Films I Watched - April, 2004
Submitted by lbangs on Sat, 04/03/2004 - 09:29
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- 4/24 - Good Bye Lenin! - In a manner somewhat like Zhang Yimou's wonderful To Live, this film penetrates the blur of potent political changes to focus on the personal stories of people trying to survive the radically shifting world. These people are well-defined and alive, and the cast consists of some of the finest, often most appealing actors most of the world have yet to hear of. The political does get wrapped into the final picture, but in a manner true to the story and to the flavor of this surprisingly fun film. Wolfgang Becker deserves high praise for writing such a creative story and bringing it to life with verve and vitality; he even has some great fun referencing film masters of the past. The news scenes are very funny, and the actual goodbye to Lenin is one of the more visually powerful moments of film in recent memory. *** 1/2
- 4/21 - Kill Bill Vol. 1 - It may well be the law that seeing the second film of the series legally forces you to view the first volume shortly before or after. The second time through, I think the more impressionistic elements of the soundtrack and visual scheme impressed me most, and the powerful drive thrusting this film from credits to credits is a force not to be underestimated. *** 1/2
- 4/17 - Kill Bill Vol. 2 - The Weinsteins continue their epic battle of the almighty buck taking a stand against evil artistic merit! The proof is out there now, and the truth is that Kill Bill is one large, epic film that really should have hit theaters as one large, epic film. Broken in half, Volume 2 unfortunately must open with its strongest scene, a scene that really should have been the centerpiece in this work, and the concluding half spends the rest of its time anticlimactically living in its shadow. Additionally, the split forces Volume 2 to start from a standstill when it really should be coasting on the energy that zipped the first one to the credits. Throw in a few scenes and elements that play as too indulgent or miscalculated (the first of QT's career, I believe) and you end up with a conclusion that just does not quite scale the heights of the opening installment. Still, I can't wait for the complete epic on DVD; I really suspect the whole Kill Bill greatly transcends its severed volumes. ***
- 4/8 - Door to Door - This made-for-television film reminds me of the golden days of the Hallmark specials. Sure, this is not the most original story, even if it is true, but it is a very well done drama, nicely carried by William H. Macy's fantastic portrayal of Bill Porter, a man with cerebral palsy who refuses charity and tries to make a living as a door to door salesman. The film follows him through several decades, and it is wise enough to make its hero flawed and its supporting characters interesting people. Kyra Sedgwick is quite good as an employee who turns into a friend, Kathy Baker is wonderful as usual as one of his customers, and Helen Mirren nicely underplays her role as Bill's mother. I have a pet theory that television, particularly cable, stations are becoming the new B-studios, tackling genres such as small dramas and westerns that the larger movies houses won't touch due to promises of lower profit margins. TNT and HBO have been leading lights in this movement, and after watching Door to Door, I hope it is a movement that grows even stronger. ***
- 4/5 - The Godfather - Explicitly combining elements of family, business, government, and crime so long lurking in the American subconsciousness, The Godfather is a massive, classic work of art. Given his material, Coppola is really rather subtle in his method of mixing classical style with his daring story (check out The Kid Stays in the Picture for some fun background on the making of this film), but for all the operatic violence and sly commentary, it is the incredible acting that really pushes this one over. Many often imitate Marlon Brando's Don Vito Corleone, but the actor really brings nice emotional nuances to a role that could have been all monolithic archetype. Al Pacino's transformation is wholly believable, even sympathetic, and who will ever forget James Caan's Sonny, despite a much shorter time on screen than memory recalls. The entire cast is terrific, earning the many nominations they scored, although how the academy overlooked Gordon Willis work is a mystery to me. I still think Cabaret is the better 1972 film, but not by much, and the great news is that this film's sequel is even better. ****
- 4/3 - Hellboy - This film divides me. I really want to praise the great elements del Toro has delivered. I was very surprised this film didn't stink. The casting is the real coup here; Ron Perlman's massive charisma and fine acting glosses over nearly any clunky line (witness how he delivers the one-liners with a casual punch Peter Parker can only dream of), Selma Blair disappears into her role (in what is now easily her best film), and all the minor players follow suit. The story for the most part scores, proudly presenting a comic book plot without mistaking the medium for a depository for corn like Spider-Man did. The set design is top-notch. So, why my confliction? The CGI sucks, sucks to high heaven, my friends. The action scenes are horrid, the computer-generated creatures are closer to Jar Jar than Gollum, and the resulting visual sloppiness deflates this action film with startling speed. Add in a lame ending, and Hellboy ends up more promise than delivery. This should probably upset me more, but let's face it; I thought this was a one-star film max, so I am a bit pleasantly surprised. Still, this is no X2. Maybe the sequel will be... ** 1/2
Quickies on your three entries so far:
Hellboy: I'm glad Ron Perlman acquits himself so well. The more interviews I read, the more I like the guy, and I liked him in the first place. I'm also finally totally on board with you as far as casting him as Sin City Marv goes (not that it'll happen).
