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I agree substantially with your estimate, which you would see if you checked out my more detailed review of Crónicas done at the time of the San Francisco International Film Festival. I have seen the preview being used here: it makes it look very impressive, more that it is. Good packaging.
http://www.filmwurld.com/forums/show...F&pagenumber=4
Ha,...thanks! It was a spur-of-the-moment kind of thing. I was trying to come up with something intelligent for about 3 other films at the same time (bad idea, I must say). Then I realized that this thing is out so I decided to clean up the shit from last year's Toronto thread. Thanks for the link to your fine review; I had forgetten about the fact that you saw the film. We certainly agree here. I think the film will do well, especially with the Latino community.
I hope it does well. So far, I don't know.
Remember The Crime of Padre Amaro? Huge in Mexico, but apparently no success here. Very entertaining, and with Garcia Bernal as a sexy priest. How could you lose?
We'll see.
MetaCritic rates both these in the low, very low, sixties, Crónicas slightly higher.
I was surprised by your comment that Amaro was "apparently no success here". Here meaning the USA, I presume. Surprised because while Mexican films don't do as well in Miami as Spanish films, Amaro had a long run here. So I went to IMdb and learned US domestic gross got close to $6 million. I am under the impression that's higher than the average gross for a foreign language film. Correct me if I'm wrong. I'm also not sure Garcia Bernal was as famous when Amaro came out as he is currently.
I didn't find Padre Amaro entertaining. I believe it was overly melodramatic, and its heavy-handedness was ultimately draining. Unfortunately, the sexy priest couldn't save the film.Quote:
Originally posted by Chris Knipp
Very entertaining, and with Garcia Bernal as a sexy priest. How could you lose?
You're absolutely right. He can't save it. It isn't a good movie. IT was quite a sensation in Mexico because it contains shocking information about priestly corruption, but otherwise it was more on the level of a good telenovela than a good 'film.' Perhaps I appreciated Garcia Bernal more than you did. He's awfully good looking and it was a good juicy role for him. A better role than movie. I just thought more people would come out to see it than did, here. Crónicas is somewhat telenovela-esque too.
García Bernal is an extremely good-looking man. I have no problems saying that. But, there are a lot of equally attractive actors who aren't nearly as good as he is. And, even more importantly, he has a good head on his shoulders which is already proven by his choices. After the likes of Y tu mamá también and The Motorcycle Diaries he could've easily sold out but he has chosen to appear in indies like The King (James Marsh), The Science of Sleep (Michel Gondry), and Babel (Alejandro González Iñárritu).
While you two keep discussing Mexican actors you'd like to sleep with, I'll get back to Werner Herzog. Just watched Little Dieter Needs to Fly and it is not only the first documentary from Herzog I've seen, but the first of his films made in the nineties that I've managed to catch. I know my knowledge of foreign film rarely extends past the last twenty years, but I do make an effort, lord knows I can't keep up with new releases.
As for the film it was simple, moving, and confrontational. Herzog never once questions the war, but rather choses to look at the impacts of a POW in Vietnam. He could have very easily preached but he didn't. Even the moments of destruction and chaos were undercut merely as representations of fact. Herzog didn't seem to be out for sympathy, he respects his audiences intelligence too much. ALso have to commend him for returning to the scene with Dieter to show where he was taken.
Hey! Just because a man happens to find another attractive, that doesn't make him gay -- not that there's anything wrong with that. I'll be glad to pass the opportunity to Chris and I'm sure he wouldn't mind.
Film Comment did a nice roundup on Herzog's docs in their recent issue. Too bad it isn't available online.
Steve Martin introduced Garcia Bernal at the Oscars this way: "I'd do anything to look the way he does... except of course exercise or eat right." One thing is clear: I don't want to sleep with Werner Herzog. But he's made some great movies. Garcia Bernal has made some interesting choices. Padre Amaro was closer to his telenovela youth. I personally found dot the i useless, but it was a try. We'll see how these other new indies turn out.
In Old Arizona (1929) - Raoul Walsh and Irving Cummings
This is the film that cost Walsh his eye, and his acting career. Would the film have been better had Walsh kept the lead? I don't know, early sound films almost always suffer from horrible acting, one of the few exceptions being Bessie Love in The Broadway Melody. Warner Baxter actually won an Oscar for his laughably bad performance as the Cisco Kid. Watching the film from Pre-Code Hollywood it isn't as readily predictable. I can't tell if they're playing against type by having the flirtatious female be the villian or if it's just mysoginist filmmaking. Either way I liked that touch. Direction was rather boring, which may have been Cummings since Walsh actually didn't direct most of the film. The acting was near attrocious, but the film does have it's moments. Over all I'd say only watch this if you're an obsessive Oscar dork who needs to see everything nominated for an Academy Award, otherwise please ignore, certainly not a high point in the career of Walsh.
:)Quote:
Originally posted by wpqx
Over all I'd say only watch this if you're an obsessive Oscar dork who needs to see everything nominated for an Academy Award...
I can't believe that I actually saw Dot the I; it's certainly useless. I think Bernal did this before some of his other recent work, but it just wasn't released till he became famous.Quote:
Originally posted by Chris Knipp
I personally found dot the i useless
Unfaithfully Yours (1948) - Preston Sturges
Absolutely amazing. Quite a pleasant surprise on all counts, complex, funny, and virtually unacknowledged. Don't know why this film isn't as readily associated with Sturges other major classics. There is also a little controversy over whether this is the complete film, as it was edited by Zanuck, but the film itself seems decades ahead of it's time. I'd recommend this film highly to anyone.
That could be true. I saw it in NYC in April. Maybe released in the UK earlier? It didn't do well.Quote:
I think Bernal did this [dot the i] before some of his other recent work
Is Unfaithfully Yours readily available?
I saw The Beat That My Heart Skipped today (Audiard). I think it's still playing in France, which is unusual for it to be here and there at the same time. It's very well done, keeps your interest from first to last and Romain Duris is surprisingly good--I can't believe he was so bland in L'Auberge Espagnole a couple of years ago (but he's been in a ton of films I haven't seen). His sister is a pianist who coached him and did some of the playing in the film. I will write a review.