Some Films I've Seen in August / September 2003
Submitted by lbangs on Mon, 09/08/2003 - 09:08
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- The Color of Paradise - Iran, along with Central America, is the hot emerging film scene now. Majid Majidi, the director of The Color of Paradise and The Children of Heaven, is one of the pillars of this young community. The Color of Paradise is an impressive film in many ways, but all told, does not really fold its very impressive parts into a completely satisfying whole. Some scenes, like the grandmother's slow walk and the stellar conclusion, are simply breathtaking, but I can't help but feel this film has been aimed at a American art house audience that will forgive flaws in foreign films they would never let slide in mainstream movies, especially if the cinematography is stellar and the acting is great. A good film, but certainly not as good as I had hoped it would be.
- A Nous la Liberte - Rene Clair really does not get his fair share of attention nowadays, and that is a shame. This film is one of his best, mixing elements of slapstick, satire, and anarchy into a giddy comedy that at times borders on the surreal. Sure, it is an early talkie (1931), but my, how that sound is used; I love the sing-song propaganda that floats throughout the film. Fans of Laurel and Hardy, Charles Chaplin, and the Marx Brothers should find something to enjoy in this tale of two escaped convicts facing an environment as restrictive and oppressive as the prison they left - the industrialized world.
- Secretary - Maggie Gyllenhaal and James Spader bring flesh and blood to this story of strange love birds not too far removed from the spirit of Harold and Maude, and as a result, rather than exploitation, Secretary plays as exploration. Steven Shainberg, adapting and directing a Mary Gaitskill short story, shows an incredible empathy with the material and characters; what could have played as a cautionary tale or a generic erotic thriller instead evolves into a love story for those who cannot relate with perfect princes and Cinderellas. Secretary is one of the more daring films of 2002, but it rewards its viewers for every step they are willing to take along with it.
- The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers - I saw this again and must admit I liked it even better than before. I'm still keeping my fingers crossed for the third part.
- Adaptation - While I watched many 2002 films I disliked much more than Adaptation, I did not see one that disappointed me more. At around the halfway mark of Spike Jonze and Charlie Kaufman's latest collaboration, I was convinced it would find a spot pretty high on my favorites of the year list. Around a hour and a half into the film, however, the punchline of the joke begins to play out, and the viewer must suffer through this for thirty miserable minutes. It sours the film beyond saving, and as a result, I can't really stick this film anywhere near my top ten for last year. The acting is terrific, the directing is quite impressive, but the bad gag of having the film devolve into is simply too sad and, frankly, boring to tolerate as long as we are made to endure it. I suppose this film is still worth watching for the faithful, but me, I feel *very* cheated and, yep, disappointed.Spoiler: Highlight to viewa horrible example of the very type of cinema it is mocking
- Donnie Darko - This film reminds me quite a bit of Signs or Crash. Like Signs, logic goes to hell in the final act, and like both films, the director develops promises he does not keep. Luckily, Donnie Darko is pretty darned fascinating until that end, merging and melding crazy ideas (evil-looking bunnies, time travel, bad high school seminars) with a billion homages to late-70's and early-80's cinema (a thousand ET and Spielberg references, a party scene echoing Carrie, hints of Kubrick throughout). Intriguing and fun, and blessed with great performances everywhere, but here's hoping Kelly's next film delivers all it sets us up for.
- Bowling For Columbine - The problem with discussing Moore's films is that half of the people you meet can't stand his liberal guts and the other half think he is God handing down new gospels. The truth is that Moore doesn't really make documentary films as much as he creates visual essays. He selects evidence, forcefully argues his points, and tries to entertain as he attempts to persuade. In Bowling for Columbine, he might take a few cheap shots, but he largely and unexpectedly debunks some typical whipping boys for both left and right leaners while searching for answers he can't always find. He often persuades, but even better, he nearly always entertains (even when he causes us to squirm, especially when his confrontation of a very generous Charlton Heston turns nearly as heartless as he accuses Heston of often being). Do we need such blatant propaganda from other side of the political spectrum? Probably not, but we can certainly enjoy it and learn from analyzing it. Bowling is up there with Roger as Michael's best, and that makes it pretty hard to beat, not that I can think of too many other comparable films competing against it.
- The Princess and the Warrior - Despite only accruing fame for one picture, Run Lola Run, here in the states, Tom Tykwer is a true talent. In his latest, a romantic drama with quirky yet honest psychological twists, his two main characters 'meet cute' when one performs an emergency tracheotomy on the other. If that's not a novel attempt to invigorate a tired genre, I don't know what is. Throw in yet another stellar performance from Fanka Potente, experiments that only rarely stray too far, and a tight focus on characters closer to real people than the usual boring cardboard stand-ups you usually find in films, and the results even manage to top Tykwer's previous well-known international calling card. I can't wait to see where he is heading.
- About Schmidt - Alexander Payne's films work better when they aim at wit or sympathy than when they struggle to generate broad humor. About Schmidt has all three targets in its crosshairs, and while the attempts at easy laughs are more painful than ever, Nicholson's portrait of a lost man too far gone to start again is touching in its honest restraint.
A short note on Bowling for Columbine… Michael Moore had complete control on how long he held that shot of Heston walking back to the other end of his house. He knew “The Charleton Heston Confrontation” would be the largest marketing tool for his film and damn if he wasn’t right. Like anyone else looking for the golden finger of Midas, he just couldn’t bring himself to cut such prize footage even if it was unnecessary in making his point.
The painful silence of that scene left me having to peer at an old man working to escape more than just the fat man behind him, but the truth behind the unanswered questions. Moses was running. Therein lied the true sadness and pity for me.
I suppose Mr. Moore could have been trying to send a bigger, less obvious message linking Heston’s old age and condition to the outdated NRA idealism, but why would he shade such a superior tweaking point of the entire (gun) problem with one that would surely bring ridicule to himself? Because all publicity is good. Like you say, the fun is in the analysis, even if some of us are only guessing.
Oops, Charlton, not Charleton. And that last line was meant for people like me, not you.
Thanks for the The Princess and the Warrior review! And the other two as well. Great stuff, as usual, and you hit the nail on the head re: Moore. I'm looking forward to seeing Columbine myself.
About Schmidt didn't blow me away, but Nicholson did. Truth be told, and this is gonna sound ridiculous, I find Nicholson to be underrated. The constant complaint is that Nicholson plays himself constantly, but I think that he has actually stretched himself quite a bit at times. Look at some high water marks of his:
R.P. McMurphy - "One Flew Over the Cukoo's Nest"
Warren Schmidt - "About Schmidt"
The Joker - "Batman"
Jerry Black - "The Pledge"
Charley Partanna - "Prizzi's Honor"
Jake Gittes - "Chinatown"
These are all varied and interesting performances with both tiny nuances and broad strokes. I think he's one of the great American actors (far better than DeNiro and Pacino, if you ask me) and I think if he keeps stretching himself, even if it's not in EVERY movie, he should be given more credit than he gets.
An interesting thought hit me while watching About Schmidt. We have been seeing several recent great, restrained performances from several of the great actors of the 70s lately (I'm thinking also of Pacino's turn in Insomnia here, among others). I can't help but wonder if we'll see a great turn from De Niro soon. Or Warren Beatty, an under-rated fellow himself. Or perhaps I hope too much.
I think Nicholson is great, and yes, he makes Schmidt work. If you get a chance to see Five Easy Pieces (if you haven't already, that is), I bet your respect for him will just grow all the more.
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
Let's hope De Niro does something worthwhile soon. I like Beatty, I remember liking Bulworth, though I saw it a while ago, and I hope he does something impressive soon. The actors from the 70's who need to do something great soon (not because they're lacking, but because they're some of my favorites) are Dustin Hoffman (I liked Wag the Dog, but he can do better) and Gene Hackman (I have a feeling that his splendid performance in The Royal Tenenbaums was a warm-up to something GREAT).
Also, I've been trying to check out Five Easy Pieces for a long time. Maybe soon...
Mmmm, Adaptation dissapointed me too. Glad to see I'm not alone.
That's really too bad. Two big fans of BJM somewhat bummed by Adaptation. Let's hope it is nothing more than the sophomore slump.
Glad to read (elsewhere) that you weathered the storm well.
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs