider it great.

Shadows (John Cassavetes, 1959)

Shadows (John Cassavetes, 1959)
Rating: 8.6

In interesting experiment in improvisation as this mostly unscripted film reflects the characteristics of it's jazz driven soundtrack. The film brings up some interesting questions about intellect, existentialism, romantic inclinations, and more while also exploring an interracial relationship, familial bonds, and a look at the beat generation. Due to the low budget nature of the production, the audio suffers, and there are a few questionable edits among other minor technical issues.

All the Invisible Children (Various, 2005)

All the Invisible Children (Various, 2005)
Rating: 6.9

This film was made to benefit UNICEF and the World Food Program. It consists of seven shorts revolving around child protagonists and deals with different social issues. The reoccurring theme of bickering or nonexistent parents is seen throughout.

"Tanza" directed by Mehdi Chafer
Rating: 7.3

A beautifully shot story about an African boy toting a machine gun with a group of other children during civil war. The unforgettable final scene takes place in a schoolhouse as Tanza plants a bomb and longs for happier times with his family and classmates. Unfortunatley the children's acting is poor, but luckily there isn't much dialogue.

"Blue Gypsy" directed by Emir Kusturica
Rating: 5.3

This story follows Uros, a boy regaining his freedom from a juvenile prison, bur realizing being locked up is easier than life on the outside. Kusturica's film is a too light for my taste, as much of of the comedy is slapstick and the themes have been done to death. The cultural elements are the most interesting thing to take away from this one, although they are mostly rehashings of his more worthwhile feature films.

"Jesus Children of America" directed by Spike Lee
Rating: 3.1

The most didactic of the bunch, Spike Lee's film plays out like an after school special. Rosie Perez and Andre Royo play the drug addicted, AIDS infected parents of Blanca who is also infected. They deliver good performances, however the rest of the acting is embarrassingly bad.

Bilu and João" directed by Kátia Lund
Rating: 8.4

An adorable and optimistic story about a homeless boy and girl who venture through Sao Paulo with a wooden cart collecting recyclables to sell to a local shop in order to scrape by.

"Jonathan" directed by Jordan and Ridley Scott
Rating: 9.6

By far the most moving and interesting piece, Ridley Scott and his daughter Jordan examine a war photographer's imagination as he is haunted by his experiences. While walking through the woods to clear his mind, the protagonist envisions himself as a child, playing a fantasy war game with his friends. The film compares the middle class bliss of friendship and camaraderie with that of the war orphans struggling for survival. I could actually see this being expanded into a feature. It works well as a short too, but ends abruptly as the narrator quotes something about "friendship multiplying good and dividing evil." Kelly Macdonald and David Thewlis star in this.

"Ciro" directed by Stefano Veneruso
Rating: 5.8

Stereotypical thieving children anecdote ending with a gorgeous carousel scene.

"Song Son and Little Cat" directed by John Woo
Rating: 5.1

Cliché ridden comparison of a spoiled rich child and a girl living in poverty.

Gaspar Noé Shorts

Tintarella di luna (1985)
Rating: 5.8




Carne (1991)
Rating: 7.2




Une expérience d'hypnose télévisuelle (1995) (TV)
Rating:?
some hypnotist gimmick




Sodomites (1998)
Rating: 3.5
A repulsive exercise in promoting proper use of condoms.



EVA (2005)
Rating: 6.6
Basically a short film divided into three separate shorts that basically fetishize the female body. I found the first one to be quite beautiful, as the lighting flickers from pitch black to gorgeously tinted green and pink hues reflecting off of a woman who enters a room, only to meet with another beautiful woman. The second explores a the same woman laying poolside as the camera floats above her and inverts. The third shorts consists of the same woman laying half naked in a hallway playing with a kitten as the editing fades between black and her.

Living (Frans Zwartjes, 1971)

Living (Frans Zwartjes, 1971)
Rating: 8.0

An experimental Dutch short consisting of a man exploring his new home/wife with a camera as a haunting ambient soundtrack plays. Strange, yet interesting film. I'm still unsure about how the camera did some of the things it did. It was almost like a floating yoyo.

Мой друг Иван Лапшин (Aleksei German , 1984) aka My Friend Ivan Lasphin

My Friend Ivan Lasphin (Aleksei German , 1984)
Rating: 9.5

In the tradition of all the great soviet films, My Friend Ivan Lapshin boasts of remarkable cinematography; mostly long hand-held tracking shots, alternating between black and white and color (although to a lesser extent). I've always been drawn to the preoccupation Eastern European filmmakers have with nostalgia and how the camera movements reflect a sort of dreamlike recollection. This is one of the primary reason why I consider Tarkovsky to be one of my favorite directors. The narrative is an episodic recounting of the memories of a boy who lived with his father in a communal flat along with Ivan, a member of the secret police and 12 others. The film takes place after the murder of the Leningrad Soviet boss Kirov in 1934, just before the first Soviet purges. The character's optimism for the future is juxtaposed with hints of the betrayal and inhumane brutality that is to come. Despite the atrocities that occurred in the past, the narrator declares his love for these forgotten faces and moments that haunt his childhood memories. I find Russian cinema to be one of the most fascinating because it differs from other countries aesthetics in many ways and for various reasons. The history of the country and their politics, are one major factor in this, not to mention the work of the montage directors. There seems to be a preoccupation with nostalgia.

C'est arrivé près de chez vous (Rémy Belvaux, André Bonzel, and Benoît Poelvoorde, 1992) aka Man Bites Dog

Man Bites Dog: It Happened in Your Neighborhood (Rémy Belvaux, André Bonzel, and Benoît Poelvoorde, 1992)
Rating: 8.5

A clever indictment of media detachment, audience obsession with violence, and how the media promotes such violence and interest in such. The film poses as a documentary as a film crew follows the brutality of a mass murderer who pontificates to the camera about architecture, music, poetry, cinema, painting, mother nature, homophobia and racism along the way. Both the filmmakers and the killer fuel each other as the killer gains a sense of power and almost god-like status in front of the camera, while he finances the film with the money he steals from his victims and even asks the crew to participate in the mayhem. The crew participates by helping Ben dispose of the victims bodies and even joining in a gang rape in one instance. The film also employs Brechtian techniques reminding us we are watching a film being made as often see the crew members. In one scene the killer urges the cameraman to zoom in and find the hiding victim, and in another great sequence the sound man is shot, resulting in brief silence before someone picks up the equipment and replaces him. Although the film is disturbing it is also quite hilarious, much like Haneke's Funny Games. The concept works brilliantly for a group of young filmmakers without any money and there is very obvious influence from the new wave filmmakers and most especially Godard. The only valid complaint from critics I slightly agree with is that the film is a bit one note.

Pas de C4 pour Daniel Daniel (1987) aka No C4 for Daniel-Daniel
Rating: 4.5

short film by same filmmakers

Yi yi (Edward Yang, 2000) aka A One and a Two

Yi yi (Edward Yang, 2000)
Rating: 9.7

A touching film that examines each member of the Jian family as they deal with everyday quandaries and uncertainties while re/discovering life and it's meaning.

There Will Be Blood (P.T. Anderson, 2007)

There Will Be Blood (P.T. Anderson, 2007)
Rating: 9.8


A brilliant character study, much in the same vein as Orson Welle's Citizen Kane and Touch of Evil. As tiresome and repetitive as it may sound, Daniel Day Lewis delivers one of the finest and most memorable performances I can recall. The score is just about as remarkable as DDL and both are more than deserving of Oscars in my opinion. Besides just being a character study, which I found fascinating enough, DDL's character is a rather obvious allegory for the ugliness of capitalism and America itself, although perhaps limited, but very relevant, when considering the accusations of oil hunting in the Middle East.

Sanshô dayû (Kenji Mizoguchi, 1954) aka Sansho the Bailiff

Sansho the Bailiff (Kenji Mizoguchi, 1954)
Rating: 9.5

Eraserhead (David Lynch, 1977)

Eraserhead (David Lynch, 1977)
Rating: 9.5

I finally saw Eraserhead. It's a bizarrely hilarious and dreamlike mind-fuck with great cinematography and even more impressive sound design. The atmospheric industrial drones, rumbles, static, and hissing of the steam really drives the film. The orchestration of the room tones, background noises, and fx all mesh to create a rhythmic soundtrack that acts as score, sounding like a Black Dice album, or even Merzbow at times. Just as the images employ oneiric recall tactics, so do the sounds. Although The Elephant Man remains my favorite Lynch film, Eraserhead showcases his original visionary style and talents, and is likely his most significant work.

Letters from Iwo Jima (Clint Eastwood, 2006)

Letters from Iwo Jima (Clint Eastwood, 2006)
Rating: 6.5

After a pretty weak and predictable first half, the film begins to pick up, boasting of a great hari kiri grenade scene, but aside from a few notable scenes, the film is pretty formulaic, showing the absurdity of war, and the equality of each side, which is nothing new at this point.

Blue Velvet (David Lynch, 1986)

Blue Velvet (David Lynch, 1986)
Rating: 8.6

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (Jake Kasdan, 2007)

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (Jake Kasdan, 2007)
Rating: 1.1

Potentially the worst film I've ever seen. If Anchorman is a feature length SNL skit, then Walk Hard is a feature length Mad TV skit.

O Lucky Man! (Lindsay Anderson, 1973)

O Lucky Man! (Lindsay Anderson, 1973)
Rating: 9.8

A brilliant three hour epic musical/surrealistic satire of capitalism. Malcolm McDowell is a joy to watch as Travis Mick as he travels through Europe, obsessed with greed and trying to get ahead anyway he can. The film implies that humans are slaves to capitalism and the resulting poverty leads to crime and the ills of the world, all while maintaining a comical and even whimsical tone.

Fando y Lis (Alejandro Jodorowsky, 1968)

Fando y Lis (Alejandro Jodorowsky, 1968)
Rating: 6.9

Apparently this film was based on a one page script and Jodorowsky's memory of a stageplay. It follows Fando and his paraplegic girlfriend Lis on their bizarre surrealistic odyssey as they search for the city of Tar. I found the imagery and expressive sound effects to be very fascinating, but the editing was rather clumsy at times. Fando and Lis reminded me of Easy Rider in several instances as it employs the flash forward alternating scene transition technique. Also the amazing acid trip sequence in Easy Rider seemed similar to the cemetery montage in Fando in Lis, leaving me to wonder if this film was an influence on the other or whether it is just coincidence.

Here are the two cemetery scenes:

El Topo (Alejandro Jodorowsky, 1970)

El Topo (Alejandro Jodorowsky, 1970)
Rating: 7.5

I found the expressionistic surrealism didn't seem to work as well as it did with Holy Mountain, however the film is still something unique and worthwhile.

Ballada o soldate (Grigori Chukhrai, 1959) aka Ballad of a Soldier

Ballad of a Soldier (Grigori Chukhrai, 1959)
Rating: 7.5

Ballad of a soldier is a simple tale about a 19 year old hero during WWII who trades his medal in for a chance to take leave and see his mother. On his return trip home he meets and touches the lives of several civilians he meets along the way and even manages to fall in love. My major problem with the film is Alyosha is basically perfect in every way. So much so that he seems more like a caricature than an actual human being. Never-the-less the the film is an enjoyable attempt at individualizing the soldier and humanizing war. After following the path of this young man for several days and seeing his kind youthful spirit, his death which we are foretold of in the opening scene becomes much more tragic rather than just another statistic. The climactic scene when he hugs his mother is very moving. The editing is a little rough in spots, but the shot compositions and overall cinematography are lovely.

Sayat Nova (Sergei Parajanov, 1968) aka The Color of Pomegranates

The Color of Pomegranates (Sergei Parajanov, 1968)
Rating: 7.7

The Color of Pomegranates is less of a film, than it is a visual arts piece, or perhaps a physically realized poem, which was Parajanov's intent. It's very unorthodox in nature, as it is a biography of the Armenian troubadour Sayat Nova told through the context of the poet's own imagination, only using the narration of his his poetry rather than any dialogue, and with a completely static camera. I found the film to be fascinating in it's bold approach and an eye opening account of ancient Armenian culture. The film is obviously gorgeous to look at a well, but hard to follow with all of the convoluted expressionism. It definitely deserves another look, as a lot of it was admittedly over my head.

Katok i skripka (Andrei Tarkovsky, 1961) aka Steamroller and Violin

Steamroller and Violin (Andrei Tarkovsky, 1961)
Rating: 8.5

A delightful short film about a seven year old boy from a wealthy family who plays the violin. Tarkovsky employs the ole "opposites attract" chestnut as the boy befriends a blue collar steamroller and becomes the envy of the children in the neighborhood until the two are forced to part ways due to circumstances beyond their control. This was Tarkovsky's graduate film and certainly lacks the dream-like style of his future efforts, but still remains an impressive piece foreshadowing things to come with rain and water motifs, along with the reflections (mirrors) in the puddles. The camera work, lighting, and shot selections are expertly chosen as well. The film obviously is a product of it's time and culture, as the themes of communism and the optimism of rebuilding a better Russia are less than subtle. An eye catching shot and perhaps the most poignant moment in the film comes when an old building in the foreground comes crumbling down after being struck by a wrecking ball, only to reveal a taller more beautiful building glistening in the sunlight.

Cheap Magic Inside (Vincent Moon, 2007)

La Blogothèque and The Take Away Shows team published live videos shot in Brooklyn, New York for each of the tracks off of Beirut's latest album The Flying Club Cup.
view them here.

The video for "Nantes" (#1) is by far the best and most ingenious.

Beiqing chengshi (Hsiao-hsien Hou, 1989) aka A City of Sadness

City of Sadness (Hsiao-hsien Hou, 1989)
Rating: 10

A flawless masterpiece and the most politically important film in Taiwanese history as it addresses the 1947 massacre known as the 2/28 incident. After the end of WWII Taiwan gains independence from Japan after 51 years of occupation, but a new war between the mainlanders and the Taiwanese people begins. The story of Taiwan is told through the lives of a family of brothers who are effected by the radical changes and savage violence they are surrounded by. The film contain so many individually brilliant scenes that coalesce into a perfect whole. The juxtaposition of funeral and wedding procession, Wen-ching, who is deaf while in prison, unable to hear the gun shots not reacting to their executions, street riots, a beautiful New Year's celebration scene, and my personal favorite is the family photograph taken at the end of the film. The family sits in front of an artificial backdrop while the baby looks around the room, distracted, before looking up at the camera and smiling just as it flashes. Hinomi, Wen-ching's wife sends the photograph to their family with a letter announcing his arrest three days after the photo was taken. The photo captures a false or perhaps temporary moment of happiness as chaos and tragedy cloud their lives. Fittingly, the film ends with uncertainty.

Hai shang hua (Hsiao-hsien Hou, 1998) aka Flowers of Shanghai

Flowers of Shanghai (Hsiao-hsien Hou, 1998)
Rating: 8.8

Flowers of Shanghai is an ensemble period piece taking place in the opulent brothels, referred to as flower houses, in late 19th century China. Hou's meticulous style and pacing has never been more appropriate than it is here, as the stunning mise en scene, cinematography, fade in/out editing transitions, music, and long drifting camera master shots all mesh together perfectly to evoke a seductive mood. Hou's direction excellently balances the screen time of the many characters, alternating between the group scenes where men gamble and drink, and more intimate scenes between the courtesans and the mistresses. The men are rich and hypocritical and the women are manipulative and greedy. Some of the flower girls earn their freedom, some marry, while others die trying to distinguish the blurred lines between love, lust, and lies. The claustrophobic nature of the film is also worth noting as the film consists of only interior shots. Despite the beauty of the brothels they are much like a prison in many regards. The indentured servants are owned and bound financially to the brothel, while the gentleman callers are contractually obligated to their flower girls, while no one is free from the addiction of opium.

