Oscar's Cinema Journal 2005

Yeah, I didn't get a sense of enthusiasm out of your writeup of Los Muertos, despite your high evaluation. I got more a sense of fun and excitement out of Fan of Kubrick's briefer writup. Sometimes it sounds to me like you're cataloguing rather than evaluating or emotionally responding, and how the film rates personally with you or how you persoonally respond to it doesn't come through as well as your description of the contents. I have somewhat the same problem as I've been told it's sometimes hard to tell what I really think or feel about a movie I review, and I'm working on that.

In the case of Mr Arkadin, you are simply warning people to stay away from this DVD because it's of lousy technical quality. With the Charcoal People documentary, it's hard to tell whether you think it's a good one or not. Is presenting just the workers' viewpoints sufficient to make it involving and good, or is the lack of Moore-ish confrontation with managers a real shortcoming, a sign that it's pretty limited? Also with Sembene's Black Girl you say the director "gets a lot of powerful symbolism out of an African mask," but I don't get any other idea of what's good about the movie; otherwise you just give some biography of Sembene and the plot of the movie.

Don't get the idea I'm just trying to tear you down. Your descriptions are informative and your tireless filmgoing and -viewing are inspiring. I'm just trying to suggest ways you can make what you say more engaging and useful.

This issue of the clarity of how much one likes or doesn't like a movie has forced writers to agree to using rating systems. I'm sure that if I wrote for a publication I'd have to devise one. I'm by no means implying that I write like J. Hoberman, but he's been a major influence. I react to his writing the way you're reacting to mine. Ideally I want to provide a mix of opinion and information that would help you make up your own mind whether a film is for you. What makes the approach more valid is the fact that I answer every follow-up question. These exchanges are the main reason why I'm posting my journal. Writing obviously is a reflection of one's personality and mine is not characterized by displays of emotion.

Another variable is the sheer volume of films (about 12 per week) and the percentage of my leisure time I'm willing to devote to writing vs. watching film and reading. Your questions about Arkadin, Charcoal People and Black Girl are reasonable and valid. You probably wouldn't have to ask them if I wrote longer reviews or had more time to write them. I appreciate you asking them and hope you continue to do so.

Charcoal People is a good doc that folks particularly interested in labor and environmental issues must watch, but it's not compelling enough for the general viewer. Even though one can likely predict the response from the employers of the "carvoeiros", I think their reaction to potential inquiries from the filmmakers would add to the doc's emotional impact. You must watch Mr. Arkadin and La Noire de.... Actually, a film lover must watch everything directed by Welles and Sembene, in my opinion. The former is available on dvd but it's such a bad presentation of the film that I think one needs to either seek out the PAL disc from the UK or wait until a decent region 1 disc is released.

What makes La Noire de... such a singular achievement is Sembene's ability to create a fictional narrative that illustrates with great nuance and economy a) the status and conditions of the colonist and the colonized and their relationship, b) how environment (Senegal and France) alters and impacts on race and class issues, and c) the appropriation and commodification of aspects of black culture by Europeans/whites.

Sunday May 1st

Lost Boys of Sudan (USA, 2004) on dvd
This doc directed by Megan Mylan and Jon Shenk documents the immigrant experience of two teenagers orphaned by the civil war in Sudan. Titles provide basic information about the conflict between the Muslin government in the North and the Christian and animist South, which has resulted in over 2 million deaths. We meet Peter and Santino in the UN refugee camp in Kenya where they've lived for over ten years. Both in their late teens, they discuss the attack on their village and their lives in the camp. The filmmakers allow enough time for the viewer to become acquainted with the lives they lead in Africa, their culture and customs. The doc covers their journey to Houston, Texas, their acculturation, and their experience as immigrants in America. Lost Boys of Sudan sidesteps conventional voice-over narration in favor of real-time, close-quarters coverage of significant events in the lives of Peter and Santino. The picture of America that emerges is relatively bening and hopeful, but the immigrant experience is almost by definition bittersweet and characterized by obvious cultural dislocation.

Jour de Fete (France, 1949/1995) on PAL dvd (UK)
The great Jacques Tati couldn't realize in full his personal vision for his debut feature. The laboratory was unable to cope with the experimental Thomascolor process. Tati knew there could be problems so he shot the film with two cameras, one with b & w film. Jour de Fete was released in 1949, in black and white, to great acclaim. Finally, in 1995, under the direction of Tati's daughter, the film was released in France, as intended, and what a revelation it is. The colors in this film look unlike those of any film I've ever seen. It's been said the film "looks like the 1940s, not like the color films made then". Tati directed, co-wrote and starred as Francois, the cycling postman of the village of St. Severe-sur-Indre. Tati's observations of village life are based on the year he lived there during the occupation. His intimate familiarity with the terrain and the residents of the village shows in every frame. The brilliant comedic gags recall the best of Keaton, although Tati's are more subdued and require more attention on the part of the viewer. The interplay between background and foreground action provides the film with riches that cannot be fully grasped in one viewing. The film takes place the day villagers prepare and set up a fair/carnival; "fair day", in which an itinerant cinema shows a short about the technologically advanced and efficient mail-delivery system in America; and the next day, as Francois attempts to speed-up and modernize his delivery methods while the town returns to normal. There's plenty of subtext about the complex and ambivalent feelings the French had about the USA and its influence during the late 1940s. There's no doubt the film's impact is somewhat diminished when viewed at home. Either way, a wonderful experience.

The issue of the rating system does come up. I don't think it's necessary. All you have to do is express some emotion in what you say and use a phrase like "worth watching" or "terrific" or "don't waste your time." If you see too many movies to be able to do that then maybe you see too many movies. I can imagine your being in too much of a hurry to decide; or, not having much time to spend, don't want to make a negative judgement, so just give a kind of neutral catalog description. I don't know what you mean about Hoberman when you say "I react to his writing the way you react to mine." How do you khow, and what do you mean? If you mean what you seem to mean, I wasn't aware there was any trouble telling whether he likes a movie or not. I don't think you're much like Hoberman and, of course, neither am I, though we both like his writing.

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What makes La Noire de... such a singular achievement is Sembene's ability to create a fictional narrative that illustrates with great nuance and economy a) the status and conditions of the colonist and the colonized and their relationship, b) how environment (Senegal and France) alters and impacts on race and class issues, and c) the appropriation and commodification of aspects of black culture by Europeans/whites.

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I don't get any sense of an emotional reaction or is this what you'd call pure intellectual pleasure? How would this be different from just reading a book? How is this different from Charcoal People of which you say it "is a good doc that folks particularly interested in labor and environmental issues must watch, but it's not compelling enough for the general viewer"? Again, I'm not trying to get on your case, just to help you put more emotional punch into your movie journal-writing so it's really a journal and not just a descriptive list.

Hoberman always makes interesting obsevations but I often have difficulty figuring out whether he recommends a film or not, and also figuring out how he "feels" about certain films. What's important is that I always learn from him .
La Noire was clearly intellectually stimulating (in a non-didactic way) but also had great emotional impact (without being melodramatic). To reveal more would spoil the experience of would-be viewers.

Monday May 2nd

Arizona Dream (USA/France, 1993) on PAL dvd
Bosnian director Emir Kusturica made two great movies prior to Arizona Dream (When Father Was Away On Business and Time of the Gipsies) and two after (Underground and White Cat, Black Cat), but I was disappointed with this English-language film. Kusturica has assembled a very attractive cast lead by the always-charming Johnny Depp as a fish-counter conned by his movie-obsessed friend (Vincent Gallo) to travel to Arizona to attend uncle Sweetie (Jerry Lewis)'s wedding to a young East European girl with a crying habit. They meet some very strange people, most notably, a widow fascinated with home-made flying machines played by Faye Dunaway and her suicidal step-daughter played Lili Taylor. These characters are defined by their unique quirks and obsessions, which drive the action. Other than Depp's, the other characters are eccentric caricatures. There are inspired moments, including a very funny scene in which Taylor attempts suicide by trying to hang herself with a pair of pantyhose, and some striking images, but overall this uneven film lacks a sense of purpose. It's interesting to note that most of the main characters either consider, attempt, or commit suicide because Kusturica's own deep depression caused shooting to be interrupted for three months.
Arizona Dream is only available in the US on a vhs version that's 23 minutes shorter than the original version (European Version I guess). This version I watched is the complete 142-minute version available on dvd in the UK.
It's only fair to share that mine is a minority opinion. For instance, 66% of IMdb voters rate this film "8" of higher. It's not without merits but, in my opinion, it's not worth watching unless you are a big fan of Depp.

Tuesday May 3rd

Walk on Water at SoBe Regal
http://www.filmwurld.com/forums/show...0471#post10471

Wed. May 4th

Elephant (USA, 2003) on dvd
Not much to add to the comments made after 1st viewing on the film's thread http://www.filmwurld.com/forums/show...=&threadid=684 except to highlight the important contribution of cinematographer Harry Savides (Gerry, Birth), specifically the gliding, cruise-controlled camera movements and the expressive use of (out of) focus.

Thursday May 5th

Demonlover (France, 2003) on dvd
A multi-lingual thriller of corporate espionage written and directed by a true film artist, Oliver Assayas (Irma Vep) and starring Connie Nielsen, Chloe Sevigny and Charles Berling. A modern thriller with the requisite chases, break-ins, shootings, car bombs, and hand-to-hand combat, this time mostly executed by female executives who are technologically savvy and ruthless. But not for a moment do any of the characters seem to acknowledge the moral implications of their actions. Every character lost his or, especially, her soul by the time we meet them so it's hard to care. The performances, particularly Connie Nielsen in the central role, are rather flat. No surprise both Ms. Nielsen and Chloe Sevigny state in interviews included on the dvd that "there was no input from him, like maybe the acting wasn't important at all" (Sevigny). What I enjoyed very much were the images crafted by Mr. Assayas and his crew, which are often disorienting and always interesting, and the disonant score by the American band Sonic Youth which matches and accentuates the visuals perfectly.

Nazarin (Mexico, 1959) on TCM
Turner Classic Movies is showing an excellent selection of Golden Era Mexican films every thursday during the month of May. Nazarin is one of the last films Luis Bunuel directed in Mexico prior to his return to Europe. It won the International Prize at Cannes and the Ecumenical Prize from the International Catholic Cinema Office. The latter would be surprising for a filmmaker with a reputation of being an anti-clerical. This is the film that can serve as strong evidence that Bunuel's anti-establishment and anti-institutional stance never meant a repudiation of Christian values. Nazarin stars Francisco Rabal as Father Nazario, a priest who truly attempts to lead a life modeled after Christ's but the greed, envy and hypocrisy of people and institutions (particularly Church and State) result in his being humiliated, beaten and jailed. Nazario's efforts to improve the lives of the thiefs, beggars and prostitutes he encounters are continuously sabotaged. Several surreal moments and grotesque presentations peppered throughout the linear narrative are pure Bunuel. Not to be missed.

You will find strong opposition to your dismissal of demonlover from Assayas devotees, but not from me. I much like you found it incoherent and uninvolving, and your note on the actors reporting no input from the director is telling. As usual your evaulation is balanced, perhaps more than mine would be, since I find the overall effect unsatisfying, but you are no doubt right to offer favorable comment on the images and sound track.

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Originally posted by oscar jubis
Yes, JustaFied, Decline is a prequel of sorts to Barbarian. Yes, it's worth checking out but it's not as memorable as Barbarian (although it won 9 Canadian Academy awards and a FIPRESCI award at Cannes).
Barbarian is more expansive both visually and thematically. As you've pointed out, the dichotomy between the boomers and the next generation is particularly interesting, and you won't find that in Decline. My recollection is that the prequel is just as funny and perhaps just as sad. It takes place on a single day and it's even more dialogue-driven than Barbarian. The basic thesis is that the boomers obsession with hedonistic pursuits at the expense of everything else is indicative of a society in decline. There are three set ups: the men at Remy's lakeside house, the women at the health club, and a gender clash over dinner. The main topic is sex and the game of choice is intellectual oneupmanship.
Please share your opinions if you decide to watch it.

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I've since seen "Decline of the American Empire", so I'll briefly respond to your comments from some time ago. I liked "Decline" but found it less reflective and more narrow in scope than "Barbarian". This is probably a reflection of the mindset of the characters in each film. The subject matter in "Barbarian", being broader in scope, made the film more interesting to me, and its story had a greater emotional impact. The story in "Barbarian" is multifaceted, touching on issues as wide ranging as the relationships between generations, the aging of the Boomer generation, the State-sponsored "war on drugs", and the inefficiencies of the Canadian health care system. How can one be bored watching this film! The story in "Decline" primarily revolves around the rather selfish, insular world of the characters involved. Minor correction, however: I believe the name of the film (Decline of the American Empire) as described refers to a society's proven decline once its populace attains sufficient time and freedom to seek self-happiness. Such happiness is not necessarily limited to hedonistic pursuits, though that seems to be the primary focus in the film. I don't think the original intent of the expression was necessarily a moral one.

*"Uninvolving" would certainly describe my reaction to demonlover, the first film from Assayas I don't want to watch again and the first one I can't recommend.
*JustaFied, obviously we agree on both Decline and the wonderful Barbarian Invasions. Your comments are insightful.

Saturday May 7th

Off the Map at Regal Avenues in Jacksonville, FL.

Campbell Scott returns to the director's chair to adapt Joan Ackermann's play about a family living in a remote area of New Mexico in 1974. As the film opens, a woman, Bo, played by Amy Brenneman examines mementos from her childhood. A dissolve flashes back thirty years to Jo as a verbose, energetic girl of about 11 years old. "That was the summer of my father's depression" she says in voice-over, and indeed, Charley (Sam Elliott) appears almost catatonic during the early scenes. Bo, Charley and his wife Arlene live miles from the nearest road, in an adobe house devoid of modern conveniences. They live off the land and Charley's veteran's pension check. Reasonably happy, self-contained lives until Charley is stricken by a deep depression of unknown etiology. Going into town to see a psychiatrist is out of the question, but eventually Charley's close friend (and sole visitor) George gives in to Arlene's request to fake being depressed to get anti-depressants for Charley. In the meantime, William, a young, insecure IRS man finally locates their home. We learn the Grodens haven't filed for seven years. William's visit becomes longer, much longer than anyone could anticipate, a catalyst for change for the whole family.
Off The Map is one of those earnest American independent films with a strong regional flavor and an unhurried pace that's box-office poison. More character-based than action-driven thus an actor's showcase. Though the performances are uniformly good, it's Joan Allen who shines as the complex, force-of-nature Arlene. Campbell Scott is very careful here not to overuse voice-over and the film as a whole is extremely "quiet", as befits its desert-and-mountains landscape, with sporadic use of a vaguely percussive music score. A modest film perhaps, entirely observed from a child's p.o.v., with occasional, probably ill-advised detours into whimsy near the end. Still, this well-observed, beautiful, graceful, well-acted, coming-of-age Amerindie is full of heart.

Off the Map--I wanted to see this but now it's gone.

Assayas--admittedly I have only seen six of his 20-some films, but I still don't see what all the fuss is about.

Assayas has directed 10 fiction features. The first five were not distributed in the USA. They are: Disorder, Winter's Child, Paris Awakens, A New Life, and Cold Water, a wonderful film about a teenage couple set in the 70s which had a special screening here in '95, sponsored by the French Consulate. I'd love to watch it again. Then came Irma Vep, a film I consider a masterpiece and my favorite film about movie-making (yes, I like it more than Godard's Contempt and Truffaut's Day For Night), followed by Late August, Early September, Les Destinees, demonlover, and Clean, which you've seen but won't open comercially in the US until September.

Sunday May 8th

The Kid (1921) on TCM
Thr Tramp raises a child abandoned by an unwed mother in this very personal project for Charlie Chaplin and his first feature film. Chaplin himself had suffered a traumatic separation from a mother he idolized, and he started working on The Kid ten days after the death of his son Norman Spencer Chaplin, who lived for only three days. Besides Chaplin's established genius as a creator of visual gags, what makes The Kid such a delight is the chemistry between Chaplin and 4 year-old vaudeville performer Jackie Coogan.

I didn't get Irma Vep at all. It all seemed hype to me. Cold Water has sounded good to me.

Irma Vep is too rich to discuss in brief and has too many facets to absorb in one viewing. The premise is a crew's quixotic attempt to remake my favorite French silent, Louis Feuillade's Les Vampires, starring a Hong Kong actress, the future Mrs. Assayas Maggie Cheung (playing herself). It's great fun to watch the rivalry that develops between a has-been director played by Truffaut's alter-ego Jean Pierre Leaud and a female costume designer, both attempting to seduce the iconic Cheung. But actually, like in choice Altman, every single character is complex and nuanced. One learns a lot about filmmaking as a creative enterprise and about the issues that arise in international shoots. It's very interesting how each character creates an image of Cheung based on his/her needs and prejudices. The integration of image and soundtrack is masterful, most especially the use of music.

Monday May 9th

Wanda (USA, 1970) on PAL dvd (French)

Winner of the Critics Prize at the 1970 Venice Film Festival, received great reviews during its commercial run at the Cinema II in Manhattan, and then erased from memory. At least in the USA. Europeans, particularly the French, wouldn't let it disappear. This independent feature, the only one directed by Barbara Loden before she died at age 48, was re-released in France in 2003, and then on dvd last year. What a revelation it is! An honest, cliche-free character study of a drifter lost in the coal towns of western Pennsylvania. A feminist film perhaps, yet free of dogma and didacticism. An improvisational film to a great extent yet not a moment seems superfluous. Shot in 16 mm, mostly with handheld cameras, yet never amateurish or crude. Wanda is a woman whose aimlessness and good figure make her particularly vulnerable, but she is not a "victim". Wanda can perhaps be described as a person who is not a good fit for the roles available within her milieu. She ellicits our sympathy even though she seems to have little interest in her two children, whom she admits are "better off" with her ex-husband. Tony-award winner Barbara Loden wrote, directed and played the main role in a film that deserves a place of honor amongst the great American Independent films. Wanda is every bit as good as Cassavetes' Shadows, Kastle's The Honeymoon Killers, or Biberman's Salt of the Earth. It's simply too good to remain in obscurity.