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Post by friendofmilhouse on Mar 20, 2017 0:16:13 GMT
Please tell us what classics you saw last week. Modern films are welcome, as well.
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Post by friendofmilhouse on Mar 20, 2017 0:18:22 GMT
Mary of Scotland (US-1936) dir. John Ford
This is one of those lavish but pompous Hollywood costume dramas where people stand around tables explaining history to each other.
It is saved from complete stodginess by a fierce performance from Katherine Hepburn as Mary Stuart and John Ford's inventive visual direction.
**1/2
Trainspotting (UK-1996) dir. Danny Boyle
For a movie that tried so hard to be hip and cool in the nineties, Trainspotting holds up remarkably well and is nowhere near as dated as you might expect, with Danny Boyle's stylish virtuosity still feeling fresh and playful today.
Yet for all its ironic "choose life" non-conformity, its rebelliousness feels like a pose, part of its cool facade. Indeed, the ending can be read as an embrace of normalcy and societal norms.
It's a movie that doesn't have much to say, but says it well.
***
T2 Trainspotting (UK-2017) dir. Danny Boyle
T2 is not a standalone film. It's not going to make any sense to people who haven't seen the original or have forgotten all about it.
It presumes that you not only loved the first film, but are wondering what happened to these characters over the past twenty years. It's also a film that revels in nostalgia, but that nostalgia seems to belong more to Danny Boyle than to characters whose memories must be nothing but a drug-fuelled haze.
And while it consists more of a loose string of set-pieces rather than a tightly woven plot, most of it works and Boyle can still can still create some eye-popping sequences.
MVP is Ewen Bremner, whose character Spud was a mere comic relief in the first film, but here turns him into the heart and soul of the movie.
It's not a necessary film and it still doesn't have much to say, but I can live with its existence.
***
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Post by Matthew the Swordsman on Mar 20, 2017 1:05:23 GMT
Films linked to are uploaded by the copyright holder.
13 March 2017
Juke Joint (1947, USA) 7/10. Some of the reviewers on IMDb compare this 67-minute African-American film to being a sitcom. Perhaps, but that's not a bad thing. It's certainly a refreshing change from the usual black films of the period. The very low budget meant that many scenes use real locations instead of sets, this results in some odd camera-work. The highlight of the film is a lengthy sequence (unconnected to the plot) depicting some exciting dancing. Spencer Williams both directs the film and plays one of the main characters. He is by far the best actor in the film, and even starred in a sitcom on CBS-TV during the 1950s. Sadly, he is forgotten today.
A Chairy Tale (1957, Canada) - 7.5/10. Delightfully weird 10-minute short about a man, and a chair that refuses to let him sit in it.
14 March 2017
Go Down, Death! (1944, USA) - 7/10. A very hard to rate African-American religious film. It is very dated and heavy-handed, yet somehow it works (and this is coming from someone who isn't a Christian). I must admit though, the scenes of hell (and accompanying fire-and-brimstone narration) were just a bit too much. Spencer Williams directs and plays the main villian (he usually cast himself in his films, ranging from big parts to bit-parts).
Reaching for the Stars (1958, Australia) - 7/10. An interesting documentary about Australia's contribution into astronomy. This 10-minute short film accompanied different films depending on the place it was being shown. For example, In Sydney, it accompanied the now-very-rare David Niven film "The Silken Affair", along with additional short subjects ("Cradle of Great Men", "Valley of the Yarra", "Dopey Dick, the Pink Whale", and a Movietone film on the Queen Mother). Meanwhile, in Canberra, it accompanied the now-rare Jerry Lewis film "The Sad Sack" and a sci-fi b-movie called "The Space Children", along with a newsreel.
The film was produced by Australian Commonwealth Film Unit, who released various documentaries during the 1950s, many of which aren't listed on IMDb. The bulk of Australia's film output of the 1950s consisted of these short documentaries.
15 March 2017
In terms of film.
Dumbo (1941, USA) - 8/10. Such a nice film. At 64 minutes it moves along quite quickly, yet still has time for the fascinating "Pink Elephants" sequence.
Unit Beat Policing (1968, UK) - 7.5/10. Instructional 22-minute film for police officers. Released on DVD as part of the set "Police and Thieves" by BFI Video.
In terms of TV:
I watched an episode of the UK sitcom "Man About the House" titled "And Mother Makes Four" (telecast: 22 August 1973). Funny show.
I also watched an episode of "Mary Mungo & Midge " titled "The Boat" (telecast: 21 October 1969). This was a 15-minute BBC children's cartoon. Although this isn't realistic, since it contains a talking dog and an intelligent flute-playing mouse, it is nevertheless set in "the real world", with the characters living in a tower block (albeit a tower block that is spotlessly clean and has an elevator which works. Try finding that in real life). So, in a sense, it could be considered an early attempt at a realistic children's cartoon (at least compared with the likes of "The Flintstones" and "The Jetsons").
I also watched a huge amount of old 1970s/1980s commercials for "Cool Whip", starring Marge Redmond.
16 March 2017
The All-Rounder (1958, Australia) - 7.5/10. Cute little 2-minute theatrically-released PSA about safe driving. Interestingly enough, it was produced by Movietone, far better known for their newsreels.
Building a Brick House (1946, Australia) - 7/10. This 10-minute documentary, intended as an instructional film for ex-soldiers taking up the building trade, does exactly what the title suggests. A bit too dry for my taste.
The Bronze Buckaroo (1939, USA) - 7.5/10. I'm probably the only person in the entire world who likes this 57-minute film. It's a b-western with an all-African-American cast. Like most b-westerns, there is a comic relief sidekick, the seedy bar, the woman in danger of losing her ranch, and it ends with a shoot-out in which a lot of shots get fired but hardly anyone gets shot (oddly enough, the only major fatal shot is fired by the comic relief sidekick, who kisses his gun after doing the kill). I love b-westerns like this, so I enjoyed the film a lot.
17 March 2017
Gang War (1940, USA) - 7.5/10. A crime drama about a gangster, this 63-minute movie has an all-African-American cast. It's a quick paced film that manages to provide some excitement.
Also watched the episode "Printing" (telecast 28 October 1969) of the 15-minute children's series "Mary Mungo & Midge".
18 March 2017
Dilemma (1962, UK) - 7.5/10. A simple yet interesting 64-minute crime drama. Interestingly the director and most of the cast usually worked in TV rather than film.
Ride Like a Champion (1950, Australia) - 7/10. I found this on YouTube. I assume it was a classroom film. It teaches children how to ride their bicycle. It's no better and no worse than films of this kind from other countries.
I also watched the episode "Some Enchanted Evening" (telecast 29 August 1973) of the sitcom "Man About the House". Decent episode, but I've seen better from this series.
19 March 2017
Nothing. I was too busy playing video games, such as "Super Mario Bros 3", "Mario Kart Double Dash", "Super Mario Kart", and "Mario Kart 64". I also watched a lot of classic late-1950s/early-1960s commercials for a breakfast cereal called Alpha-Bits.
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Post by OldAussie on Mar 20, 2017 1:07:39 GMT
A very slow week -
The Omen (1976) 7.5/10 Well cast and surprisingly involving since i find most horror movies are silly.
Damien: Omen II (1978) 7/10 Not a bad sequel at all.
Stand by Me (1986) 8.5/10 A genuine minor classic.
First time viewing -
Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (2013) 7/10 A by-the-numbers bio of an important story.
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Post by mikef6 on Mar 20, 2017 1:51:45 GMT
La Guerre Du Feu (Quest For Fire) / Jean-Jacques Annaud (1981). Very enjoyable film that may even be educational. It takes place in Africa and follows three members of an early human species who leave their tribe in search of fire. The tribe does not understand fire. To keep the ability to have a fire, they must get it from nature and then maintain embers they carry with them where ever they go. When their fire is swamped with water, three members must go in search of other groups of early human species and try to steal some fire from them. Our protags are pretty primitive. They lack language except for a few words (fire is “atra”). Everett McGill plays the leader of the trio that sets out. Ron Perlman makes his screen debut as another of the three. Along the way, they run into a tribe of cannibals. In the process of stealing the cannibals’ fire, they inadvertently free Ika, a captive due to be boiled for dinner (Rae Dawn Chong). She tags along with them, trying to get back to her own people who are more advanced and live in a settled community in shelters they built for themselves. Through Ika they learn about language, laughter, making fire themselves, and face-to-face sex. Action, comedy, a build up of sympathy, and a human connection with these early people who might be all of our ancestors characterize this interesting and entertaining film.
"Millennium" (2010). The murder mystery can (but rarely does) explore dark themes far beyond plot mechanics. What is the nature of violence? Where can it be found? What are these effects of violent crime on people? Even further, what is the nature of life, death and existence? A “whodunit” story can take a placid surface society and peel back the layers to the ugliness beneath – and also provide a suspenseful tale to keep us engrossed. When a mystery movie or novel or mini-series is working at the top of its game – as it is here – it gives us all these things.
A trio of mystery and suspense novels from Swedish writer Steig Larsson (1954-2004) rocked the literary world. His manuscripts were discovered and published after his death. They were almost immediately filmed in Sweden as three feature length films which were released world-wide in 2009. The next year, 2010, the films, with an additional two hours of material cut from the theatrical releases, were shown on Swedish TV as a mini-series of six 90-minute episodes under the title “Millennium” (aka The Extended Edition). This “extended edition” is what I am reviewing.
Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nykvist), an investigative journalist, is hired to investigate the 40-year-old disappearance of the niece of a wealthy industrialist. His search leads him into a hunt for a serial killer whose roots may lie in Sweden’s Nazi past during WWII. The multi-generational plot is as labyrinthine as anything written by Ross MacDonald. But the main attraction is Lisbeth Salander, played by Noomi Rapace with supreme concentration and laser focus. You can even see her brain working behind her eyes even while she is staring at a computer screen. Lisbeth, a Goth girl with a mysterious, violent past and no social skills, is also a master computer hacker but only the security firm who employs her is aware of this. When Lisbeth and Mikael finally meet up near the end of Episode One, we get a beautifully mis-matched couple and two heroes to really care about. One warning: you will need an upper middle level tolerance for screen violence, including a brutal rape (which is almost immediately avenged).
