Topic: goodguy's Watch Log

[goodguy]

Trouble Every Day (FR 2001) Written by: Claire Denis & Jean Pol Fargeau Directed by: Claire Denis Starring: Vincent Gallo, Tricia Vessey, Béatrice Dalle, Alex Descas DVD: R2-UK Prism (2005) My rating:

Cover blurb: Shane (VINCENT GALLO) and his new wife June (TRICIA VESSEY) are newlyweds honeymooning in Paris. Although happy, their relationship becomes strained when Shane secretly visits the medical clinic where he was once involved in experimental research on the human libido. Before long, the effect of this research becomes terrifyingly obvious, and Shane seeks self-exile in a desperate effort to find a cure.
All the while, Coré (BEATRICE DALLE), a Parisian woman, preys upon the men she lures with the promise of sexual gratification. This extreme behaviour mirrors Shane’s own base instincts, and their mutual desire for carnal violence suggests a deep-seated bond which must be consolidated. Soon the two will enter a realm of experience far beyond anything they have known…
Raw, poetic and powerful, this extraordinary film explores the dark side of desire in a way that no other film before it ever dared.

The best horror movies are made by filmmakers who are only loosely interested in the genre. "Trouble Every Day" by Claire Denis is such a movie. It is a descendant of Ferrara's "The Addiction" and a more elusive and adult sister to Alfredson's "Let the Right One In". It is unmistakably an arthouse movie, but in the best sense of the word. It is slow and moody, but it also is bloody and gory, and more importantly, it is deeply unsettling and disturbing.

Vampirism or cannibalism as a metaphor for the darker side of sexuality is certainly nothing new. But Denis' is not only unflinching in exploring these primal instincts, she does so by imbuing a shocking tenderness into the most visceral scenes.

The movie is masterfully structured and paced, although fans of more traditional horror fare probably will find it too slow. It is devoid of any exposition and the characters remain somewhat enigmatic. Dialogue is sparse, the story is told visually with an assured sensual style that ranges from subtle to breathtaking. An effective score by the Tindersticks is essential to the movie's atmosphere.

Vincent Gallo and Beatrice Dalle play the two "monsters". Gallo gives a restrained performance, desperately fighting for control, but the danger always boiling underneath. Dalle is magnificent as the more primal character that is already beyond hope. In the movie's most terrifying and disturbing scene, she is so raw and animalistic and yet innocent and almost child-like, it is beyond description.

DVD Notes

While the cover lists partial English subtitles for the French dialogue, there are actually none. Doesn't matter much though, because there is little dialogue anyway and most of it is in English. The only extra on the DVD is the trailer. If you are fluent in French, the R2-FR would be the better choice, because it includes an audio commentary.

[goodguy]

Despite my lack of posts here, I've actually watched quite a lot movies in November. I'm about to catch up with reviews for at least some of them, but this also means my comments will be even shorter than usual.

[goodguy]

Eagle Eye (2008) Written by: John Glenn, Travis Adam Wright, Hillary Seitz, Dan McDermott Directed by: D. J. Caruso Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Michelle Monaghan DVD: R2-DE Paramount (Mar 27, 2009) My rating:

IMDb Summary: Jerry and Rachel are two strangers thrown together by a mysterious phone call from a woman they have never met. Threatening their lives and family, she pushes Jerry and Rachel into a series of increasingly dangerous situations, using the technology of everyday life to track and control their every move.

God, what a boring piece of crap. A pedestrian and far too long setup recycles the oldest clichés available to introduce the characters. When the action finally kicks in, it pretty much moves without pause - and without a single moment of excitement. Then the movie again grinds to a halt for the proper patriotic wrap-up (with medals and all, seriously) and if this wasn't enough, a romantic coda gets tacked on.

If you thought Monaghan was wasted in MI3, here she is even more so. And LaBeouf? Well, the only other movie I've seen him in was the first Transformers. There he was quite good - as a teenager. I'm not sure if he can pull off an adult action hero yet, even in a better movie. Judging him by this one would be unfair.

[goodguy]

Citizen Kane (1941) Written by: Herman J. Mankiewicz, Orson Welles Directed by: Orson Welles Starring: Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten, Dorothy Comingore DVD: R1-US Warner (2001) My rating:

Cover Blurb: Orson Welles' timeless masterwork is more than a groundbreaking film.  Presented here in a magnificent 60th anniversary digital transfer with revitalized digital audio from the highest quality surviving elements, it is also grand entertainment, sharply acted (starting many of Welles' Mercury Players on the road to thriving film careers) and superbly directed with inspired visual flair.  Depicting the controversial life of an influential publishing tycoon, this Best Original Screenplay Academy Award winner (1941) is rooted in themes of power, corruption, vanity - the American Dream lost in the mystery of a dying man's last word: "Rosebud."

That's the third time I've given this a try, but it just doesn't improve. Yes, the cinematography is masterful. And the circular storytelling is probably pretty sophisticated, at least for its time. So I probably should appreciate it more, even if the story itself isn't really that interesting. The problem is, it is all so damn economical. You can explain every shot and every scene and it makes perfect sense (well, except for some awkward attempts at being funny). But it doesn't have a soul. And frankly, aside from Welles himself, the acting is less than stellar.

[goodguy]

Twilight (2008) Written by: Melissa Rosenberg, based on the novel by Stephanie Meyer Directed by: Catherine Hardwicke Starring: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson DVD: R1-US Summit (Mar 21, 2009) My rating:

Cover Blurb: Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) doesn't expect much when she moves to the small town of Forks, Washington, until she meets the mysterious and handsome Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) - a boy who's hiding a dark secret: he's a vampire. As their worlds and hearts collide, Edward must battle the bloodlust raging inside him as well as a coterie of undead that would make Bella their prey. Based on the #1 New York Times best-selling sensation by Stephenie Meyer, Twilight adds a dangerous twist to the classic story of star-crossed lovers.

Well, this movie probably doesn't need another review. I'm only putting it here to show that it gets a higher rating from me than the previous one. And I'm only half-joking, because as far as the purely subjective enjoyment of both movies goes, those ratings give a pretty accurate reflection. If you will never take me seriously again after that, so be it.

I haven't been subjected to all the obsessive craziness that apparently surrounds Meyer's books and the movie. Maybe if I had been, I would lash out against it too. But the only reason it popped on my radar were Hardwicke and Stewart.

Neither of them disappoints. They hit the right tone, especially in the early stages: the portrayal of Bella's relationship with her father, her introduction to the new school, her first encounters with Edward are all done pretty well. Stewart plays Bella with intelligence and wariness, even a little snarky, and although that should work against it, it also sells the more swoony moments.

I'm probably more forgiving than I should be and I can easily agree with a lot of the criticism against the movie, but the fact remains that I enjoyed it even on second viewing. The beautiful and lush photography helps, even if the camera gets more and more swirly towards the end. No cinematic masterpiece, but as far as escapist mainstream entertainment goes, this isn't so bad.

[Najemikon]

Citizen Kane (1941)
But it doesn't have a soul. And frankly, aside from Welles himself, the acting is less than stellar. And frankly, aside from Welles himself, the acting is less than stellar.

Don't be concerned, I'm starting another mega-thread debating Kane! I was just going to say that you put into words why I like it so much. Or at least the opposite, because it does have a soul... 

I thought the acting was typical of its time, but surely you aren't including Joseph Cotten or Dorothy Comingore? 

Eagle Eye (2008)
God, what a boring piece of crap. A pedestrian and far too long setup recycles the oldest clichés available to introduce the characters. When the action finally kicks in, it pretty much moves without pause - and without a single moment of excitement. Then the movie again grinds to a halt for the proper patriotic wrap-up (with medals and all, seriously) and if this wasn't enough, a romantic coda gets tacked on.

If you thought Monaghan was wasted in MI3, here she is even more so. And LaBeouf? Well, the only other movie I've seen him in was the first Transformers. There he was quite good - as a teenager. I'm not sure if he can pull off an adult action hero yet, even in a better movie. Judging him by this one would be unfair.

Well, I was surprised when you picked it! I gave it a good review because I liked the overall plot but recognised it was otherwise pap. I did like the action though and that was my main reason for watching. Looking forward to seeing it again actually. Would Indiana Jones be your thing? Just thinking LaBeouf has more to do in that, though I won't go so far as to say he was particularly better and the film overall has some awful flaws.

By the way, I have a feeling Lakeview Terrace might be up your street. No, I don't mean on a map...

[goodguy]

Citizen Kane (1941)

because it does have a soul... 

No, it doesn't. 

I thought the acting was typical of its time, but surely you aren't including Joseph Cotten or Dorothy Comingore? 

Cotton especially got on my nerves when playing old Jed, interviewed in the hospital.

Eagle Eye (2008)

Well, I was surprised when you picked it! I gave it a good review because I liked the overall plot but recognised it was otherwise pap. I did like the action though and that was my main reason for watching. Looking forward to seeing it again actually. Would Indiana Jones be your thing? Just thinking LaBeouf has more to do in that, though I won't go so far as to say he was particularly better and the film overall has some awful flaws.

I picked it in the spur of a moment, against my own better judgement. And, hey, Jon gave it a 4-star review, so it can't be that bad.  As for LaBeouf, while I liked him well enough in Transformers, I wouldn't be drawn to a movie because of him. And Indiana Jones = Spielberg = keep it away from me. Come to think of it, who was EP on Eagle Eye? Yep.

By the way, I have a feeling Lakeview Terrace might be up your street. No, I don't mean on a map...

Sorry. Did read your review, but it didn't pique my interest. But I've heard he made a great remake of that '70s British island thingie.

[goodguy]

Dom za vesanje (Yugoslavia 1988, AKA Time of the Gypsies) Written by: Gordan Mihic & Emir Kusturica Directed by: Emir Kusturica Starring: Davor Dujmovic, Bora Todorovic, Ljubica Adzovic, Husnija Hasimovic, Sinolicka Trpkova, Elvira Sali DVD: R2-FR Carlotta (2007) My rating:

I decided to re-watch (and review) this before getting into the opera adaptation I recently bought.

Time of the Gypsies is a film entirely in Romani, the Gypsy language. The literal translation of the original title is "house for hanging".

The film tells the story of Perhan, a Gypsy orphan who lives with his grandmother, his crippled younger sister and his womanizing uncle in a Gypsy village on the outskirts of Skopje (Macedonia). Perhans days are filled with caring for his sister, working a small lime oven, practicing his telekinetic skills and adopting a turkey. A blossoming first love between him and Azra, a neighbor's girl, is strongly opposed by Azra's mother due to Perhan's lack of wealth. As the grandmother heals the son of the Gypsy king Ahmed, she wants him to take Perhan's sister to a hospital in Ljubljana. Perhan insists on accompanying her.

In Ljubljana, Ahmed persuades Perhan to follow him to Italy and slowly draws him into his shady business, which consists of child trafficking and running a small gang of burglars, beggars and prostitutes from a camp outside of Milan. The promise of making a fortune to provide for his sister and grandmother, to build a house and to put up the dowry for Azra causes him to departure more and more from values and beliefs he was raised upon by his grandmother.

When Ahmed has a heart attack, he sets up Perhan as the new boss. That however results in a fallout between Ahmed and his brothers and he sends Perhan back to Yugoslavia to acquire new members for the gang. But upon return to his home village Perhan finds that nothing is as he has hoped.

Kusturica weaves his tale of love, family, lost innocence and revenge in wondrous and magical images, with a rich symbolism deeply rooted in Gypsy mythology, while at the same time maintaining a gritty and unjudging realism in depicting the Gypsy life. Humor and comedy, sometimes venturing into the grotesque, are balanced seemingly effortless with touching tragedy and moments of uninhibited joy.

As in Kusturica's mesmerizing images, deep sadness and extreme exaltation, melancholia and euphoria, not as opposites, but synthesized are also the key elements of Goran Bregovic's magnificent score. To a large part it is based on a few Gypsy traditionals, but developed with great variety.

More superlatives are needed to describe the actors. Almost all of them are not only amateurs, but also actual Gypsies. Wonderful fresh and captivating performances throughout, even in minor roles.

Time of the Gypsies is such a poetic and beautiful film; it is a film not to be watched, but to be experienced, to be completely immersed in its images, music and sound. To me it is, ever since I've first seen it and without the shadow of a doubt, the greatest film ever made.

DVD Notes

The French release of 2007 is the first DVD release of the film in the western hemisphere. The film has been remastered and both a single and a 2-disc special edition are available, but sadly with French subtitles only.

The only English friendly version I know of is the VHS released in the US in 1995, although I've also heard of (but never seen) a Laserdisc. While searching for the trailer and a clip from the film on YouTube, I also found out that the entire film seems to be available there in 10min pieces. Hardly the proper way to watch it, but still...

Aside from the theatrical version I talked about here and which runs about 02:20h, there is also a 5h TV version. I've seen it once in the mid-90s, and a few years ago it became available on a Russian DVD (with Russian subtitles).

Trailer and Clip from the Film

Below is the international theatrical trailer and a clip from the film, showing the famous sequence of the St. George's Day celebration (Ederlezi).

[goodguy]

Le temps des gitans (L'opéra punk) (FR 2007, AKA Time of the Gypsies - Punk Opera) Libretto & Music: No Smoking Orchestra Directed by: Emir Kusturica Starring: Stevan Andjelković, Milica Todorović, Dr. Nele Karajlić, Gorica Petrović DVD: R2-FR France Télévisions Distribution (2008) My rating:

In 2007, Emir Kusturica adapted his movie Time of the Gypsies (see previous review) as a punk opera for the Parisian Opera Bastille. Libretto (again, mostly in Romani) and almost completely new music were a collaborative effort of the No Smoking Orchestra (of which Kusturica is a part).

The term "punk" is a little misleading, though. The score is a mix of gypsy music and rock/pop, the latter often nicely unpolished, but punk it is not. The story follows that of the movie closely enough, but it has been simplified and streamlined. On the plus side, this results in the part of Azra (Perhan's girlfriend) being slightly extended.

Overall, the adaptation is more folkloristic and circus-like, the tone much lighter and closer to Kusturica's second gypsy film Black Cat, White Cat than the one it is based on.

But even if the opera version lacks the depth and richness of the original, Kusturica's staging frequently is imaginative and beautiful and the music likewise has some great moments.

For the leading parts of Perhan and Azra, Kusturica again worked with amateurs. Both Stevan Andjelković and Milica Todorović were contestants on a Serbian TV show and do quite a remarkable job.

Trailer and Clip

I looked around on YouTube and found these two clips. The first one, while not an official trailer, works pretty well as such. The second clip is the St. George's Day scene as staged in the opera and makes for a nice comparison to the one I included in my movie review.

[goodguy]

Trucker (2008) Written & Directed by: James Mottern Starring: Michelle Monaghan, Jimmy Bennett, Nathan Fillion DVD: R1-US Monterey Media (Jan 5, 2010) My rating:

Cover Blurb: Diane Ford (Michelle Monaghan, Mission: Impossible III, Gone Baby Gone), a vivacious and successful independent truck driver, leads a carefree life of long-haul trucking, one night stands and all-night drinking with Runner (Nathan Fillion, Serenity, Waitress, "Castle") until the evening her estranged 11-year-old son, Peter (Jimmy Bennett, young James Kirk in Star Trek) is unexpectedly dropped at her door.
Peter hasn't seen his mother since he was a baby and wants to live with Diane as little as she wants him, but they are stuck with each other - at least for now, while his father Len (Benjamin Bratt, "The Cleaner") is in the hospital.
Burdened with this new responsibility and seeing the life of freedom she's fought for now jeopardized, Diane steps reluctantly into her past and looks sidelong at an uncharted future that is not as simple or straightforward as she had once believed possible.

I was looking forward to see Michelle Monaghan in a leading role for a long time, but after its premiere at the Tribeca Festival in early 2008 the movie pretty much disappeared until last October, when it finally got a (very limited) US release. Roger Ebert wrote an enthusiastic review, even considering Monaghan's performance worthy of an Oscar nomination.

So, does the movie deserve such praise and is this a career-defining performance for Monaghan? I hoped so, but sadly, the answer is "not really" in both cases.

While the clichéd and predictable story (just look at the summary) is handled with great restraint and subtlety, the movie never fully escapes it. Yes, there is a certain unsentimental and true-to-life approach, but sometimes, the reluctance on both sides of the mother-kid relationship feels forced. You almost hear the scriptwriter saying: Look, we don't do the sappy melodrama thing!

Monaghan, as the tough mother trucker (sorry, I had to borrow that one), is almost good, but - I don't know how to put this - you can see her acting too much. Not in an over-the-top way, mind you. It is more her belabored trying to give a naturalistic performance, but without being able to fully embody the role. From the very beginning (the sad look in the mirror after a one night stand), you still see the conscious choice an actress is making for a certain expression or gesture. The remaining cast, including Jimmy Bennett as the kid, is actually more at home in their roles than she is.

After I was so enamored with Monaghan in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, I frequently said that she was wasted in lesser supporting roles (MI3, Eagle Eye), but maybe I was wrong. Clearly the lighter stuff seems to suit her better than the dramatic lead she has to play here.

Due to high expectations, I may have been overly critical in my comments. All in all, this certainly isn't a bad movie; I just couldn't find it to be a very remarkable one either.

[goodguy]

The American Astronaut (2001) Written & Directed by: Cory McAbee Starring: Cory McAbee, Rocco Sisto, Greg Russell Cook, Annie Golden, James Ransone DVD: R0-US Facets (2005) My rating:

Cover Blurb: SPACE TRAVEL HAS BECOME A DIRTY WAY OF LIFE dominated by derelicts, grease monkeys, and hard-boiled interplanetary traders such as Samuel Curtis. Written, directed, and starring Cory McAbee of the legendary cult band The Billy Nayer Show, this sci-fi, musical western uses flinty black and white photography, rugged Lo-Fi sets and the spirit of the final frontier. We follow Curtis on his Homeric journey to provide the all-female planet of Venus with a suitable male, while pursued by an enigmatic killer, Professor Hess. The film features music by The Billy Nayer Show and some of the most original rock 'n' roll scenes ever committed to film.

When I said Star Trek it is not in the What'ya-got-thread, I didn't know the half of it. Described as a black & white sci-fi/western musical, I guess I expected something like "Firefly: The Musical", but even if you can picture that, it would still be way too conventional. And just to make note of it, the movie premiered in early 2001, nearly two years before Firefly.

Anyway. Words like eccentric, absurd, eclectic don't even begin to describe this oddity. The plot has Sam Curtis (played by Cory McAbee), a smuggler and the titular hero, do a complicated series of tradings in the hope to get rich. A black cat, a real-life-girl in a music box, and the-boy-who-saw-a-woman's-breast are the goods that are exchanged on a journey from Ceres to Jupiter to Venus, with a side-stop in an actual barn floating in space.

Still with me? The villain of the piece is Professor Hess (Rocco Sisto), who is also the narrator and has an unexplained history with our hero. Hess is a guy who kills without reason, which means, he can't kill you if he has one. Oh, and it's his birthday, as he likes to tell everyone.

