Movies I've seen at The Pickford and my opinions on them
Submitted by jenhowel on Fri, 08/01/2003 - 03:18
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- STANDING IN THE SHADOWS OF MOTOWN - A very interesting documentary of Motown musicians you've never heard of, interrupted by some great and some intensely mediocre (Ben Harper) renditions of Motown classics. More history would have been better; I never got bored of listening to the old time stories.
- ROGER AND ME/BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE - I'd already seen both of these films on multiple occasions, but it was nice to see "Roger and Me" on the big screen at last, and with an audience. It was still, unfortunately, just as timely.
- TALK TO HER - Excellent film which gave me all new respect for Almodovar. His films should probably all be seen on the big screen. The cinematography was amazing, the characters were deep and interesting, and the movie was worth it for the black and white silent film within a film alone.
- NICHOLAS NICKELBY - I didn't expect to like this film, since I didn't care for the director's version of "Emma". But I really liked it, especially the cast. Maybe if I'd read the Dickens novel first I'd feel differently, who can say? But all in all, a fine frothy feast of a picture.
- LOST IN LA MANCHA - Not thrilling, but an okay study of a failed picture. I got bored by the end, however. I would have liked to see Gilliam's Quixote, however.
- CITY OF GOD - It was kind of like watching a cross between "Kids", "Go" and "Reservoir Dogs" only in Brazil. That said, I didn't really dig it all that much. It was shocking, but I didn't really "feel it" if you know what I mean. I just ended up feeling shell-shocked.
- POWER AND TERROR: NOAM CHOMSKY IN OUR TIMES - This movie is basically Noam Chomsky talking for an hour and a half with a strange Japanese pop soundtrack occasionally. Since I'd never heard Noam Chomsky speak, it was an interesting experience. It helps that I am very liberal and agreed with most of what he had to say.
- LAUREL CANYON - Frances McDormand is excellent in this film, which she carries. The film is fun on its own, what with sex, some drugs and rock and roll, but McDormand turns it from a guilty pleasure into a real film. Brava!
- RUSSIAN ARK - I have rarely been so bored. I nearly fell asleep. And it was confusing to boot. Perhaps a fan of A) museums B) Russian history C) people wearing period costumes would appreciate this film. I simply felt cheated by the preview which made it look like an interesting way to spend 2 hours. Oh yeah, and it was all shot in one seamless camera shot. Big whoop when it puts you to sleep!
- NOWHERE IN AFRICA - EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT film. Go rent it when it comes out, by all means! I've seen Africa tales, I've seen WWII escape from Germany tales, I've seen coming of age tales and learning to live with other cultures tales. This movie transcends genres and tells at once a compelling personal tale and explores universal themes in a refreshing manner. Maybe that's why it won Best Foreign Film at last year's Oscars.
- SPIDER - Cronenberg is off his game. It might have been fun to act in, but it was no fun to watch.
- SPELLBOUND - Good, but honestly not as good as they say. They're raving about this one, and while I enjoyed watching it, I think an evening of Scrabble would have been equally fulfilling.
This is a list of films I've seen for free since I began volunteering at The Pickford Cinema last November.
I'm missing quite a few, and I don't see them all, but here's a bunch of them. They tend to be way off the mainstream radar, so I think it might be a good list to read if you want to know my opinions about films you might not have seen. Plus, since I'm broke, these may be the ONLY new releases I'll be seeing for a while. (: