Films I Watched - December, 2003
Submitted by lbangs on Mon, 12/08/2003 - 13:23
Tags:
- 12/31 - Va Savoir - Although Va Savoir starts off a bit shaky, hopefully fans of drama with touches of light romantic comedy will stick with it. This works where so many beasts of its kind flop because of subtle novelty. Every character hides unexpected depth or twists, and while the film may end up right where you expect it to, it at least takes several zigs around unexpected corners to get there. Don't be put off by that running time; you'll certainly feel the first thirty or forty-five minutes, but after that, the next two hours will float by. An odd but not strange film, Va Savoir succeeds on charm, wit, and sharp observation of its unique characters, rather than stumbling on the typical America formula of forced cuteness, obvious pratfalls, and zany beyond belief comic relief.
- 12/30 - Festival in Cannes - This little-known film was a very nice surprise. Playing as a breezy version of The Player minus any murder intrigue, Festival follows a large cast of characters around the Cannes Festival trying to pull together money and talent for various film projects. They talk a lot, and that coupled with the subject will turn many viewers off, but I am sucker for a good inside look at the making of films, and I found the characters very interesting and true to life. Greta Scacchi positively glows on every frame she graces, and Anouk Aimee and Maximilian Schell give wonderfully natural performances playing off their real identities. Ron Silver brings a film producer to sympathetic life (no easy task), and Zack Norman was a revelation to me playing a scrappy low-on-the-ladder producer dying to get a film together. Perhaps the story line with Jenny Gabrielle as overnight sensation Blue was the weakest, but her story arc was still better than the main plot of many dramas. This may not be a major masterpiece, but I adored it; if 2001 wasn't already such a strong year, it would have certainly found a place on my top ten. As it is, it is still a film very much worth finding and enjoying.
- 12/29 - The Four Feathers - An epic tailor-made for those who have trouble concentrating, this two-hour-plus 2002 adventure oddly enough would have worked better with a longer running time. While the battle scenes are impressive, the human element is starved. Characters appear and make decisions with hardly any motivations, and despite game tries by the actors to invest some meat on the bare bones of the humans, the film so nervously dashes toward the big events that it leaves its heroes little more than stand-ins for real people. Director Shekhar Kapur seems so impressed with his grand scenes that he can't be bothered to set them up. As a result, while they are very well-staged, they are skeleton scenes, lacking the flesh and blood which prod the viewer to invest emotional interest in the sweeping happenings. Heath Ledger does well with what little he has, and the supporting friends strive to distinguish themselves as unique humans, but the script lends them no help; they're treading water like crazy simply to keep from sinking into the film's faceless sea of characters. However, Kate Hudson has done a better accent before, and along with Spider-Man's Kirsten Dunst, proves that not everybody looks better with a red wig. There are hints of anti-imperialist attitude here somewhere, but I suspect the film was edited to fit current attitudes toward war, and the result, especially since the characters are so ill-developed, is a confused movie with little purpose. The scenery is gorgeous to watch, but unfortunately, the actors are merely part of the landscape, and as a result, you don't care what happens. You just stare.
- 12/27 - Surviving Desire - Rewatching this Hal Hartley film with friends, I was once again amazed at the incredibly uncinematic strands Hartley at his best can tie together. I could list all the themes he touches on here, but he still manages to keep focus on his characters and their stories, even if one of his creations threatens to stray a bit too far into symbolism. I'd love to go on and on, but then I'd have to mask the entire review in spoiler tags, and somehow, I doubt enough readers have seen this little gem to really justify that. I'll just say that while it isn't quite one of the masterpiece Hartley was warming up for, Surviving Desire enterains as it sets the mind a-hummin'. The two shorts along for the ride are pretty good as well.
- 12/23 - The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King - The final chapter of this incredible epic, one where a great art-house director wonderfully merges his own vision while staying true to the original work of perhaps the best fantasy author we've yet seen, arrives, and the story ends in grand fashion. Jackson has taken great pains to keep the sweeping action centered on characters, and that effort pays off in spades here, as while the war scenes are vast, it is the drama here that really elevates this work. They could have called this one Return of Samwise, so thoroughly does Sean Astin rivet our attention. Truthfully, every actor does very well, holding to Jackson's decision to play the epic as the serious story it is. I admit that for the first time, I found some of the build-up early on to be a bit extraneous, and I also didn't find the battle scenes quite as rapturous as some reviewers. In fact, I'll break with the critical mainstream and confess I still find the first film to be the best in the series. This is still great, though, and Jackson can rest assured that he has created the most consistent film trilogy I'm aware of. It is rather thrilling and rare to see such a great work win the public over. We most likely shan't see the likes of that again any time soon.
- 12/13 - Tully - Yeah, as I've said before, I'm a sucker for a good, small drama. Tully may boast a plot that stretches matters a bit, but while the story may not always convince, the characters never fail to. These people are honest creations working their way through life, and their muddled emotions, disappointments, and attractions ring quite true. The family elements will not involve nearly as much as the romantic entanglements, but those play out with enough insight and emotion to more than compensate for whatever the other relationships lack. Hardly classic, but an excellent debut. I'm very interested to see what director Hilary Birmingham brings us next.
- 12/7 - X2: X-Men United - The first stab at filming the heroic team only got it half right; this one nails it. Combining enough in-jokes for fans with explanations for newbies, Singer has blown past his previous effort to pile on superior suspense, characterizations, effects (though Pyro's flames are oddly horrible), and plain ol' storytelling. This is easily the best in the X-series thus far, the best Marvel adaptation yet to see the light of day, and, frankly, the best damn super-hero film I've ever seen (and I'm pretty sure I've seen all the decent ones). I expected to be disappointed. Man, some times I love it when I'm wrong.
- 12/6 - All or Nothing - Mike Leigh is easily one of the most consistent and impressive directors working today, and if he made action films, his fan base would be legion. Instead, he usually makes dramas populated with poor people who hardly look like models, and as a result, few know of his work. All or Nothing is lesser Leigh, but it was more than good enough to remind me of why the guy is great. He's one of the most under-rated folks in the business today.
I'm so glad to see that you liked X2. I thought it was pretty brilliant. The addition of new characters was handled especially well, considering how much it muddled other franchises.
Well, I'm really glad to discover I like it also!
Of course, many thanks go to you, AAA. Without your evaluation of the film, I'm not sure if I would have ever given it a chance, especially after the less-than-impressive first movie. Thank you!
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs