Films I Watched - September, 2005
Submitted by lbangs on Sat, 09/03/2005 - 02:10
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- 9/30 - Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride – The comparative scarcity of musical numbers proves that Burton learned a lesson or two from making The Nightmare Before Christmas, an inventive film mortally wounded by horrible songs. This film not only bears fewer (and better) tunes, it also boasts even more creative macabre images and some very sly, adult humor. Fortune also blesses this with expert voices from talents such as Depp, Carter, Watson, Lee, and the sublime Joanna Lumley, and the acting is accompanied by an interesting, surprisingly sophisticated plot involving a love triangle of sorts. These elements speed the already zippy 76 minutes by, and while the film may be more impressive than fun, fun it certainly is. ***
- 9/27 - No Direction Home: Bob Dylan - Bob Dylan deserves a full-blown epic documentary, and he even deserves a master like Scorsese behind the boards. In fact, he deserves better than this. The first half fumbles beyond repair an effort to keep narrative, interviews, and archival footage alive in the air. Chronology is blurred with no benefit, concert clips crawl in with no reason, and truly insightful interviews flounder with no context. A reading of Dylan's Chronicles covers these early years much better than this film muddles through them. A better grasp on this material would probably had split the archival treasures apart from the interviews, allowing the first to entice Dylan fanatics and the second to tell the story of the artist as a young man. The second half by comparison is a tour de force, capturing the cacophony, fatigue, and ennui of Dylan's genre-transforming electric tour after his refusal to become a poster child for the lefties. Here, the mixed-up confusion swirls with the substance of the story to create an acid wash of the years leading up to the motorcycle accident. The final scene, film of the "Judas" incident which nobody seriously thought existed, is a whallop, but only extra-textually - For fans, it is an incredible score; to non-fans, it is probably just another live scene. ***
- 9/25 - Grizzly Man - What fool would want the responsibility of drawing a line between genius and madness? Werner Herzog constantly studies that divide or, possibly, overlapping territory in his films, but who could have guessed this documentary would be one of his finest studies? I remember reading an article on Yahoo about the life and death of Timothy Treadwell and his unfortunate girlfriend, Amie Huguenard, a day after their death. This film backtracks more than it focuses on that actual death. Herzog tries to understand why a man felt the need to become a bear and cross a line that experience sadly proved we cannot fully leave behind. He makes a strong argument for the aesthetic desire, in Treadwell expressed in his videos, composing part of that urge. He interviews family and friends about Timothy’s early life mired in lack of purpose and drugs, and he examines Treadwell’s desire to not only study but also to join the lives of the Grizzly. Reading over what I so far typed, I see how cerebral this entire exercise sounds, and it is. It is also, however, emotionally involving, almost as much so as any new film I watched so far this year. In the end, this is a rare wonder, an intellectually stimulating film that spurs our deeper feelings, and a documentary that leaves most contemporaries seeming as crass publicity stunts. ****
- 9/25 - Gun Crazy - With a zip and creative camera work that constantly reinforces the fatalistic feeling of being trapped, this cult-classic film noir delivers delicious goods while occasionally seeming to zoom over promising loose ends begging to be pulled. Bart develops an odd lust for the power of guns in his youth and an electric, dangerous lust for Peggy Cummins’ Annie Starr in his later years. The film manages to convey both within the restrictions demanded by the 1940s’ censors with incredibly raw passion. Additionally, a robbery scene captured in one long back-seat shot is astounding. *** 1/2
- 9/24 - Dangerous Beauty - Oh, how the average man fears an equal woman unleashed. Despite the lip service they may pay, the proof is in the pudding; most men favor women who can satisfy their immediate desires while rocking the boat as little as possible. Some men do desire equal partners, but they are sadly still the exception to the rule. This film is not perfect; a few characters obviously merely move the plot along, and a few speeches sound rehearsed and unrealistic, but Catherine McCormack shines a woman who refuses the proper role offered to her for a freer, less respectable life as a courtesan. Soon, even that assigned position chaffs too much. The cast is good, and the story, if better than the actual screenplay, is sound dramatically and, from what I hear, historically. ***
- 9/20 - Anne Frank Remembered - Rather than simply retell a well-known story, Jon Blair’s documentary takes an investigatory route, piecing together an incredibly complete picture of Anne Frank’s life. Especially fascinating but chilling is his recreation of her life after the diary ends, and he even manages to find a brief clip in which a pre-hiding Anne accidentally appears, the only moving picture of her known. Nothing will ever take the place of her diary, but as a supplement, this is nearly essential. *** 1/2
- 9/18 - The 40 Year-Old Virgin - You know the drill. Every year, at least one of these new-fangled comedies arrives with a huge public following and a decent amount of critical acclaim. These two factors fool me into trying out the flick, which the studio promotes as being fresh, funny, and sweet, and I always leave grumbling under my breath at how far the standards of comedy have dropped in modern mainstream films. Let us face it; these films largely reek, despite any hoopla surrounding them. Except, luckily, this one does not. It actually is quite fresh, funny, and yes, sweet. It is also the very best mainstream comedy to roll out of the industry in some time. *** 1/2
- 9/15 - Paragraph 175 - The Nazis didn't just round up Jewish people; they persecuted and killed a number of minorities, including homosexual males. Since paragraph 175, the law banning same sex relations, remained on the books decades after Hitler died, few gays ever spoke out with their sad stories. The people behind this film convinced eight of the known ten survivors of this particular atrocity to talk before the cameras, and the documentary stands out partly by focusing on the people who suffered and then remained silent for so long more than on the actual horrific acts themselves. One particular man in a wheelchair with heartbreaking blue eyes talks about his experience for the first time in his nineties, and I doubt I'll ever forget him. *** 1/2
- 9/10 - Junebug - Phil Morrison's debut is a little awkward, especially in the opening and closing moments, but it is obvious this is simply a talented beginner's minor fault. There is a terrific story here, and the screenwriters just had a little difficulty getting into and out of it. In the middle is a very funny and insightful tale of urban sophisticates spending time with rural folk, with several people representing gradations between the extremes. George brings his new, cosmopolitan wife home to meet his North Carolinian family. As you may have heard, Amy Adams steals this film as the pregnant sister-in-law fascinated by the new visitor. While the fringes of the film fray a bit, the center had me laughing nearly constantly (and yes, many of the chuckles were knowing chuckles). Junebug is a clumsy but very amusing delight. *** 1/2
- 9/8 - Mr. and Mrs. Smith - Liman's latest is one broken, ultimately helpless beast. It starts okay; the humor, even when blatantly stolen from The War of the Roses (and nearly entire scenes are) is buoyed by some truly clever lines. Even despite the fact that both lead characters are basically dorks, the film is pleasant enough. Somewhere shortly after the midway point, though, the film opts to ditch the comedy and go for the action. This is a fatal decision. Liman doesn't seem to have a clue how to handle this switch, and the entire third act is wretched. Actually, the climatic showdown is a decent John Woo knockoff, but over-the-top Woo scenes only work so well because they are embedded in over-the-top Woo movies, not fairly tame Hollywood fare such as this film. Ultimately, nobody walks away from this crash, which is a shame, because for a bit, I really thought this fledgling might fly. Oh, and to steal a line from Daffy Duck, if I never hear anybody say, "Who's your daddy?" again, it will be too soon. * 1/2
- 9/6 - Dark Water - The excellent actors and skilled director try and try, but they just can't carry this silly story over into glory. Tim Roth (and his accent) disappears into his role, and Connelly is quite good, but even an earnest attempt to lift horror out of the usual boring realms of shocks and jolts cannot save the entire affair. ** 1/2
- 9/5 - The Constant Gardener - Meirelles' first English film borrows many of the techniques of Soderbergh in an excellent attempt to capture LeCarre's memory-infused narratives. He nails it. The story is not one of LeCarre's best, and the film is nearly more admirable than lovable (AJ, as usual, speaks truth), but many slivers sparkle here, not the least of which is the excellent acting. *** 1/2
- 9/2 - I'm Not Scared - I'm a bit tired, shocked, and in awe, but this strange film is easily one of the best of the decade so far. Think Night of the Hunter and you won't be far off. This film is beautiful, unsettling, and scary as all get out. Do yourself a favor - don't read a thing about this film before you see it. ****
- 9/2 - I, Robot - Somewhere behind all the telegraphed conventions, silly subplots, inane attempts at characterization, and Sega-level CGI, there is an interesting story in this film. A shame Akiva Goldsman's script strangled it before it could grow into an adult. It ends better than it starts, but the first sixty to eighty minutes are terrible, and the film struggles but can't climb nearly high enough even to achieve mediocrity by the time the incredibly long credits roll. * 1/2
Why thank you very much, sir, and I'm glad you, er, admired The Constant Gardener as well.
I'm Not Scared sounds pretty awesome, and my library has it available. Do you think I'd enjoy it too? I'd try to decide myself, but I've been avoiding reading anything about it. :-)
Consider yourself bowed to!
Yes, I suspect you will like I'm Not Scared (and kudos for avoiding reviews; they nearly all give away entirely too much!), even if only to mull it in light of Night of the Hunter, a film few have compared it to but I suspect provided at least some of the inspiration.
If you catch it, be sure to let us know if you dug it or hated it; it seems to be a bit of a divisive film (and I confess I watched it very late at night, so who knows? Maybe my critical faculties (Do I have more than one?) were already slumbering).
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
Tough month! Already two one-point-fivers and Dark Water barely on this side of good! I'm going to keep holding out some hope for Mr. and Mrs. Smith based on our Bourne divergence, but it sure doesn't sound promising.
Third movie in the series: The Bourne Divergence. I love it.
It is called the Dollar Movie Syndrome. I always hold out on films that faintly smell of possibility but, for whatever reason, set off klaxons in my brain for the cheap option. Often, I discover that those klaxons are rather finely tuned...
Still, many a good critic dug the Smiths, so hold on to hope!
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
Yay! I'm really glad you liked the 40-Year-Old Virgin! It is certainly the best mainstream comedy of 2005, but you got me thinking, how long is that "some time", anyway? I really don't know. Last year, I think only Team America: World Police could compete, in my mind (Napoleon Dynamite and Shaun of the Dead not really qualifying for mainstream), and in 2003, Bad Santa made me laugh quite a lot. But I'm not sure if I liked those more than Virgin. I guess if you count The Royal Tenenbaums as both mainstream and a comedy (though both labels are pushing it), you might have to stop at 2001.
I can hardly begin to explain how surprised I was at this movie. Oh, I laughed...
The few successful mainstream comedies I can think of from the past few years are largely ones where I seem to be the only person who enjoys them, so I hesitate to trace time back to the last extremely successful beast in the genus.
Although I guess if one counts Sideways... Can one?
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
I wasn't counting Sideways or Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, both of which had comedic elements but also more serious ones. I guess the amount of critical acclaim and audience popularity Virgin has attained is comparable to School of Rock, but I think both of us liked Virgin better.
Agreed on all accounts.
Gee, now you have my brain buzzing. Just how far do we have to go back?
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
To find a mainstream comedy that is extremely well-liked by critics, audiences, and us (heh heh)? I dunno. Truman Show? Too dramatic? There's Something About Mary? Did you like that one - I don't remember you commenting on it one way or the other? I think Groundhog Day would certainly fit the bill, but surely there's another one from the past 12 years. Still, every movie I think of seems to have something slightly wrong with it.
I am having very similar thought processes. As many genres our age does well in, mainstream comedies have pretty much stunk over the last decade or two.
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
Something in that post just set off an epiphany: your reviews are really a lot of mediocre observations chopped and diced and thrown in the food processor, served with a slightly tangy sauce. Not unlike my academic writing. Well, I quit doing that kind of writing: why don't you? I dare ya!
Well dang, if LBangs should quit, then I should have hung 'em up months ago (or never bothered picking 'em up in the first place)! But it's too much fun, so that's not going to happen.
Of course, I disagree whole-heartedly about the "mediocre observations" part, or with any sentiment that suggests one of my favorite Listologists should quit. Unless your dare is a call to arms: "don't quit writing entirely, just do it better." Heck, anybody who writes anything should strive for that, no matter how good they are.
Never mind.
No! I like lbangs' writing! Don't listen to the crazy lady, lbangs!
"You know the drill."
We do indeed.