The Godfather: Great review of a great movie. I really owe that one another viewing (someday, someday). I remember significantly preferring the sequel, but I think now that I've seen them all once, the first one might rise a bit on a second viewing.
Door to Door: That's an excellent pet theory. We've discussed this before, but Paul Newman's next (I think) movie is going to be made-for-television (Empire Falls).
Sniff. Here is my favorite television critic's (Matt Roush) take on Empire Falls:
"Not every great read guarantees a great movie, not even with the spectacular all-star cast assembled for HBO's disappointing two-part adaptation of Richard Russo's Pulitzer-winning Empire Falls (May 28-29, 9 pm/ET). It doesn't help to split in half this unwieldy yarn of small-town New England life, given scriptwriter Russo's overly busy use of voice-over narration, flashbacks and endless exposition. Still, what an ensemble, including Ed Harris as a decent guy trapped in a dead-end life and Paul Newman as his grizzled rogue of a father, who pines to escape to Key West. Unfortunately, you might find yourself wanting to join him."
Maybe it will still prove worthwhile...
Daaaang. Well, I still have to see it, so you can let me take the bullet and then decide whether you want to do the same. Netflix doesn't have a release date listed yet, but I have it queued.
Thanks for the heads up!
Oh no! Kill Bill: Vol. 2 appears to have been something of a dissapointment for you, Mr. Bangs.
That's a shame. Can't wait for the review, though.
Actually, now that I remember that you rate out of 4 stars, it doesn't seem that bad. Also, I believe I liked the first installment at least a little more than you did.
I liked Kill Bill Vol. 2, but not as much as I enjoyed the first volume. I added my review above, and hopefully it helps explain my reaction a bit.
Still, I love seeing a good film at the top of the box office again...
And the Hero trailer kicks!
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
I concur with both the box office and the Hero statements, for sure.
I really have trouble judging installments against each other. I refuse to compare the three films of The Lord of the Rings because I just have such trouble not seeing the larger tale.
In the end, I loved both films, and the film as a whole will definitely find a place on my "best of decade" list.
I can certainly dig your installment nature. I'm sorta glad I watched all of Lord of the Rings and Kill Bill in the theater. Seeing them all at once on DVD would probably make it impossible for me to view each film as a whole.
Which, of course, I don't have to do. It's just my way...
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
Now that I have had a day to reflect, I do believe that "Kill Bill Vol. 1" was the better film. The second part is still a solid top tier film for me, but some parts have been bothering me for the past 24 hours. The whole truth serum thing was kinda stupid IMHO. I mean, this is a film with a move called the five-point palm exploding heart technique, and the best Tarantino can come up with in this case is a "truth serum"? Lame. And it kinda bothered me that the Bride didn't even kill Michael Madsen or Daryl Hannah. Sounds like she's still got unfinished business there. I think I might've enjoyed some of the rest better than you did, though. I did really like the first scene, most of the stuff with Pai Mei, the fight with Daryl Hannah, and all of the stuff with Bill and B.B. (except the truth serum). I could've probably done without the scenes with Uma meeting that Mexican guy, but whatever. Could you be more specific about those "scenes and elements that play as too indulgent or miscalculated"? If they were the first of Tarantino's career, I certainly want to know specifically what you're referring to.
P.S. I do agree that "Kill Bill" would probably work better as a four-hour movie, theoretically. However, I'm not sure my attention span or my bladder could take that.
Wow, AJ. I believe you and I see pretty eye to eye on the strengths and weaknesses of this film!
I also thought the whole 'truth serum' scene played pretty weak; my wife (who loved this film more than I did) suspects it was just a way to get Bill's Superman speech into the film! The resolution (or lack of) didn't really bother me with Elle, but I thought the demise of Madsen's character was pretty disappointing. The highlights you pointed out are indeed strong parts of the film, although I wasn't entirely happy with the slightly too casual way The Bride's child scenerio was handled. The scene with the assassin sent to kill The Bride is one of the points I felt was miscalculated; it lacked the suspense of uncertainty QT is usually a master of (perhaps because we know The Bride will survive) and which I suspect we were supposed to feel through the standoff, and I thought the outcome of the segment was much too predictable. The truth serum scene, to these humble eyes, was indulgent, perhaps because I suspect my wife is correct, and that Superman deconstruction was nothing compared to, say, the fun QT had with Madonna's Like a Virgin in Reservoir Dogs.
