The Spirit of the Beehive (Víctor Erice1973)
Rating: 9.7
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Dare mo shiranai (Hirokazu Kore-eda, 2004) aka Nobody Knows
Nobody Knows (Hirokazu Kore-eda, 2004)
Rating: 9.9
This film utterly blew me away with delicacy. The images are the real substance, rather than the story which follows the lives of four children who have been abandoned by their mother. Their plight unfolds through Kore-eda's calculated film form consisting of the subtle repetition of detailed imagery and elliptical editing. Images are seeded at earlier points in the film and then shown to us again later in the film, and in most cases in a slightly altered state. This effect both triggers the memory of those earlier scenes and their context and also makes us aware of the evolution of the objects themselves as well as the conditions of the children. Examples include Yuki's crayon set which she uses early in the film to color a drawing of her mother. Later in the film this full set of crayons is reduced to nothing more than a few nubs. Kyoko's piano is another example. Kore-eda also uses these details to progress the story. Instead of spelling everything out, the action is dedramatized and we are left with images of unpaid bills lying around the home, the children's hair getting longer throughout, and their clothing becoming more filthy and worn as well as dripping with sweat as the seasons change. Akira's shopping sprees at the convenient store become handouts of leftovers in the back alley as their situation becomes more and more dire. The incredible performances of the children are worth noting as well. These were some of the most natural portrayals of children I've seen on film as Nobody Knows captures a touching portrait of humanity.
Monday, May 07, 2007
Sunday, May 06, 2007
Roman Holiday (William Wyler, 1953)
Roman Holiday (William Wyler, 1953)
Rating: 9.6
Story wise this is just another typical romantic comedy, but with the unforgettable backdrop of Rome, Italy, the uncanny presence of Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck, and the elegant execution of William Wyler, this film is an American classic. Being enamored by Audrey Hepburn, although not an original thought by any means, is completely justified. The charm and innocence of her mannerisms, and delivery is as captivating as her unmatched natural beauty. After watching A Streetcar Named Desire and Roman Holiday consecutively, I've decided, had Brando and Hepburn made a baby, it would be the most gorgeous human being to ever to live.
Peck trying to take the little girl's camera is absolutely hilarious to me.
The Elephant Man (David Lynch, 1980)
The Elephant Man (David Lynch, 1980)
Rating: 9.5
"I am not an elephant! I am not an animal! I am a human being!"
Saturday, May 05, 2007
The Killing (Stanley Kubrick, 1956)
The Killing (Stanley Kubrick, 1956)
Rating: 9.5
This film with all of it's violence and sexuality (see Coleen Gray as Fay) was far ahead of it's time. It tracks the progress of a masterfully conceived and executed horse track robbery by seven men (think Ocean's Eleven). The only complaint I have about the film is the voice over narration throughout. I think this could have been done without by either extending the film a bit as it only ran at 83 minutes or perhaps by first person narrations from each character as it tracked their role in the heist. The plot itself is thoroughly engaging. The direction and musical score were both great, as can be expected in a Kubrick film. I also really enjoyed the variety of performances, from the leading role of Johnny Clay brilliantly played by Sterling Hayden, all the way down to the minor roles of Kola Kwariani (former pro wrestler) as Maurice who is part of a fantastically choreographed fight scene. One of my favorite scenes involves pioneering African American actor James Edwards working as a parking guard and Timothy Carey as Nikki. It's a bittersweet moment as Nikki bribes the guard into letting him into the closed parking lot so he can get into position for his role in the heist. After a polite conversation between the two, Edwards offers Nikki a horseshoe for good luck for treating him so kindly, seeing as the 1950s was a time of racial tension. Nikki realizes he has to get the guard to leave him alone as time fast approaches for him to do his job, so his solution is to use a racial slur. The sequence of events and scenes that transpire during the last 15 minutes of the film are truly unforgettable, as is the final line of dialogue, "What does it matter."
Black Narcissus (Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, 1947)
Black Narcissus (Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, 1947)
Rating: 8.5
The melodrama is a little hard to take at times during this film. I also felt that some of the scenes were just too overly dramatic and coinciding with this, the score was a bit over the top. Aside from these faults the film contains some of the most gorgeous cinematography I've ever seen. It's hard to believe that the film was not actually shot in the Himalayas, rather it was shot in a studio using blown up black and white photographs that were painted over which earned cinematographer, Jack Cardiff and art director Alfred Junge Academy Awards. The setting itself plays an incredible vital role in influencing the actions of the characters. The story itself is a fascinating examination of a group of nuns battling temptations and struggle to repress their "true" identities in order to follow God's path. Religion itself is critiqued to an extent as the nuns are portrayed as obstinate and condescending towards the people they are meant to be enlightening.