The black & white visuals are as simple as they are stunning, with a strong expressionist touch. The special effects are decidedly lo-tech (a disintegrator pistol turns bodies into heaps of sand that are thrown from off-screen) and the space travel transitions are done via series of static paintings. The music numbers are probably best described as country-punk, mostly with nonsensical lyrics. It is absolutely exhilarating - if you are in that sort of thing. The performances are bold with a slightly amateurish feel, and I mean that in a good way.

The movie is an unbelievable and insane ride almost from beginning to end. It only fails to get full marks due to some really bad patches after the first hour, but it soon finds its footing again.

Trailer and Clip

Below are the trailer and a clip of the first song that happens in the movie (to give you an idea of the music numbers).

[goodguy]

In the City of Sylvia (ES/FR 2007) Written & Directed by: José Luis Guerin Starring: Pilar López de Ayala, Xavier Lafitte DVD: R2-UK Axiom Films (Jun 22, 2009) My rating:

Cover Blurb: IN THE CITY OF SYLVIA is one of the most acclaimed European films of recent years and marks the international breakthrough of Spanish director, José Luis Guerín.
In the tradition of Alfred Hitchcock, Eric Rohmer and Robert Bresson, Guerín presents the deceptively simple tale of a man seeking the woman he met six years before. With only a sketch to identify her, he searches the streets and cafes of Strasbourg, hoping to encounter the object of his desire.
Seductively shot and featuring excellent performances by Xavier Lafitte and Pilar López de Ayala, IN THE CITY OF SYLVIA is a sensual and enigmatic journey that beautifully captures the complexity of human emotions.

The name-dropping in the cover blurb isn't entirely wrong, but it is a bit misleading. You need to think of Hitchcock without plot and Rohmer without dialogue. The film celebrates (and, with a soft irony, also criticizes) the obsessive romantic pursuit of an idealized image. Despite the lack of a traditional narrative, there is plenty of dramatic tension and suspense, but it is created through composition, visual and aural, through patterns, structure and style.

This is one of the most remarkable, beautiful and pure films of recent years. During the last few days, I have watched it three times, and I could so again. Very highly recommended.

[goodguy]

Silent Hill (2006) Written by: Roger Avary Directed by: Christophe Gans Starring: Radha Mitchell, Sean Bean, Laurie Holden, Alice Krige, Jodelle Ferland DVD: R2-DE Concorde (2006) My rating:

IMDb Summary: A woman goes in search for her daughter, within the confines of a strange, desolate town called Silent Hill. Based on the video game.

Despite some creepy monster design and the occasional atmospheric and eerie shots, too much of the early parts with Rose (Radha Mitchell) running around the town rely on worn out horror situations. I actually enjoyed it a little bit more once Christabella (Alice Krige) and her group turn up, although the change in tone at that time doesn't really do the movie any favor either. The writing is clumsy throughout, not only when giving exposition, but in the situational dialogue as well. There is about one line in the entire movie that has some poetry, but it doesn't benefit from being used twice.

[goodguy]

Elizabeth (UK 1998) Written by: Michael Hirst Directed by: Shekhar Kapur Starring: Cate Blanchett, Geoffrey Rush, Christopher Eccleston, Joseph Fiennes, Richard Attenborough DVD: R2-DE Universal (2007) My rating:

IMDb Summary: A film of the early years of the reign of Elizabeth I of England and her difficult task of learning what is necessary to be a monarch.

I don't know and don't care much about Bollywood movies, but I often enjoy a certain eclecticism, a merging of styles. Infusing an Elizabethan history drama and its medieval locations with Indian flair surely makes for one gorgeous looking movie. The plot is intriguing without being too much distracted by historical accuracy. At the center of it is a bravura performance by Cate Blanchett, who makes Elisabeth's transformation interesting and believable. Great stuff.

[Najemikon]

I've always enjoyed Elizabeth too, except maybe for Kathy Burke. Haven't bothered with The Golden General yet, because it seemed to get poor reviews across the board, whereas the first film was the opposite.