Episode Two ends with the death of a serial killer of Eastern European women trapped in sexual slavery. As Three opens, Blomkvist’s magazine in about to publish an expose of that human trafficking, but the two young researchers who are preparing the article are murdered. The killings are done in such a way as to cast heavy suspicion on Lisbeth. Lisbeth goes on the run, following the conspiracy’s trail though a path of bad guys, realizing that the murders and the frame-up relate to her own past but murky personal history. One of the things I really liked is that the best action sequence – and one of the best I have seen anywhere in a long, long time – is given to two relatively minor characters. Miriam (Yasmine Garbi), the female friend who is apartment sitting for Lisbeth and a martial arts trainer, Paolo (Paolo Roberto) who goes to try to get her to talk to Nykvist. These two are plunged into danger and it is a wonder to behold. In this era of stars making tens of millions of dollars for a movie and, thus, having to appear in every frame, it is absolutely brilliant to have two people who are almost passers-by and whose fate can always be in doubt have to fight for their lives. Very edge-of-the seat and truly breathtaking. The additional footage is easy to spot in the middle two episodes. In my original review of the feature film eight years ago, I wrote, “The journalist, played by Michael Nykvist, doesn’t have as much to do.” Well, in the “extended edition,” he has a lot to do as he investigates independently and tries to catch up with Lisbeth to help protect her.
The final two episodes are lighter on action than usual as Lisbeth Salander is in police custody for almost the entire run time. At first she is seriously injured and in the hospital, later in a jail cell and then on trial. But the thrills come in other ways, mainly with Mikael having to counter each move of a secret cabal who wants to silence Lisbeth, either by her death or institutionalized for life. However, episode five, made up mostly of questioning people and planning strategy, was the only one of the six in which I noticed that time was passing. I checked my watch several times, something I hadn’t done until this late chapter. But the last of the episodes which covers Lisbeth’s trial is another immersive, time-means-nothing experience. Only one of the high points is the screamingly funny and astonishing You-Can-Kiss-My-Goth-Butt message Lisbeth delivers to the legal system on the first day of her trial. Great adventure. An almost supernatural performance by Noomi Rapace. Highly, highly recommended.
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo / David Fincher (2011). Now then. In the annuls of unnecessary remakes, this English language production of the first third of “Millennium” coming only two years after the Swedish features have played, has to be near the top (or bottom, however you’re counting) of the list. One thing I can say for it, they went and did their own adaptation of Larsson’s book rather than depending on the Swedish film – quite unlike the scene-for-scene, if not shot-for-shot, remakes by the Coen’s (“True Grit”) and Martin Scorsese (“The Departed”) which have nothing creative or exciting about them that was not lifted whole from their original source material. Studios must calculate that putting currently popular and major directors at the helm of these re-makes will give them a certain cachet that will allow critics and fans to overlook a lack of originality. To start with the problems, then, with Fincher’s film, we have to examine Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander. Mara is a capable actress but cannot come up even a small percentage of the fire and intensity of Noomi Rapace. Where Noomi’s refusal to make eye contact is clearly a surly insolence, Mara just appears to be somewhere on the autism spectrum. Everything is, well, smaller in her performance. Even the dragon tattoo is only about a fourth the size of Noomi’s. But…Fincher has a major fan base in the U.S. so just about anything he does will make money and get amazing notices on movie message boards. I thought I needed to see this just to round out my “Millennium” journey; so…now I have and do not need to think about it again.
My Scientology Movie / John Dower (2015). This is a documentary about Scientology and also a documentary about making a documentary about Scientology. British film writer and producer Louis Theroux goes to Los Angeles to make a doc about the controversial religion. When he fails to get interviews with any Scientology leaders, especially not the reclusive head guy, David Miscavige, he decides to film staged scenes based on the book and testimony of Marty Rathbun, a well-known Scientology “enforcer” who bolted in the early ‘00s when he fell out of favor with Miscavige. I think Theroux went out of his way to let the Scientology people know what he was doing in order to call out some of their behavior that he could film. He and Rathbun drive slowly by the California main headquarters several times, stopping right outside, and Theroux tries to hand-deliver a letter to Miscavige. Then they hold auditions for actors to play Miscavige and Tom Cruise for their stagings. This is all pretty funny stuff, but I was unsure whether to laugh or be frightened when Theroux is ambushed by Scientology advocates using a technique called “squirrel busting.” Several of them will surround a victim and simultaneously bombard the mark with non-stop insults like, “You’re useless,” “Go back where you came from,” and the like, often not really harmful speech just coming at you from all sides. Theroux handles them by remaining completely pleasant, asking them their names and how are you, but getting back in their faces with his camera, letting them know they are being filmed. Several times during the movie, we are told that Scientology denies any abuses of their own members or intimidation of people outside their religion. A somewhat light approach to the subject, but still with moments of real danger and moments when you marvel that such ordinary and common-sense looking people can fall into such cults.
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Post by howardschumann on Mar 20, 2017 2:52:24 GMT
À NOS AMOURS (To Our Loves)
Directed by Maurice Pialat, France, (1983), 96 minutes
“And you want to travel with her, and you want to travel blind and you know that you can trust her for she's touched your perfect body with her mind” – Suzanne, Leonard Cohen
In Maurice Pialat’s À Nos Amours, casual sex without emotional involvement is a defense mechanism that 16-year-old Suzanne (Sandrine Bonnaire) uses to mask her anger at the family that does not, or cannot understand her. Winner of France’s César Award for Best Film in 1984, À Nos Amours is not a film that will leave you with a warm glow or an optimistic feeling about the human condition, but you will not easily forget Bonnaire’s striking performance in her first starring role. The younger child in a dysfunctional Polish family living in Paris, Suzanne must confront what is most common to the process of growing up - finding who you are and where you belong in the world.
Unlike most adolescents, however, she must also deal with a father (Maurice Pialat), who sends her mixed messages about his love, a bullying brother Robert (Dominique Besnehard), and an emotionally unstable mother (Evelyne Ker), all who resent her sexual independence and what they see as her lack of self control. Suzanne’s best instincts are to love and be loved but she is constantly thwarted in realizing those instincts by her insatiable need for sex. Pialat does not stand in judgment of her or anyone else’s behavior, taking her own words that "I'm only happy when I'm with a guy" as just the way it is for her.
Though she takes great pleasure in sex and remains a sympathetic character throughout the film, she recognizes that "Life's no fun when you don't love anyone” and talks about suicide. As the film begins, Suzanne is rehearsing a play in a summer camp about a woman who deserts a promising relationship, convinced that love is an illusion. She will demonstrate the play’s narrative arc in her own life throughout the remainder of the film. Though the film tells us nothing about their back story, Suzanne’s romance with the handsome Luc (Cyr Boitard) seems to have hit a wall, though he tells her that he is still in love with her. Keeping her distance, Suzanne rejects his sexual overtures without offering a reason.
Attending a party in the port where she dresses in a manner that will be instantly appealing to the sailors who congregate at the bar, Suzanne loses her virginity with an American (Tom Stevens) who, when it is over, says “Thanks a lot,” to which she replies, “You’re welcome. It’s free.” Feeling uneasy about her first experience, she confides to her friend Martine (Maité Maillé) that she doesn’t know why she did it but doesn’t regret it. Transcending her experiences with the young men who are more than willing to accommodate her desires, her relationship with her father is the most meaningful one in the film, though it is inconsistent and ambiguous.
Telling his daughter that he is leaving the family, his intimate conversation with Suzanne is honest and tender, yet, while her father finds a way out, Suzanne is offered none and the film unfortunately never suggests any. After her father leaves, relationships with her brother Robert and mother turn to histrionic outbursts and physical assaults that look all too real and feel jarringly incongruous with the good feelings the film has built to this point. Now under the weight of being left alone, Suzanne’s mother, who previously had been encouraging her daughter’s independence, now turns against her and suffers what is casually referred to as a “nervous breakdown.”
In one of the film’s most referenced scenes, a family dinner party in which Suzanne seems to be content with her husband of six months, Jean-Pierre (Cyril Collard), is interrupted by her father who walks in unannounced and proceeds to antagonize everyone in the room including Robert and his friends. The scene has the feeling of being improvised yet is one of the most convincing, if unpleasant, scenes in a film that defies cinematic conventions and acceptable social norms. Though at times A Nos Amours is not an easy film to like, its mesmerizing power touches us and remains in the hidden places where our fears live.
GRADE: A-
REPEAT VIEWING
IN THE LINE OF FIRE
Directed by Wolfgang Peterson, U.S., 1993, 128 minutes
Heart-pounding thriller finds Secret Service Officer Frank Horrigan (Clint Eastwood) attempting to come to terms with his failure to protect President John F. Kennedy from assassination in 1963. He is constantly being reminded of this failure by another would-be-assassin, Mitch Leary (John Malkovich), a sleazy former government malcontent whose phone calls to Horrigan reactivates his self-doubt and makes him determined to prevent another presidential murder. Kudos to René Russo for a strong supporting role.
L.A. CONFIDENTIAL
Directed by Curtis Hanson, U.S., 1997, 138 minutes
Three policeman, tough-guy Bud White (Russell Crowe), an idealistic but ambitious Ed Exley (Guy Pearce), and a good-hearted but sleazy jack Vincennes (Kevin Spacey), are caught in a web of noirish intrigue in Los Angeles during the 1950s. It may take you time to unravel the convoluted plot but the elements of police corruption, porn, heroin, rape and murder will be all too familiar. Supported by an unprincipled newshound (Danny DeVito) and a gorgeous hooker played by Kim Basinger, L.A. Confidential may be on the high-end of cynical but it is beautifully written and superbly performed and one of the best films of the 90s.
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shield
Sophomore
Reading is to the mind what excercise is to the body
@shield
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Post by shield on Mar 20, 2017 16:05:27 GMT
Lover Come Back (1961) - Rock Hudson, Doris Day, Tony Randall
Pillow Talk (1959) - Rock Hudson, Doris Day, Tony Randall. Funny how similar Lover Come Back and Pillow Talk are with the same 3 main actors. Pillow Talk was the best of the two.
Vertigo (1958) - James Stewart and Kim Novak. You can't go wrong with this one.