Jean Simmons:
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
71 Fragments of a Chronology of Chance (Michael Haneke, 1994)
71 Fragments of a Chronology of Chance (Michael Haneke, 1994)
Rating: 8.4
A meticulously executed film that shows, as the title would suggest, fragmented portraits of unrelated characters in everyday situations who are interlinked by a climactic final sequence. Haneke's lingering static long takes challenge the spectator as usual. He blurs the viewer's perceptions of the characters as he commentates on society as a whole.
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Monday, April 30, 2007
Ossessione (Luchino Visconti, 1943)
Ossessione (Luchino Visconti, 1943)
This was the first movie adapted from James M. Cain's "The Postman Always Rings Twice." It's an interesting Noiresque indictment of Italian Fascism as the confinements of love, marriage, and greed allude to Mussolini's controlling regime. This film was pretty melodramatic as was the trend of the times and runs a bit longer than perhaps it should have, but it foreshadows the neorealist movement, and includes some beautiful camera movements and shot compositions.
Rating: 8.5
Dhia Cristiani:
C.R.A.Z.Y. (Jean-Marc Vallée, 2005)
C.R.A.Z.Y. (Jean-Marc Vallée, 2005)
Rating: 6.7
The themes are a bit heavy handed at times and I felt the film was trying to be a little too flashy for its own good at others, resulting in some major plot points feeling a little contrived. However the performances were solid, especially Michel Côté as the father, and I enjoyed the exploration of the unspoken love between family.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
RoboCop (Paul Verhoeven, 1987)
RoboCop (Paul Verhoeven, 1987)
Rating: 8.4
I'm ashamed to admit that this was my first viewing of this film. RoboCop is an interesting hybrid film with mainstream appeal as well as artistic merit. The story itself is relatively uninteresting and secondary to the more intriguing premise. I felt that a lot of the dialogue was pretty lame and derivative, especially the villain/cop interactions(trying to kick a cyborg in the nuts, and firing endless rounds at his metal armor with no sign of significant damage being done). Fortunately Verhoeven doesn't take his film too seriously, much in the same vain as Starship Troopers, which he would make ten years later, a lot of this is meant to be taken as tongue and cheek. He mixes in some subtle humor and satire, most overtly through the television news and commercial intermissions. Despite the seemingly watered down screenplay at times, the film manages to explore some significant issues, and the editing, shot selections and compositions throughout mark an incredible achievement in directing.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Broken Blossoms or The Yellow Man and the Girl (1919)
Broken Blossoms or The Yellow Man and the Girl (1919)
Rating: 7.7
Despite the racist connotations of the title and the references to the Chinese man as Chinky, given the historical context this film conveys a lot of sentimentality towards his character, while portraying the prejudice white man as the villain. Broken Blossoms was one of the first films to explore the taboo idea of inter-racial love. Griffith purveys his array of talents by composing a tragic yet simplistic story as opposed to another lavish epic which he has now become most well known for.
Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story (Todd Haynes, 1987)
Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story (1987)
Rating: 9.0
A rare cult classic that is unavailable commercially...Click the link below to see it.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=622130510713940545&q=superstar+karen+carpenter+story&hl=en
Friday, April 27, 2007
Touch of Evil (Orson Welles, 1958)
Touch of Evil (Orson Welles, 1958)
Rating: 9.7
The narrative is pretty mediocre and I'm not a fan of Heston's performance, but Orson Welles is amazing as an actor and director creating one of the most visually and aesthetically enticing American films ever made.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Wandâfuru raifu (Hirokazu Kore-eda, 1998) aka After Life
After Life (Hirokazu Kore-eda, 1998)
Rating: 8.7
I loved the concept of this film as I have always been intrigued with "memory", and it covers the most challenging issues of this world beautifully (what is life about? what happens after we die?). The film is pretty low budget, and the natural lighting cinematography is the only problem I had with it. The most stimulating part of the film is it's interactive ability to challenge the viewer to explore their own memories while watching.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Eri, Eri, rema sabachttani? (Shinji Aoyama, 2005)
Eri, Eri, rema sabachttani? (Shinji Aoyama, 2005)
Rating: 9.4
In the opening sequence of Shinji Aoyama’s My God, My God, Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me? two men wearing protective masks and goggles walk along a beach. For the first several minutes of the film, not a word is spoken between them. Using extreme long shots, Aoyoma shows the vast empty landscape the men are traveling across as the soundtrack plays somewhat eerie droning music over the sounds of the wind blowing and waves crashing. Soon a saxophone chimes in as the two men explore a tent. We see a shot of a kitchen table still containing food as flies buzz around it, another shot of exposed legs of a supposed corpse, a hole in the tent, and a photograph of a family. After exploring the tent the two men begin rummaging through the junk that is lying around. The next several sequences show the men interacting with different objects to create different sounds as they record them. Mizui releases a deck of cards into the wind while Asahara turns the dial of an old radio that can’t find a signal as static blares from it. They also discover a hose-like tube that creates a whistling hum when twirled around. In the following scene it is revealed that the men are noise musicians. Mizui attaches the pieces of the tubing to an umbrella and then attaches that to a fan, thus creating his own unique instrument.
Aoyama shows us the process by which these musicians manipulate their environment to create music which is equally important to the finished product itself and the ephemeral listening experience. Later we discover that an epidemic that is causing people to kill themselves, known as the Lemmings Syndrome is causing the deaths of millions of people worldwide. Despite the existence of this life altering disease, Asahara, who actually has the disease, and Mizui don’t seem to concern themselves with it much at all. The filmmaker doesn’t linger on this aspect of the film as much as we would suspect either. There are brief shots of dead bodies on the sides of the road, and hanging from telephone poles, but the major focus is really on the music. Aoyama gives us long extended scenes where the musicians are performing or composing their art. Natsuishi thinks that there is a link between the music of Stepin Fetchit and a cure for Lemmings Syndrome, so he takes his granddaughter Hana to their home to seek their help.
The idea of the music being a dreamlike transcendental experience able to cure a disease that causes suicidal tendencies and breeds on misery is an interesting concept. Following Asahara’s sudden death, Mizui explains to Hana that “it comes down to the will to recover.” Navi says she doesn’t think about death and has no fear of it. So how does the music factor into this? Perhaps Aoyama is inferring the interaction with and creation of art is a means of hope and distraction from death. During the final musical performance, there is a shot of Mizui playing his guitar which is overlapped by another shot of a bird flying in the air. This juxtaposition seems to be linking music with freedom. After his performance he tells Hana that “like music, you and I are a dream.” This film uses minimal dialogue, meticulous pacing, stark open landscape, and more to create an experience and mood, more than a strong narrative, much like dreams and music do.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Monday, April 23, 2007
Saturday, April 21, 2007
The Best Years of Our Lives (William Wyler, 1946)
The Best Years of Our Lives (William Wyler, 1946)
Rating: 9.9
I recently rewatched this film while it was broadcast on PBS. In my opinion this is perhaps the most significant and thought provoking melodrama to ever come out of Hollywood, not to mention a complex and intriguing character study of WWII veterans returning home.
Teresa Wright:
Duo luo tian shi (Kar Wai Wong, 1995) aka Fallen Angels
Fallen Angels ((Kar Wai Wong, 1995)
Rating: 9.6
Another gorgeously photographed and stylistically engrossing Kar Wai Wong film about loneliness and alienation in Hong Kong.
Friday, April 20, 2007
Hail the Conquering Hero (Preston Sturges, 1944)
Hail the Conquering Hero (Preston Sturges, 1944)
Rating: 9.6
A brilliant screenplay satire written and directed by Strurges, that criticizes commodified heroism, politics, and family values. Eddie Brackens is terrific as Woodrow Lafayette Pershing Truesmith, a Marine dismissed for chronic hay fever before ever seeing action. He meets a group of Marines who encourage him to tell a little white lie about his heroics at war to his mother which in turn escalates to a statue being made in his honor and the townspeople insisting he run for mayor. Woodrow becomes the symbolic embodiment of untold stories of heroics. The beautiful Ella Raines with her captivating screen presence plays Woodrow's love interest, Libby.
Ella Raines:
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
The Cool World (Shirley Clarke, 1964)
The Cool World (Shirley Clarke, 1964)
Rating: 9.8
This is a remarkable American New Wave docudrama that perfectly captures the milieu of Harlem in the 1960s by exploring a group of adolescents involved in gangs and juvenile delinquency. The main character, Duke, is obsessed with acquiring a gun which symbolically represents his quest for manhood, power, and escape from alienation. The film resembles the Italian neorealistic style as the environment shapes the actions of the characters and become victims of their surroundings. The jazz soundtrack provided by Dizzy Gillespie and Yusaf Lateef, among others playing Mal Waldron's original compositions is an excellent thematic counterpoint as the narrative itself is improvised and free flowing like the music. This film is a rare treat that offers photographs of a history not often explored.