Nanguo zaijan, nanguo (Hsiao-hsien Hou, 1996) aka Goodbye South, Goodbye

Goodbye South, Goodbye (Hsiao-hsien Hou, 1996)
Rating: 6.6

Haonan haonu (Hsiao-hsien Hou, 1995) aka Good Men. Good Women

Good Men, Good Women (Hsiao-hsien Hou, 1995)
Rating: 9.6

Good Men Good Women, is dedicated to political activists, Chiang Bi-Yu, Chung Hao-Tung, and all of the political victims of the 1950s. Rather than making a period biopic, Hou places his film in contemporary Taiwan allowing for a critique of both the old and new. The central character in the film is an actress by the name of Liang Ching (Annie Shizuka Inoh) who is starring in a biopic about Chiang Bi-Yu who left Taiwan for the mainland to join the anti-Japanese resistance during World War II, only to be arrested as Communists upon their return home. The film alternates back and forth between excerpts from the film within the film signified by black and white photography and Liang Ching struggling to overcome the pain brought on by the murder of her former criminal lover along with her drug addicted past. On top of this she begins receiving mysterious faxes that contain entries from her own diary, and is accused of infidelity with her own brother-in-law. Early on in the film Liang Ching explains through a voice-over that she feels she has become Chiang Bi-Yu and thus experiences the anxiety of two generations simultaneously. The parallels between the characters are evident as they face persecution as well as the death of their lovers, among other things. Liang Ching being haunted by her past further serves to perpetuate how events buried in the history of a nation can have far reaching consequences. Good Men, Good Women is perhaps Hou's most political, conventional, and possibly best film.

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (Stanley Kubrick, 1964)

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (Stanley Kubrick, 1964)
Rating: 10+

I've seen this movie many times before, as it is one of my favorites and I consider it to be a masterpiece, so I'm not going to review it. The following was a discussion board response I made for a 1960s pop culture class a few years ago:

Nuclear Insemination:

Besides the obvious phallic symbols and more overt references to sex, the part I found to be the most interesting is the metaphor of the attacking planes and fertilization. Hundreds of planes are sent to attack the general target of the U.S.S.R., but by an unlikely chance, only one makes it through, which happens to be just enough to end the world. This is a direct metaphor for sperm fertilizing an egg. The chances of fertilization are very slim, but the success of one sperm is all that is necessary for life to begin. The accidental nuclear attack on the Soviet Union is another way Kubrick kind of plays with the idea of an accidental pregnancy. By ironically comparing war and death with sex and birth, we are reminded that life is a cycle. Although the bomb is detonated, life will continue underground as discussed by the few privileged. With the deaths of millions, the few remaining humans will be encouraged to be even more prolific. In a way a new way of life is born from the act of "insemination"

Juno (Jason Reitman, 2007)

Juno (Jason Reitman, 2007)
Rating: 4.8

Juno is coincidentally enough, about Juno MacGuff (Ellen Page), an offbeat yet intelligent sixteen year old girl who is faced with an unplanned pregnancy after having sex with her best friend Paulie Bleeker(Michael Cera). Writer, Diablo Cody tackles a controversial subject, without offering much to say about teenage pregnancy, adoption, or abortion. Instead Cody focuses on the hip and witty dialogue, that seems more forced and phony than anything (who talks like this?). I actually can only recall genuinely laughing at one line in reference to adoption: "You should go to China, they're giving them [babies] away like free Ipods. They shoot them out of t-shirt guns at stadiums." Cera fortunately provides comedy through his ability to transform an innocuous line of dialogue into an awkward moment of hilarity. Cody really doesn't concentrate on the two major characters themselves as much as she should either. All we really know or learn about Bleaker is that he is an awkward teenage guy who is part of the cross country team and was formerly in a band with Juno. Although Juno gets most of the screen time, she is pretty one, perhaps two dimensional herself.