I did really like the film, but yeah, in the end, you probably relished it more than I did. I'd love to see the entire epic, but, well, my patience is legendary, and I love long films that hold my attention.
If nothing else, QT's films are so fresh in this age of cookie-cutter, "don't put any personality into directing the film because another director will probably complete the franchise" days, and that makes it pretty tough to begrudge even his lesser films, which still tower well above the average flick.
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
Thanks! Yeah, it seems we do agree for the most part. But on the other hand, I really did like all of the scenes with the Bride's child. I loved when Beatrix first meets B.B., how the truth dawns on her, and she plays along with their game of toy pistols. And I liked the scene with the assassin sent to kill Uma, not because the suspense worked better for me, but I suspect the humor did. I thought it was a pretty funny scene. But I agree that if QT was going for suspense, he wasn't too successful with that.
Side note: One thing has been baffling me for a while. When the Bride got the Hattori Hanzo sword, I thought it would just be used to kill O-Ren Ishii. But as it turned out in the second movie, she uses it in her first attempt to kill Budd, in her fight with Elle, and towards the beginning of her fight with Bill. The thing that confuses me is, why didn't she use the sword in her fight with Vernita Green? She would have the sword by this point, since that scene was chronologically the last thing that happened in the first film, right? Did this confuse anyone else?
BTW, your last sentence is very well said. I completely agree with you about Tarantino.
All of these scenes are ones I've seen both positive and negative commentary about over at OscarWatch, so you guys aren't the only ones with mixed feelings about those sequences.
Which means you're probably right.
I felt like this film was smaller in scope than the first, but I was okay with that.
Unlike AJ, I love the fact that Elle is still alive. She is, by far, my favorite supporting character in the films, and her fight with The Bride was thrilling for me. I hope that Quentin uses some of the characters and mythology he set up in Kill Bill in his future films. Wouldn't it be cool to see the Vega Brothers run into O-Ren Ishii or the sherrif with all the sunglasses? Maybe it's just the mythology that thrills me.
How about you personally, AAA? How did you feel about those sequences?
Oh, and BTW, my favorite supporting character is probably Hattori Hanzo. There's just something that really appealed to me in his cheesy flirting with the Bride in his little sushi place, joyously spouting, "Very good!!" at her Japanese, shouting at his waiter when he undermines his authority and embarrasses him... and then it turns out the guy is the greatest sword-maker in the world. I really wish we could have seen more into the backstory with Hattori and Bill in volume 2.
Hanzo was pretty wonderful. I can't think of a "cooler" recent movie in that way. There are so many great characters, costumes, fights, songs...it really threatens to roll right into pure artifice. But it manages to be just as solid and wonderful as any other Tarantino.
As for the scenes, I loved the confrontation between Bill and Beatrix. However, I understand people's reaction to the truth serum. It took me a few minutes to actually swallow it. I think, in the wackiness that is the Kill Bill universe, the truth serum is perfectly acceptable. However, I agree that there were probably better ways to handle it. There were no scenes that truly bothered me in the movie, but I can see why people are somewhat mixed. It is almost mothing like the first film, and there is very little action. That said, I loved every second.
As soon as I recover from tonight's incredible episode of 24, I will respond.
Wow...
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
Damn, I need to get myself hooked on 24. My dad has both the first and second season on DVD (although he loaned the first season to a friend, and still hasn't gotten it back for me despite my constant cajoling), so I'll try to watch them sometime soon.
I just finished season two, which I loved. Preferred it to season one, I think. Xander Berkeley as George Mason was terrific, and what a note to end the season on! Can't wait for season three to hit DVD!
Howdy, all! Sorry so scarce lately. I walked in to what I thought was a job interview Wednesday and ended up working until late after being hired on the spot. I also had to do a little work-related travel out of state Thursday, so I've been a busy boy lately!
The job is very good, and I am very happy with it.
I'll try to be less of a stranger next week!
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
Welcome back! And a hearty congrats on the job! Do I deduce correctly that this is not temp work?
Thanks, and you are correct! I'm very happy about my job, though it has been rather demanding thus far (hence my lack of posts and lists lately).
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs