Bin-jip (Ki-duk Kim, 2004) aka 3-Iron

3-Iron (Ki-duk Kim, 2004)
Rating: 6.7

I liked the premise, but didn't like the direction Kim took it. 3-Iron hits on some interesting themes and does do a lot of things well, but I was annoyed by a lot of little things and overall I found the film to be a little too frivolous for my taste. I never quite understood a lot of the character's actions and motivations, but I didn't really care either. I did however enjoy how the 2 major characters never talked throughout. I realize that the interpretation is most likely meant to be open ended, but I think I was initially taking the film too literally. I think the film works better for me if I think of the young man as an entirely fabricated entity that the woman created as a coping mechanism for her abusive marriage or perhaps a ghost, but with this in mind, the story should have began the focus with her, rather than providing exposition from his perspective. I suppose the other interpretation would be that he was killed in prison by the guard and became a spirit living in the woman's home. As I said I really liked the general premise and even the idea of the characters as thematic embodiments, but I still think Kim is hit and miss with this. The film is "poetic" at times but often gets sidetracked, resorting to facile moments such as the repetition of scenes where character's are pelted with golf balls. Perhaps it's just a tonal issue for me, I really don't know. I think I'm mostly disappointed because I thought the film had so much more potential.

Ningen no joken III (Masaki Kobayashi, 1961) aka The Human Condition III: A Soldier's Prayer

The Human Condition III: A Soldier's Prayer (Masaki Kobayashi, 1961)
Rating: 10

The grueling journey for Kaji as well as the audience commences with Kaji realizing that socialism may be a better answer than fascism, but is still deeply flawed. All of his tireless efforts are futile in the end, suggesting perhaps humanity is doomed in the material world, but perhaps truly free in the afterlife. The combined trilogy is probably the greatest cinematic effort I've witnessed.

The General (Buster Keaton and Clyde Bruckman, 1927)

The General (Buster Keaton and Clyde Bruckman, 1927)
Rating: 7.3

Buster Keaton's The General is a textbook example of a well structured comedy with it's reliance on coincidence, serendipity, recursion, and minoration. It is also an excellent example of a chase/action film, unfortunately the narrative itself is very shallow and basically stretches a simple concept that could have easily been a short and stretches it into 70 minutes of action. The gags become tedious and are often too reliant on slapstick. I've only seen 2 other Keaton features and 2 shorts, however I have seen a lot of clips from his resume, and The General strikes me as a lesser work, despite the reputation. The gags just left more to be desired from me. The train stunts are impressive on a technical level and Keaton's athleticism is always admirable, but overall it failed to translate into genuine hilarity or even arouse excitement for me.

The civil war setting is an interesting backdrop, however it basically becomes a reunion film; as the confederates are the heroes; yearning for a return to better days similar to films like The Littlest Rebel or even Birth of a Nation. This relation, and the imagery of the confederate flags waving in victory disgusts me to some extent and is difficult to overlook, especially given the subjective nature of film criticism.

Cops (Buster Keaton and Edward F. Cline, 1922)
Rating: 9.0

Julien Donkey-Boy (Harmony Korine, 1999)

Julien Donkey-Boy (Harmony Korine, 1999)
Rating: 9.3


Harmony Korine based this film and the character of Julien on his schizophrenic uncle. His intent was to avoid the simplicity and sentimentality that coincide with the portrayal of most mentally ill characters in mainstream cinema. Korine opts to delve into the disturbing world and fragmented imagination of an ill teenager and his insane family using the medium to help communicate a haunting depiction of reality that some people have to face. The film employs the techniques of the Dogme 95 manifesto including digital video format, natural lighting, hand-held camera work, realistic characters and settings, etc.; but Korine sets himself apart from the other Dogme films, that I've seen at least, by adopting his own aesthetics, using in camera adjustments such as shutter speed and aperture tinkering as well as high gain lending a very grainy look to the film. To some the look might seem unappealing, but I found it to be an excellent choice, especially given the tone and subject of the film. The cinematography is impressive throughout as the film presents several interesting compositions, my favorite of which being a dutch shot of the distant silhouette of Werner Herzog (Julian's father) wearing a gas mask and dancing to opera music framed between the candles of a beautiful chandelier in the foreground. Korine also uses editing to capture Julien's schizophrenic mindset and presents much of the narrative through a series of vignettes, sometimes employing frantic jump cuts and other times using a montage of still images as the sound continues in real time.

The film presents the characters as being out of touch with reality, and almost inside their own bubble, that we as viewers are not permitted to leave for the duration. However their is still a very humanistic quality to the presentation. In one touching scene Julien's pregnant sister played by Chloë Sevigny talks with him on the phone, pretending to be his deceased mother and comforting him; telling him the voices he hears are friendly and that she is watching him. Werner Herzog's antics are the most ridiculous and actually quite hilarious as he insults his children by calling them cowards, dilettantes, and sluts, chugs cough syrup from a slipper, offers his son $10 to wear his mother's dress and dance, and so on. Julien's brother Chris is another interesting character. Although he is seemingly the most "normal", his unsettling obsession with becoming a wrestler and rigorous training regiment appears just as insane as any of the other character's actions, especially when he begins wrestling a plastic trashcan. Another hilarious scene unfolds when Julien and Chris indulge in a wrestling match as the rest of the family watches and cheers them on.

Throughout the film a religious motif is prevalent as the family uses prayer and church hymns in different ways. In one scene the family appears to be the only Caucasians at an otherwise all black congregation. I'm not exactly sure if Korine means to deface religion or just acknowledge it's utility as a crutch by juxtaposing such iconography with the lower class, the less fortunate, and even insane and freak-like characters. My only minor complaint about the film is that it too often introduces random odd characters such as a black albino man, an armless man who does card tricks and plays drums, and a man who performs cigarette tricks. During these moments I felt the film begins to resemble a freak show of sorts, rather than offering something of value to the piece as a whole, but when it sticks to the examination of the family, the film really works.

The Miracle of Morgan's Creek (Preston Sturges, 1944)

The Miracle of Morgan's Creek (Preston Sturges, 1944)
Rating: 8.8

The Miracle of Morgan's Creek is a bold farce about a woman getting married and pregnant to an unknown solider on a drunken bender. I found Betty Hutton to be slightly annoying as the lead, but Diana Lynn as her 14 year old, wise beyond her years sister steals the show. Eddie Bracken and William Demarest are also enjoyable as the nervous suitor who can't get into the army due to high blood pressure and the stern yet loving single father/police officer. It's pretty amazing how crafty Sturges was to work this subversive script around the production code standards.

Early Silent shorts:

The Lonedale Operator (D.W. Griffith, 1911)

The Original Movie. (1922)
8 minute animated satire of the filmmaking process.

The Gay Shoe Clerk (1903)
Early example of cutting on action.

Three American Beauties (1906)
early color film (painted frames)

Princess Nicotine; or, The Smoke Fairy (1909)
Great little short where two smoke fairies start a fire. The film employs early manipulation of size and space as well as stop motion animation.


The Fall of the House of Usher (James Sibley Watson and Melville Webber1928/I)
My second viewing of this experimental German expressionism influenced Poe adaptation.

Edison shorts:
Black Smith Scene #1
The Kiss
Serpentine Dances
Glenray Brothers (Comic Boxing)
Cock Fight
Feeding the Doves
Seminary Girls
Strongman

Lumiere shorts:
Employees Leaving the Lumière Factory
Arrival of Train
Baby's Lunch
Sprinkler Sprinkled
Dragoons
Promenade of Ostriches
Demolition of Wall
Snowball Fight



The Golden Beetle (Segundo de Chomón, 1907)
Beautifully painted special effects film in the tradition of Melies.


The Thieving Hand (1908)

Hilarious comedy about a prosthetic hand that steals anything it can grab.

I'm Insured (1916)
animated comedy

Christmas in July (Preston Sturges, 1940)

Christmas in July (Preston Sturges, 1940)
Rating: 8.8

Sturge's concise comedy about a man who is duped into believing that he has struck it rich in a coffee slogan contest is just as entertaining as it is intelligent. It captures the essence of the American Dream and man's struggle to confirm their own self worth. Christmas in July bears a striking resemblance to some of Capra's optimistic films as Sturges shows the fickle nature of big business and their inability to think for themselves which ties in the the motif of common beliefs and stereotypes (degrading portrayals of African Americans aside) not holding true such as black cats being unlucky and coffee keeping people awake. Some of the shot selections in this film are among some of the more sophisticated I've seen from Sturges (specifically when the camera climbs several stories, and the shot of the couple entering the car as their gifts are piled in after them). I especially enjoyed the montage of eager radio listeners from all races, genders, and classes awaiting announcement of the contest winner as well as the montage later in the film of the children playing with their newly acquire toys in the streets. I also laud Sturges for the smooth usage of Hitler and Mussolini as comedic insults.

Ningen no joken II (Masaki Kobayashi, 1959) aka The Human Condition II: The Road to Eternity

The Human Condition II: The Road to Eternity (Masaki Kobayashi, 1959)
Rating: 9.6

The second installment of the trilogy follows Kaji from his military training to the front. Most of the film conveys the brutal infrastructure of the Japanese military and Kaji's attempts to challenge the system. Michiko makes a visit and spends what they each know could very well be their last night together in a touching sequence that ends without a proper goodbye as Kaji promises he will survive and return to his wife. The first segment of part two follows a fellow recruit named Obara. Obara is the typical runt of the litter; cowardly, and inept, he is mocked and beaten by his fellow men. Before he kills himself he is made a fool of when forced to mimic a harlot. Kaji speaks out against the military, blaming it for Obara's suicide. Kaji also meets some other interesting characters on his journey including a fellow private who is also blacklisted and shares many of his own ideals. Shinjo talks of crossing the border in search of a comparatively "true freedom" and a fresh start. He makes his escape in perhaps the most thrilling scene of the film as a prairie fire breaks out and Kaji and a superior officer give chase across dangerous swamp lands. After several promotions Kaji leads a group of recruits into a battle against the Soviets which closes out part 2.

Ningen no joken I (Masaki Kobayashi, 1959) aka The Human Condition I: No Greater Love

The Human Condition I: No Greater Love
Rating: 10

Both visually stunning and emotionally searing, the first installment of this 10 hour epic trilogy commences the journey of Kaji as he faces the human condition. Technically the film is almost flawless, with wonderful compositions that are beautifully blocked, framed, and lit. This film explores the many facets of the human experience in fascist Japan during WW-II. Inhumane acts as well as humanitarian ideals are expressed as Kaji tries to indoctrinate his revolutionary socialist and pacifistic beliefs on an ore mine, who's authority figures only know of exploitation and brutality towards their employees and Chinese POWs. Collectively the character's experience the full palette of human emotions from love, joy, and kindness, to fear, mistrust, greed, betrayal, manipulation, sorrow, guilt, and pity. It's interesting to see the treatment of different genders, classes, and ethnicities in the film as well, with characters ranging from men and women, harlots, prisoners, intellectuals, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, authority figures, and military men.

Some Like It Hot (Billy Wilder, 1959)

Some Like It Hot (Billy Wilder, 1959)
Rating: 9.3

The Circus (Charles Chaplin, 1928)

The Circus (Charles Chaplin, 1928)
Rating: 8.7

A lot a good gags in here, although I found most of my favorites to be a the beginning of the film, such as the bit where the tramp eats the baby's food and when he disguises himself as an animatronic robot.



The final trapeze act with the monkeys is pretty solid too, and I always enjoy bittersweet endings. Great film, just not as good as some of Chaplin's other more poignant and mature films that incorporate more of a social commentary.

Semi-Pro (Kent Alterman, 2008)

Semi-Pro (Kent Alterman, 2008)
Rating: 5.3

Semi-Pro is an unstoppable box office formula combining Will Ferrell and the elements of the underdog sports team we've seen over and over again in films like Slap Shot, Major League, Unnecessary Roughness, The Replacements, and more recently in Dodge Ball. I was surprised at how well the art department handled the 70s look of the film and I felt the overall production seemed a lot more carefully executed compared to more recent sloppily thrown together comedies like Talladega Nights and Anchorman whether it be lighting, editing, and even the script. The characters are impressively multi-dimensional, but although the film has it's entertaining moments of hilarity, it's just not funny enough to be a memorable comedy. If it isn't the formula and Will Ferrell's act itself that has grown tiresome and ran it's course then perhaps first time director Kent Alterman adheres to the script too strictly, as Will Ferrell's comedic improv moments from the recent television commercials for Old Spice and Bud Light, which I found to be much more funny than anything in the film itself, seem to be missing.

Snow Angels (David Gordon Green, 2007)

Snow Angels (David Gordon Green, 2007)
Rating: 7.7

Snow Angels is David Gordon Green's first adaptation (of a novel by Stewart O'Nan), and features his biggest name cast to date with Sam Rockwell, Kate Beckinsale, Griffin Dunne, and Amy Sedaris. Despite these small changes the film is undeniably true to David Gordon Green's style. Tim Orr once again takes care of the photography and Jeff McIlwain and David Wingo contribute the score. Technically speaking the film has a lot of problems, some of which it manages to get away with due to the lo-fi indie nature of it, and others that are too glaring to write off such as the scene where Arthur (Michael Angarano) brings his girlfriend, Lila (Jeanetta Arnette), a plate full of pancakes for breakfast only to magically transform into waffles in the subsequent shots. The cinematography wasn't as impressive as I remember some of Green's other films being and there are some soft focus issues, however there are still a lot of beautiful shots, particularly of the snow covered wooded areas and frozen lakes. The most noticeable problem was the overmodualated production audio, especially during scenes where character's yelled or raised their voices. Even though this is obviously a low budget film, it is still a professional project and there is really no excuse for such a blemish.
Like Green's other film's the story takes place in a small town, with working class characters and the camera captures the natural beauty and ugliness of nature and humanity. The writing and the acting comes across as very naturalistic and believable, and despite the overall serious tone there are quite a few awkward moments of humanistic comedy, perhaps even more so here than in his previous work. The narrative explores several different relationships including two young teenage lovers just getting to know each other, Arthur's parents who have recently separated and are attempting to cope with that, and Annie (Kate Beckinsale) and her Husband Glenn (Sam Rockwell) who have been a child, but have been separated for some time. Although Rockwell, Beckinsale, and Angarano are the most flushed out characters, Snow Angels works as a great ensemble piece, and shifts focus between the different characters fluidly and unforced. The youthful couple serves as a foil as well as a reminder of what Glenn and Annie once were. Although this film has more of a central story to it than Green's first two efforts, it still has that meandering feel to it, as the tragic story is almost secondary to the joy, pain, confusion, ambitions, and suffering of the characters. The tonal shifts are impressively handled and probably what I enjoyed most about the film it's just a shame at how amateurish parts of the film come across as due to technical flaws.

Gone Baby Gone (Ben Affleck, 2007)

Gone Baby Gone (Ben Affleck, 2007)
Rating: 5.5

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (Andrew Dominik, 2007)

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (Andrew Dominik, 2007)
Rating: 7.2

Great score, great performances, and some of the most dazzling cinematography I can recall in recent years. Casey Affleck was very good and deserving of his Oscar nomination, but my favorite character/performance was from Paul Schneider as Dick Liddil

Be Kind Rewind (Michel Gondry, 2008)

Be Kind Rewind (Michel Gondry, 2008)
Rating: 7.3

As a fan of director, Michel Gondry and his unique visual art and creativity I must admit that I carry a bit of a bias. Gondry follows up his eccentric Science of Sleep with a more accessible comedy with a brilliant premise in which a the protagonists (Mos Def and Jack Black) accidentally destroy all of the tapes in their Boss's small video/thrift store and attempt to recreate the films themselves. The character's and the situations are a bit over the top and even illogical at times, and the general plot points are pretty formulaic, however Gondry's flare for the unique and quirky still manages to capture the spotlight and make up for the flaws. I was displeased with some of the continuity in the editing, and wasn't a big fan of parts of the soundtrack that sounded like royalty free music; writing isn't Gondry's strongest point either. The script mostly seems contrived in order to showcase Gondry's aesthetics. Like any other generic script the conflict is introduced in the first 15 minutes. Mr. Fletcher's store is on the verge of being demolished and replaced by condos. The initial 15 minutes left me skeptical, but once the remakes began production or "Sweded" films as the characters dub them, I started to get into it. Jack Black provides some comical remarks throughout, but I was mostly amused by the inventive visual tactics used to recreate the films. On top of the captivating visuals, and comedy, Be Kind Rewind has a heart. I found the final scene to be very touching; almost the same sort of earnest sense of community A Wonderful Life evokes. The resolution consists of the community uniting to make their own memories and interpretations of the past from scratch. The film champions the independent filmmaker showing that money shouldn't be a limitation to creating art, however Gondry also addresses the harsh reality that the little guy rarely wins as he portrays bureaucrats and big business as the bullies.

Britannia Hospital (Lindsay Anderson, 1982)

Britannia Hospital (Lindsay Anderson, 1982)
Rating: 5.1

Heart of an artful satire, but execution and production values of a B-movie.

The Lady Eve (Preston Sturges, 1941)

The Lady Eve (Preston Sturges, 1941)
Rating: 8.2

A hilarious Sturges film starring Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda. Although I found Fonda's performance to be pretty vapic, Stanwyck is fanstastic. Eugene Pallette as the father of Charles Pike is hilarious as well.

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.