Holiday (1938) - Cary Grant, Katherine Hepburn
The Thin Man (1934) - William Powell, Myrna Loy
The Last of Sheila (1973) - James Coburn, James Mason, Ian McShane, Raquel Welsh. Wow, was really impressed. A great film.
Sing (2016) - Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Seth MacFarlane, Scarlett Johansson
Kong: Skull Island (2017)
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Post by petrolino on Mar 20, 2017 21:56:08 GMT
Hi everyone. After a short break, I got back to watching movies last week. It feels good to get back in the saddle. --- --- My viewings : ’The Blood Of Others’ (1984, Le sang des autres - Claude Chabrol) Communists, fascists and resistance fighters clash in Nazi-occupied France during World War 2. Hélène Bertrand (Jodie Foster) learns to take responsibility for her own actions but also how to spill the blood of others. I watched the abridged theatrical cut of ‘The Blood Of Others’ which runs just over two hours, condensed from Claude Chabrol’s original cut for television which was closer to three hours. Chabrol had already directed French-Canadian co-productions when he was invited to steer a mini-series based on a novel by Simone De Beauvoir. It’s produced by Canadian filmmaker Denis Héroux and Hungarian producer John Kemeny who brought in cinematographer Richard Ciupka and experienced editor Yves Langlois, as well as a bevy of special consultants. Jodie Foster dominates a fine international cast that includes Michael Ontkean, Sam Neill, Lambert Wilson, Stéphane Audran, Alexandra Stewart, Jean-François Balmer, John Vernon, Marie Bunel, Michel Robin, Roger Miremont, Germaine Delbat, Christine Laurent, Kate Reid, Jean-Pierre Aumont, Monique Mercure, Micheline Presle, Jacques François, Dominique Zardi, Katia Romanoff, Christa Lang and filmmaker Samuel Fuller. Even in its mutilated form it’s eminently watchable thanks to Chabrol’s measured direction and Foster’s compelling central performance but the excised material undercuts De Beauvoir’s philosophising and the damaged pacing leaves the melodrama stuck in one groove.   ’Massacre In Dinosaur Valley’ (1985, Nudo e selvaggio - Michele Massimo Tarantini) The survivors of a plane crash in the Brazilian rainforest must work together if they’re to escape the hidden horrors of the Amazon basin and find safety in Manaus. ’Massacre In Dinosaur Valley’ is an entertaining cannibale picture helmed by Italian comedy titan Michele Massimo Tarantini. There’s nice use of miniatures and some neat make-up effects but the film’s greatest strength is its anarchic sense of humour. Tarantini has an exquisite sense of timing (he trained as an editor) and a gift for framing set-pieces, so he’s in his element here, working with seasoned cinematographer Edson Batista to ensure an exciting range of camera movement on a miniscule budget. There are vivid and enjoyable characterisations from Leonidas Bayer as Professor Pedro Ibañez, Suzane Carvalho as his flighty daughter Eva Ibañez, Marcello Mastroianni lookalike Milton Rodríguez as Klaus Kinski wannabe Captain Johnny Heinz, Marta Anderson as Marilyn Monroe impersonator Betty Heinz, Susan Hahn as glamour girl Belinda, Maria Reis as photo model Monica and Michael Sopkiw as American fossil hunter Kevin Hall who represents the Boston Institute of Palaeontology. ’The Farewell : Brecht’s Last Summer’ (2000, Abschied - Brechts letzter Sommer - Jan Schütte) In August 1956, a small group of artists gathers at a rural retreat in Brandenburg, Germany. Jan Schütte’s elegaic drama, ’The Farewell : Brecht’s Last Summer’, speculates about the final days that playwright Bertolt Brecht (Josef Bierbichler) and actress Helene Wiegel (Monica Bleibtreu) spent in each other’s company. Among those attending Brecht’s family gathering is philosopher Wolfgang Harich (Samuel Finzi) whose political activism invites unwanted attention. ’Bluebeard’ (2009, Barbe bleue - Catherine Breillat) Sisters Marie-Anne (Lola Giovannetti ) and Catherine (Marilou Lopes-Benites) hide together in an attic. They read a storybook about Marie-Catherine (Lola Créton) and Anne (Daphné Baiwir ). ‘Bluebeard’ is Catherine Breillat’s take on her favourite fairy tale by Charles Perrault. It’s a distinct and individualistic reading, similar in this regard to Breillat’s period piece ‘The Last Mistress’ (2007) which she based on a novel by Jules Barbey D'Aurevilly. The contemporary framing device is clever and unusual, adding perspective to a multi-layered character portrait that’s drenched in emotion. I’d venture that Breillat has crafted an essential French rendering of the legend of Bluebeard and one that can take its place alongside important cinematic translations by Georges Melies and Claude Chabrol. ’Floating Skyscrapers’ (2013, Plynace wiezowce - Tomasz Wasilewski) Swimmer Kuba (Mateusz Banasiuk) risks his relationship with Sylwia (Marta Nieradkiewicz) to pursue handsome athlete Michal (Bartosz Gelner). ‘Floating Skyscrapers’ is a brooding drama set inside the concrete jungles of Warsaw that deals with issues of social conformity, male identity and sexual politics. The story turns on a series of emotional encounters, eventually coming full circle. Mateusz Banasiuk is admirably headstrong as aggressive swimmer Kuba and Marta Nieradkiewicz is outstanding as young waitress Sylwia who’s struggling to cope with the dawning of a dark realisation. ‘Maps To The Stars’ (2014 – David Cronenberg) Overnight teen sensation Benjie Weiss (Evan Bird) becomes embroiled in a twisted family saga populated by addicts, narcissists and flakes. ‘Maps To The Stars’ is a funny Hollywood fable from the pen of novelist and filmmaker Bruce Wagner who collaborated with Wes Craven and Paul Bartel early in his career. There are shades of the suburban nightmares of Craven, Paul Mazursky, John Waters and David Lynch in David Cronenberg’s dark-roasted L.A. coffee-pot but the Canadian adds a tasty nut finish that’s all his own. The entire cast is terrific, led by a hilarious turn from Evan Bird as Bieberiffic bad boy Benjie who idolises Al Pacino. ’Stations Of The Cross’ (2014, Kreuzweg - Dietrich Brüggemann) Unhappy schoolgirl Maria (Lea Van Acken) seeks salvation via sacrifice through the Society of St. Paul. The pensive drama ‘Stations Of The Cross’ treads the muddied waters of religious zealotry by tactfully observing a case of distorted Catholic doctrine that runs counter to teachings of science and the church. It’s carefully filmed as a slow succession of long-takes, occupying a static camera to physically detail Maria’s deepening crisis of conscience when an act of confession leads her to relinquish existential desire in exchange for a forlorn promise of beatification. Confess, repent, atone, repeat. 'Endless Poetry' (2016, Poesía sin fin - Alejandro Jodorowsky) Alejandro Jodorowsky (Adan Jodorowsky) becomes a popular poet. ‘Endless Poetry’ is Alejandro Jodorowsky’s follow-up to his auto-biographical piece ‘The Dance Of Reality’ (2013). Jodorowsky's artistery flourishes in Santiago, Chile and his mind recalls a spiritual enlightenment in Paris, France but he secretly longs to bring the carnival back home to Tocapilla where a special clown released his inner-child to birth another son of the circus. Jodorowsky is said to be considering a third instalment concerning his peaceful transference to compliment these bold visions of the magic arts circle and intellectual avant-garde. ’Barbara Bouchet ~ An Icon Amuck’ (2017, Documentary – Calum Wadell) Barbara Bouchet discusses her career in cinema. Horror filmmaker Eli Roth was overjoyed that he was able to persuade Edwige Fenech to appear in ‘Hostel 2’ (2007). Earlier in the decade, Roth’s buddy Quentin Tarantino was making plans to meet with Barbara Bouchet whom he intends to one day work with, Bouchet having been cast around that time by another Italian cinema fanatic, Martin Scorsese, to appear in ‘Gangs Of New York’ (2002). She’s a global icon for fans of crime and horror cinema, but it was the Italians who first took Bouchet to their hearts which led to roles being offered by one great filmmaker after another. She’s daring, provocative and uninhibited which makes her perfect for the dark confines of low budget genre cinema. But she isn’t holding her breath waiting for Tarantino which is probably just as well; he’s already overdue to realise roles he’s long been lining up for indie icon Nina Siemaszko, horror legend Linnea Quigley and cult starlet Maria Ford (to name but a few lol). ‘Wes Craven : No Sleep Till Cleveland’ (2017, Documentary – Allen Weston) A quick run through some of the films Wes Craven directed (or co-directed) between 1971 and 2011.   "My mother never saw any of my films until she was in her late 80s, and that was 'Music of the Heart' with Meryl Streep."
- Wes Craven |
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Post by petrolino on Mar 20, 2017 22:47:17 GMT
A very slow week - The Omen (1976) 7.5/10 Well cast and surprisingly involving since i find most horror movies are silly. Damien: Omen II (1978) 7/10 Not a bad sequel at all. I like the first two 'Omen' pictures. The others in the franchise, not so much. I didn't like the remake at all. |
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Post by petrolino on Mar 20, 2017 22:54:55 GMT
À NOS AMOURS (To Our Loves)Directed by Maurice Pialat, France, (1983), 96 minutes“And you want to travel with her, and you want to travel blind and you know that you can trust her for she's touched your perfect body with her mind” – Suzanne, Leonard CohenIn Maurice Pialat’s À Nos Amours, casual sex without emotional involvement is a defense mechanism that 16-year-old Suzanne (Sandrine Bonnaire) uses to mask her anger at the family that does not, or cannot understand her. Winner of France’s César Award for Best Film in 1984, À Nos Amours is not a film that will leave you with a warm glow or an optimistic feeling about the human condition, but you will not easily forget Bonnaire’s striking performance in her first starring role. The younger child in a dysfunctional Polish family living in Paris, Suzanne must confront what is most common to the process of growing up - finding who you are and where you belong in the world. Unlike most adolescents, however, she must also deal with a father (Maurice Pialat), who sends her mixed messages about his love, a bullying brother Robert (Dominique Besnehard), and an emotionally unstable mother (Evelyne Ker), all who resent her sexual independence and, what they see as her lack of self control. Suzanne’s best instincts are to love and be loved but she is constantly thwarted in realizing those instincts by her insatiable need for sex. Pialat does not stand in judgment of her or anyone else’s behavior, taking her own words that "I'm only happy when I'm with a guy" as just the way it is for her. Though she takes great pleasure in sex and remains a sympathetic character throughout the film, she recognizes that "Life's no fun when you don't love anyone” and talks about suicide. As the film begins, Suzanne is rehearsing a play in a summer camp about a woman who deserts a promising relationship, convinced that love is an illusion. She will demonstrate the play’s narrative arc in her own life throughout the remainder of the film. Though the film tells us nothing about their back story, Suzanne’s romance with the handsome Luc (Cyr Boitard) seems to have hit a wall, though he tells her that he is still in love with her. Keeping her distance, Suzanne rejects his sexual overtures without offering a reason. Attending a party in the port where she dresses in a manner that will be instantly appealing to the sailors who congregate at the bar, Suzanne loses her virginity with an American (Tom Stevens) who, when it is over, says “Thanks a lot,” to which she replies, “You’re welcome. It’s free.” Feeling uneasy about her first experience, she confides to her friend Martine (Maité Maillé) that she doesn’t know why she did it but doesn’t regret it. Transcending her experiences with the young men who are more than willing to accommodate her desires, her relationship with her father is the most meaningful one in the film, though it is inconsistent and ambiguous. Telling his daughter that he is leaving the family, his intimate conversation with Suzanne is honest and tender, yet, while her father finds a way out, Suzanne is offered none and the film unfortunately never suggests any. After her father leaves, relationships with her brother Robert and mother turn to histrionic outbursts and physical assaults that look all too real and feel jarringly incongruous with the good feelings the film has built to this point. Now under the weight of being left alone, Suzanne’s mother, who previously had been encouraging her daughter’s independence, now turns against her and suffers what is casually referred to as a “nervous breakdown.” In one of the film’s most referenced scenes, a family dinner party in which Suzanne seems to be content with her husband of six months, Jean-Pierre (Cyril Collard), is interrupted by her father who walks in unannounced and proceeds to antagonize everyone in the room including Robert and his friends. The scene has the feeling of being improvised yet is one of the most convincing, if unpleasant, scenes in a film that defies cinematic conventions and acceptable social norms. Though at times A Nos Amours is not an easy film to like, its mesmerizing power touches us and remains in the hidden places where our fears live. GRADE: A-
REPEAT VIEWING
IN THE LINE OF FIREDirected by Wolfgang Peterson, U.S., 1993, 128 minutesHeart-pounding thriller finds Secret Service Officer Frank Horrigan (Clint Eastwood) attempting to come to terms with his failure to protect President John F. Kennedy from assassination in 1963. He is constantly being reminded of this failure by another would-be-assassin, Mitch Leary (John Malkovich), a sleazy former government malcontent whose phone calls to Horrigan reactivates his self-doubt and makes him determined to prevent another presidential murder. Kudos to René Russo for a strong supporting role. L.A. CONFIDENTIALDirected by Curtis Hanson, U.S., 1997, 138 minutesThree policeman, tough-guy Bud White (Russell Crowe), an idealistic but ambitious Ed Exley (Guy Pearce), and a good-hearted but sleazy jack Vincennes (Kevin Spacey), are caught in a web of noirish intrigue in Los Angeles during the 1950s. It may take you time to unravel the convoluted plot but the elements of police corruption, porn, heroin, rape and murder will be all too familiar. Supported by an unprincipled newshound (Danny DeVito) and a gorgeous hooker played by Kim Basinger, L.A. Confidential may be on the high-end of cynical but it is beautifully written and superbly performed and one of the best films of the 90s. Thanks for the review of Maurice Pialat's 'À Nos Amours'. Agnes Varda maintains to this day that Pialat is the most gifted French director to come after the "nouvelle vague" bunch she directly inspired in the late 1950s / early 1960s. I think this is one of his finest pictures and there's no doubt he was an immense talent. I keep meaning to watch 'In The Line Of Fire' which I enjoyed when it came out in the early 1990s; it turns up on tv from time to time. 'L.A. Confidential' I feel I could watch a hundred times, it's so fiercely compelling. |
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Post by howardschumann on Mar 21, 2017 0:01:49 GMT
Thanks Petrolino. I'm very impressed with all of the Pialat films I've seen including L'enfance Nue and Van Gogh and hope to see others. I hadn't seen either In The Line of Fire or L.A. Confidential in quite a long time and had forgotten how good they were.
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Post by OldAussie on Mar 21, 2017 0:09:31 GMT
A few comments on the viewings of others -
mikef6 "Millennium" - I saw the shorter versions of the 3 films and enjoyed them immensely, although the second seemed noticeably weaker than the other 2.
howardschumann IN THE LINE OF FIRE is one of the most intelligent thrillers around, perfectly paced and excellently acted.
L.A. CONFIDENTIAL is a masterpiece. That's all.
shield The Last of Sheila (1973) I find endlessly rewatchable. Great fun. Was originally recommended by my high school Maths teacher who never talked about movies.
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Post by howardschumann on Mar 21, 2017 2:10:30 GMT
L.A. CONFIDENTIAL is a masterpiece. That's all. Off the record, on the QT, and very hush-hush. |
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Post by BATouttaheck on Mar 21, 2017 2:36:59 GMT
howardschumannAs with many true classics, L.A. Confidential just begs to be re-watched and it gets better and better with each viewing. When I first saw it I was impressed by the young blond guy named Simon Baker Denny playing Matt Reynolds. I even wrote his name down so's I would not forget him. Imagine my surprise when he turned up as Patrick Jane on tv in "The Mentalist". New name. Same accent (not his real one). Same wonderful smile and same way he seems to enjoy acting. Great picture chock-a-block full of fine performances.
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Post by howardschumann on Mar 21, 2017 3:12:24 GMT
Bat Outtaheck: Baker did a good job. Too bad he ended up dead after being on screen for only a few minutes. Anyway, he was part of an extremely good cast. Great job by Crowe, Stacey, Pearce, and Basinger.
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Post by manfromplanetx on Mar 22, 2017 0:49:56 GMT
À NOS AMOURS (To Our Loves)Directed by Maurice Pialat, France, (1983), 96 minutesIn one of the film’s most referenced scenes, a family dinner party in which Suzanne seems to be content with her husband of six months, Jean-Pierre (Cyril Collard), is interrupted by her father who walks in unannounced and proceeds to antagonize everyone in the room including Robert and his friends. The scene has the feeling of being improvised yet is one of the most convincing, if unpleasant, scenes in a film that defies cinematic conventions and acceptable social norms. Though at times A Nos Amours is not an easy film to like, its mesmerizing power touches us and remains in the hidden places where our fears live.
a few thoughts...
No one emerges from a Maurice Pialat film unscathed, cast and crew least of all the audience.
For maximum emotional depth & expression he was known to put his cast and crew through trying challenges, often changing scenes halfway through without warning.
Reflected in his own unique brand of cinema are his natural tendencies, uncompromising and provocative, it is well known that he possessed a pugnacious temperament.
That electrifying scene you mention was indeed improvised. No one had been told that the Pialat character was going to return and the reactions from all concerned are all very real. In a state of utter confusion Pialat turns on his actors, offering insults and judgments on their characters, which are in some cases veiled personal references to the actors’ own lives and behaviours, the result is formidable & exacting cinema art.
In another scene Pialat remarks that Bonnaire appears to have lost one of her dimples when she smiles this was an on-the-spot improvisation that flowed from an off-screen conversation they had the previous day, and in which Bonnaire in her debut remarkably snaps back to Pialat that his eyes look bloodshot...
“Realism isn’t what’s happening today, or what happened yesterday. When the camera rolls, there’s no present, there’s no past . . . there’s just the moment we’re rolling. You have to get as close as possible to the truth of that instant.” —Maurice Pialat
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Post by howardschumann on Mar 22, 2017 2:25:34 GMT
Thanks MFPX. That is very interesting stuff. I heard Pialat had a prickly personality which was displayed at Cannes but the info about the improvisation and his relationships with his actors was all new, so thanks very much.
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Post by manfromplanetx on Mar 22, 2017 2:36:59 GMT
The past weeks (Mar 13-Mar 19) nightly views at our place down here in OZ
Two sumptuous character driven Russian Anton Chekhov adaptions which evoke the essential essence of his novel and play.
Moy laskovyy i nezhnyy zver , My Tender and Affectionate Beast (1978) Directed by Emil Loteanu who includes his love of music with some wonderful Russian Gypsy folk numbers.
adapted from the novel The Shooting Party
Chayka , The Sea Gull (1972) Directed by Yuli Karasik
Essential play adaption masterly crafted.
The Thief Of Bagdad (1924) Directed by Raoul Walsh Excitement and thrills abound in this fantasy adventure, silent masterpiece
12 stulev , 12 Chairs (1971) Russia Directed by Leonid Gayday The adventures of Ostap Bender the lovable rogue set in 1927, 160 min in two parts a brilliant satire that unashamedly leaves nothing & no-one untouched.
Rangle River (1936) Australia Directed by American Clarence G. Badger
This is a surprisingly solid & entertaining film, with a great cast of characters highlighted with great country landscapes.
A real oddity classed as an Australian Western it was based on a story by Zane Grey. I think it is the only Grey production outside of the States . He was inspired to write this Aus. based western having visited down under in 1935 for big game fishing. The script was written by pioneering Australian filmmakers Charles and Elsa Chauvel
The movie was partly financed by a Hollywood studio, Columbia, and used an imported American lead and director. It was made by the local National Studios and filmed in familiar country not far from me, with some fantastic location shooting around Gloucester and in the Burragorang Valley in NSW.
The director decided to stay on and settled in Australia. Of the supporting cast Englishman Robert Coote went to Hollywood after filming and enjoyed a long career there, Australian. Margaret Dare also left for Los Angeles but seems to have been less successful.
At the time the critic from the Sydney Morning Herald described it as "the best film that has been produced in Australia so far".
It was released in the UK after some cuts were made by the censor, notably of the whip fighting scene, and was issued in the US in 1939 as Men with Whips.
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