Wednesday July 20th
La Cienaga (Argentina, 2001) dvd
Kontroll (Hungary, 2003) at SoBe Regal
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Wednesday July 20th
La Cienaga (Argentina, 2001) dvd
Kontroll (Hungary, 2003) at SoBe Regal
I just read "Scorsese on Scorsese" and he talks about King of Kings a lot. He said he saw it when he was young and that it made a huge impression on him.
I haven't seen it but I see that Criterion feels it's worthy of the treatment.
Nicholas Ray is a special filmmaker.
I think the King of Kings available on Criterion dvd is the silent one directed by De Mille. Nicholas Ray is a major director still waiting to be properly recognized. It's unbelievable that these titles have never been available on home video: On Dangerous Ground, The Lusty Men, Bigger Than Life, Wind Across the Everglades and Run For Cover, a Technicolor Western starring our beloved Cagney. Kings is my third Ray so far in '05. I plan to watch Rebel Without a Cause (and maybe They Live by Night) again before the year is over.
Thursday July 21
Dolls (Japan, 2002) dvd
An art film written, directed and edited by Takeshi Kitano (Fireworks, Zaitochi). Dolls opens with a love story set in the past told by puppeteers performing to a theatre audience in the traditional Bunraku style. Then we move onto an overlapping triptych of tragic romances set in the present. Each involves a couple formed by a partner who renounces love for the sake of fame, money or career advancement and another who engages in a sacrificial act as proof of depth of feeling. These six characters, including a young executive, an older yakuza, and a pop singer, are not presented in full psychological detail, in part because the stories are told visually, with minimal dialogue. What happens is that, as each tale comes into focus simultaneously,their meaning and emotional effect accumulate. I am convinced Dolls would lose substantial impact had Kitano completed one story before beginning the next one, although it would still be worth seeing because of the inspired art direction and use of color. A very skilled editor like Kitano is required to turn an art film that juggless three narratives into an accessible and engaging visual feast.
Dolls received limited distribution in December 2004 but can now be viewed by all on dvd.
Me And You And Everyone We Know (USA, 2005) at SoBe Regal
I saw Dolls in December in NYC during it's "limited distribution." I found it beautiful but dreary and sickeningly sentimental. Needless to say, Kitano is a filmmaker work is always worth "checking out," though.
Friday July 23rd
I watched the first half of Charlie... again but fragments of movies don't count. Charlie and Howl's Moving Castle are my favorite summer movies, so far. The doc below came very close. I'll probably watch all three again before listing faves of '05.
March of the Penguins (France, 2005) at AMC CocoWalk
80 minute documentary directed by Luc Jacquet and featuring narration by Morgan Freeman. Set in Antarctica, a most photogenic and rarely photographed environment and absolutely the least hospitable on Earth. Every year, emperor penguins travel 70 miles to where the ice is thick enough year-round to support them as they engage in courtship, mating, hatching and raising their young until they are self-sufficient. This process of reproduction entails enormous sacrifice, commitment and social organization. Jacquet uses close-ups, long shots, even underwater shots to provide the most telling and fitting vantage points as this enthralling story unfolds before our eyes. Sometimes the tendency to ascribe feelings to the penguins in the narration seems overly precious, other times the explanations seem superfluous, but generally the narration provides useful information to the viewer. A must-see.
Detour (USA, 1946) on TCM
This bleakest, most fatalistic of film noirs was made in six days on a miniscule budget by Edgar G. Ulmer (The Black Cat).The film was barely shown at all during the 40s. By the 60s, Detour had achieved a cult following and mythical status among critics and film buffs.It's been called "the greatest B film ever made" and "the cheapest really good film to come out of Hollywood". My second viewing of it confirms that Detour is visually interesting, with excellent dialogue written by Martin Goldsmith, and featuring Ann Savage as the most vile and vicious femme fatale of any noir. On the other hand,the protagonist, a piano player who gets a ride from a man who dies in transit and proceeds to make a series of stupid decisions, is such a dupe it's hard to root for him. And the plot contains too many wild coincidences to suspend disbelief.
Our tastes have never seemed further apart than they do at this moment. I can't even face seeing Howl's Moving Castle, Charlies seesms creepy but I haven't braved it yet, you don't mention Me and You which you tout so much elsewhere so we'll skip that, but the documentary that you like so much I found grim and nothing but a National Geographic kind of standard study with a stunning lack of variety, and an uninformative, excessively anthropomorphic narration. Not at all up to the glossier Winged Migration (which I didn't find worth reviewing, though devotees of soothing fare liked it a lot).
*Amazing, isn't it?! We can't seem to agree on anything (besides politics, your latest political commentary was very smart). I wonder how long this extreme divergence of opinion will last.
*I know it's way too early to discuss faves of the year, particularly English-language one (since so many "prestige" American and UK films open in fall and winter). Also, many of the films I've liked a lot will get a second viewing before posting lists so they may go up or down. I'm probably forgetting some titles, but so far my faves in English are Palindromes, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and the dubbed Howl's Moving Castle. Close behind, the yet unreleased A Way of Life and March of the Penguins. Others I liked a lot: Me and You...,Dear Frankie, Millions, My Summer of Love, Cinderella Man and Assault on Precinct 13. Given how things are going, maybe you should think of it as a "must-avoid" list :))
Sat July 23rd
On the Run (France/Belgium, 2003) at Cinema Paradiso
After the Life (Fra/Bel, 2003) at Cinema Paradiso
I had written a long review of these two films belonging to the excellent "La Trilogie de Lucas Belvaux" but I "lost" it and I'm pressed for time. Belgian actor/writer/director Lucas Belvaux has crafted a very unique trilogy of films. The three films take place in Grenoble, France during a two week period and involve the same characters. Each film is in a different genre. All characters appear in every film but characters who are protagonists in one film become secondary in another. Each film works without having seen the others. On the Run is a tense political thriller centering on Bruno, a violent activist who escapes from jail to settle old scores, while the compelling drama After the Life concerns the cop who is after Bruno and his drug-addicted wife. The trilogy received limited US distribution in 2004 but it's not available on dvd in the US. The French dvds have subs though.