The Man Who Knew Too Much (Alfred Hitchcock, 1934)
The Man Who Knew Too Much (Alfred Hitchcock, 1934)
Rating: 8.4
I always enjoy Peter Lorre's performances and The Albert Hall scene is brilliantly edited and composed.
Monday, April 16, 2007
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Blades of Glory (Josh Gordon and Will Speck, 2007)
Blades of Glory (Josh Gordon and Will Speck, 2007)
Rating: 4.5
The story structure was actually much more thought out than Ferrell's previous comic smashes and I was impressed with the inventiveness of the skating scenes and surprised at how seamlessly the editing hid stunt doubles, but unfortunately this film didn't have any real memorable comic scenes. I did however enjoy the television skater spotlights parodies and the actual skating announcer's commentary and ridiculous puns.
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Vita è bella, La (Roberto Benigni, 1997)
Life is Beautiful (Roberto Benigni, 1997)
Rating: 6.5
A cute and hopeful film that would be great to watch with my family, but pretty generic and often cheesy. I love Benigni's performance as well as the young boy's, but I have to say this was a disappointment after so much hype and being on imdb's top #100 list.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
La Maison de Himiko (Isshin Inudou 2005)
La Maison de Himiko (Isshin Inudou 2005)
Rating: 7.6
In his article “The Social Situation Facing Gays in Japan,” Sunagawa Hideki discusses how the young people of today seemingly have an easier time dealing with and accepting their sexuality than previous generations did. He goes on to explain that the Gay Boom, the proliferation of activist groups and human rights organizations as well as classroom education have influenced the public toward a more positive social outlook towards homosexuality in general. Hideki conversely discusses the flip side of the coin where oppression still exists, gay men are targets of youth gang violence, and young men face inner battles of self acceptance.
Isshin Inudou’s film La Maison de Himiko (2005) portrays varying representations of both old and young gay men and accepting and oppressive heterosexual members of society. Himiko, a former owner of a gay night club, retires and opens a retirement home for gay men. Perhaps with the exception of Yamazaki, the older men are very comfortable with their self identity and sexuality. We most obviously conclude this based on the costuming of the characters. The elderly gay men wear a colorful palette of bright robes, dresses, and other clothing to represent their self confidence. Ruby even adorns a pink wig. To contrast this, Saori, a heterosexual character wears mostly black, white, or earth tone colors throughout.
Yamazaki, however is an example of what Hideki was discussing. He has been embarrassed to wear a dress, even in front of his friends at the closed gay community they live in. Saori becomes the first person to see his bedroom which is lavishly decorated and contains several dresses he has designed. Yamazaki even comments that he will “wear a dress in his coffin which will be his first and last, so he won’t have to look in the mirror and regret how he looks.”
Saori goes through an interesting character arc in the film. Initially she is disgusted by the group of men at the retirement home, but eventually she warms up to them after getting to know each one as humanized individuals rather than part of a stigmatized group. She offers her nonexistent inheritance to help save La Maison de Himiko and be able to keep Ruby at the home after his stroke in one scene. In another scene when Yamazaki is being mocked by a former coworker after it is discovered Yamazaki is a “queen,” Saori yells at the man, demanding he apologize. Despite her friendships and understanding she still cannot fully accept their choices. In the end she accuses them of having selfish homo-egos for abandoning their families and causing suffering for their loved ones and never really allows
her father, Himiko to have any sort of redemption before his death.
Lastly the film represents a group of young juvenile delinquents who are constantly pestering the gay men and vandalizing the house. This subject is treated a little more lightly than it could be as Hideki mentions that a number of deaths occur from gang violence towards gays. In the film the young boys are comically chased off after being sprayed by a hose. Later Haruhiko repeatedly slaps one of the boys until they are scared away. This same boy later shows remorse for his actions and begins to work for Haruhiko.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Monday, April 09, 2007
Friday, April 06, 2007
The Motel (Michael Kang, 2005)
The Motel (Michael Kang, 2005)
Rating: 7.0
"8 is great...you can die at 12 and live a full life...anything after that is just an insult."
Thursday, April 05, 2007
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