After the screening there was a Q&A with director Jason Reitman and writer "Diablo Cody" if that is her real name? (It isn't). Cody continued to lose credibility with me when confronted about her past working as a stripper. Not that I have anything against that, but her reasoning was complete bullshit. She said that she was "bored and since she grew up in a conventional small town environment, needed to add excitement for writing inspiration." She was apparently discovered through the world of blogging. She also mentioned that she "hates the word "bog" due to the trendy association of it by nature, although her entire script contained an abundance of such hip and snarky word usage. I was especially annoyed by Cera's multiple uses of the word "wizard." It's obvious that Juno, is a semi autobiographical adolescent representation of the author herself, although I'm sure Cody wasn't half as "cool" as she is portrayed. An audience member brought up a good plot-hole point during the Q&A. "Juno is conveyed as intelligent and very with it, so why wouldn't she have used birth control?"

Directing and production design help to cover some of the flaws in the script, but only barely. Bleeker's room reflects his immaturity and ineptness to raise a child as we see his outer space wallpaper, toy robots, and racecar bed. He is also a slacker, as we see him going to cross country practice late on several occasions, or running behind the rest of the pack. Later in the film after he learns of Juno's true affection for him, we see him win a race, actually breaking the school record, and then continuing to run up stairs upon completion of the race as if not even winded. The Loring's (the adoptive parents played by Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner) home is impeccably clean and yuppi. There is a great little montage of them adjusting small details in preparation for their audition with Juno and her father. Juno's room is covered in graphic art, and a hamburger shaped telephone. Unfortunately, the magic of subtltey is ruined when Juno calls unnecessarily attention to the phone. Speaking of unnecessary, the voice over narration is sporadic throughout and offers no insight.

The film does manage to offer a few redeeming termite moments such as the scene where the step-mom defends her step-daughter after a condescending comment from a radiologist. I also thought the Japanese comic book about a pregnant teenage superhero was cute, and the reversal of expectation with the roles of Bateman and Garner turned out to be a pleasant surprise. Bateman's character is perhaps the most interesting in the film. Formerly in a band, he has sacrificed his art and his freedom for his marriage with a controlling wife, and career as a commercial jingle composer. One subtle touch I enjoyed was when Garner is painting the babies room, while wearing/ruining an Alice and Chains t-shirt, that obviously belongs to Bateman. I also enjoyed the soundtrack as I am a fan of The Moldy Peaches, Kimya Dawson, and Belle and Sebastian, however I felt the music didn't always accommodate the scene properly. For instance one of my favorite songs, "Piazza, New York Catcher's" lyrics just have no place in the film. Other than matching the folky acoustic tone setup from the previous songs, it just doesn't fit. At least Reitman's Thank You For Smoking had something worth while to say, Juno however is mostly just throw away, but will probably be lauded by the general public. I just hope it doesn't go as far as to being a dark horse original screenplay nominee.

Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (F.W. Murnau, 1927)

Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (F.W. Murnau, 1927)
Rating: 9.1

Sunrise, begins as with a very dark, almost noir-esque tone. German expressionistic influences obviously play a major role in this, as the film features low key lighting, a lot of shadows, angular camera set ups and set arrangements. Technically the film is incredile, with it's extremely mobile camerawork, frenetic overlapping dissolve editing, and foley sound effects. I use the term noir because the genre stemmed from German expressionism, but also because of the story itself. Our main character is a farmer with a wife and child, who is having an affair with a vacationing women from the city. The woman is clearly the femme fatale, as she attempts to coax the man into murdering his wife, by making it look like a boating accident. Upon failing to follow through with the murder plot, the film takes a drastic change of tone. The man begs for forgiveness realizing how much he truly loves his wife. She eventually forgives him and they travel through the city, attending a wedding, carnival, dancehall, and getting photographs. There are also many moments of humor throughout the film, including a drunken pig that gets loose in the ballroom and a man desperately trying to keep his date's shoulder straps from falling, among others. These comic moments seem a little unbalanced with the tone of the film at the beginning and end, however I think they could have worked better with a tragic ending rather than happy one, as the best tragedies always make one laugh first. It has been the subject of question, as to whether or not the ending was a concession Murnau made to Americanize his film, whether it was the choice of the studio, or his own. I don't know if this is just my pessimism leaking out, but I personally think the film would have worked better with a tragic ending.

Kôhî jikô (Hsiao-hsien Hou, 2003) aka Café Lumière

Café Lumière (Hsiao-hsien Hou, 2003)
Ratings: 8.3

As the opening credit informs us, Hou made this film for the centenary of Yasujiro Ozu's birth. The two artist's have very different backgrounds and approaches to filmmaking; Hou shooting independently financed films on location, and Ozu coming from the stringent Japanse studio system. Despite these differences, both filmmakers share the commonalities of portraying everyday human emotion. For this particular film, Hou experiments by working under similar conditions as Ozu. He strays from his homeland of Taiwan and makes a budgeted film under a studio in Japan. Ozu's influence in Café Lumière is apparent as Hou explores family values, social criticisms, and most importantly traditionalism vs. modernity. Despite the slight adaptation, Hou incorporates many of his stylistic traits, including long static takes, claustrophobic framings, as well as obstructed and sometimes off-screen action. The film follows Yoko, played by Japanese pop idol Yo Hitoto, as she struggles to connect with people. She even remains distant with her family and friends. This is most overt when we see Yoko on her cell phone, disconnected from reality in a sense, which occurs in close to a dozen instances. Later we discover that Yoko is pregnant and adopted, although not all at once. The biological father of her child has moved to Thailand, however local bookstore owner Hajime (Tadanobu Asano) who records train sounds in his spare time, becomes a potential replacement as he forges a meaningful relationship with Yoko. The film captures the beautiful moments of solitude in everyday life, as Yoko stares out the train window, lost in her reflections, taking in the sights and sounds, yet the Hou also emphasizes the essential human need for relationships; familial and otherwise.

Les Enfants du paradis (Marcel Carné, 1945) aka Children of Paradise

Children of Paradise (Marcel Carné, 1945)
Rating: 9.9

A beautiful romantic epic blooming from the tradition of occupied French poetic realism, Children of Paradise follows the intersecting paths of love and lust between Garance (Arletty) and four men for whom she is the object of desire. Although the film is set in 19th century Paris, the film allegorizes occupied France and employs fantastic camera work, lavish set decor as well as wardrobe. The film is full of richly distinct and intriguing characters, including Baptiste (Jean-Louis Barrault), the dreamer and popular pantomime artisté, who believes anything is possible. At one point he remarks that "dreams and life are the same thing." Frédérick (Pierre Brasseur) begins as an unemployed actor/ladies man, who eventually evolves into the most popular and beloved actor in the nation. Thirdly, there is the lonely, pessimistic, murderous, thief, Pierre-François Lacenaire (Marcel Herrand). Playing a foil to lover of life, Baptiste, Lacenaire decrees his disdain for humanity and most importantly illustrates the similarities between comedy and tragedy. Just before the climax Lacenaire warns "The plots are the same, however the distinctions lie in the character's class, however there are instances where all men are equal." The last love interest of Garance is Édouard, Count de Montray, a rich and jealous man who comments that the plays of Shakespeare are dull and bestial and best suited for the lower classes; "Today one comes not for the plays, but for the actors." There are several other characters of interest including Jericho the ragman, and Nathalie who falls in love with Baptiste and eventually mothers his child, despite his love for Garance. The film contains several acts of violence, however Carné makes use of elliptical editing to deny the spectator from seeing such acts, much in the same manner the Coen's do most recently in No Country For Old Men. Children of Paradise has much to explore, historically, philosophically, cinematically, etc., however I did have a minor qualm with the film that is very subjective and not so much a factor on my feelings towards it overall. I just found Garance to be a completely unlikable and unsympathetic character. Moreover I didn't find her to be the least bit attractive, in fact I was repulsed by her looks as well as her characters personality, but it seems that the filmmakers urge us to embrace Baptiste and Garance's infidelity.