I hope you are forgetting some titles, and you promised not to make a best list yet, so if it sort of looks like you're choosing my "must-avoid" list as your faves, it's really just a bad moment. I wouldn't revile the middle-brow Cinderella Man, have not seen My Summer of Love, am only puzzled at Precinct 13 popping up all of a sudden several months later. I'd forgotten it. Really, one of the best? Wow. You see some good stuff; the tide may turn. I see that you like Solodnz, and his minor clones, and weird stuff for or with childlren. I tend to prefer adults-only material, but I may have to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, if I can stomach it, just to comment. Not Howl's..... his last film did nothing for me as I've mentioned. Give the Penguins some time. They may fade in interest when the weather cools down. It was good to see them yesterday for me when it had been quite hot. The theater air conditioning was cranked up. Glad we agree on politics.
This Belgian trilogy was at the Angelika in New York but came too late for me to see in on a visit. It sounds like an interesting experiment and, if nothing else, one would be likely to learn about editing and genres from watching it. N.B.: Anthony Lane liked it quite well. And so did some of the French critics.
I went over every page of the journal and those 11 are the ones in English, so far, that would merit at least an honorable mention at the end of the year. The top 3 have a good chance to get into the top 10. Who knows maybe we'll agree on some fall and winter movies of note. Without going over my journal, fave foreigns so far include Saraband, 2046, Tropical Malady and Los Muertos. There are many others.
Sunday July 24th
Two Excellent award-winning films from Israel
Campfire (2004) at Cosford Cinema
Checkpoint aka Machssomim (2003) on Sundance Channel
Campfire is the second film from writer/director Joseph Cedar (Time of Favor) and the second to win 5 Ophirs (Israel Academy awards). It's set in 1981 Jerusalem. Rachel is an attractive widow about 40 years old who is having difficulty communicating with her teenage daughters Rachel and Tami. Rachel has reached the point where she is ready to date again. She decides to apply to become a resident of a government-sponsored settlement being built near the Palestinian town of Ramallah. Rachel is under the impression that her support of Zionism and her patriotism is sufficient to be accepted by the selection committee. Gradually she learns that those in charge are prejudiced against female head of households and those below a certain economic level. Things get more complicated after boys, who molest 15 y.o. Tami during a youth-group event, start spreading rumours that she "puts out". Great performances by the three leads: Michaela Eshet, Hani Furstenberg and Maya Maron.Excellent script and sensitive direction by Mr. Cedar, who was born in NYC and emigrated to Israel at age 6.
Checkpoint has won awards at film festivals in San Francisco, Amsterdam, Barcelona, and France. It's the debut of Yoav Shamir, a Jewish man who's passionately against the occupation of Gaza and the West Bank. From 2001 to 2003, Mr. Shamir filmed exchanges between Palestinians and Israeli soldiers at a number of checkpoints including those near Jenin, Hebron, Ramallah, Bethlehem, and the Gaza Strip. Scene after scene depicts all kinds of abuse, humilliation and repression of Palestinians who are trying to get to work or school, take sick relatives to the hospital, visit spouses who work in other towns, or simply transporting merchandise and foodstuffs. The arrogance, machismo, and sense of entitlement of the soldiers and guards is thoroughly apparent. This type of situation can only "fuel the fire" and create more hatred between the two groups.
We crossed swords a bit on Saraband, but it's not chopped liver. I'd have to consider 2046 one of the major foreign releases of the year and I liked Los Muertos. I'll see Tropical Malady very shortly and let you know.
Quote:
Originally posted by oscar jubis
Sunday July 24th
Two Excellent award-winning films from Israel
Campfire (2004) at Cosford Cinema
Checkpoint aka Machssomim (2003) on Sundance Channel
Hey,
I am glad you have finally watched the movie Campfire ...
So, I guess you know what I am talking about here ...
http://www.filmwurld.com/forums/show...light=campfire
HiQuote:
Originally posted by Chris Knipp
Have you heard anything about Machuca, directed by Andrés Wood, set in Chile in the early Seventies? It's here next week.
Did you finally watched it?
Howard and I have some comments here
http://www.filmwurld.com/forums/show...&threadid=1263
Not yet. This is only Monday.
*Chris, at least our foreign list will have a few common titles. I'm happy 2046 opens August 5th in theatres.
*Hengcs, my apologies for not posting my comments about Campfire on the thread you opened. I forgot about it. The questions I posed to you have been answered. My conclusion is that the protagonist decides that even though, as a Zionist, she supports the government's settlement policy, life in a settlement is not appropriate for her and her daughters. I've decided that the fact that some in the selection committee are elitists and prejudiced does not constitute a criticism of the policy itself on the part of the director. I agree with you that Campfire is solely concerned with personal motivations. On the other hand, I'm convinced Mr. Shamir, the director of the political doc Checkpoint, would find that Campfire lacks the courage to confront the (im)morality of the occupation.
which would be damning.Quote:
that Campfire lacks the courage to confront the (im)morality of the occupation.