JayDee's Movie Musings

Perhaps. But again it's just one of many story strands where you're having to make guesses as to what exactly is going on.

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I think this is the last batch of Micro Musings for the moment, with this group focusing on films of the 70s. And as you can see from a couple of the scores it's not always been very positive. With the 70s list coming up I had a few weeks of films from that decade and found that a lot of the time I was really struggling. I don't know if I'm perhaps paying the price for a cinematic upbringing that comprimised almost entirely of films from the 80s, 90s and 00s; decades that were powered by high-concept and the need to cater to short attention spans. In comparison I'm finding a lot of the 70s films very slowly paced and tough to really connect with. Though perhaps my health issues and constant feeling of being run down also affected my enjoyment; meaning I just wasn't in the mood for these largely serious films.

So I apologise to the many people I'm likely to upset, particularly to Daniel; I promise I'm not just trying to wind you up! As I mentioned after my Woody Allen reviews perhaps I should just have said "it wasn't for me" and left it at that. Or just said nothing at all!!!










I wanted to like this film. I really, really, really did....but I just didn't. And that was made all the more disappointing for me by the fact that there were a few things about it that I admired. There were some astonishing images throughout with the cinematography of Thomas Mauch capturing the incredible scenery that engulfs the characters. This was true right from the first image of a whole brigade of conquistadors marching down an immense mountain. And the camera work from Herzog was at times quite striking, especially the closing image as he wildly circles the crazed Aguirre. Considering the shoestring budget it was made on it is really quite impressive for the most part, though on occasion some of the film did feel a touch cheap and clumsy. And while I wasn't as blown away by his performance as I was prepared to be I thought Kinski did a good job at portraying his descent into madness due to his obsession for power and wealth. There were also a couple of funny moments thanks to some very dark, farcical humour. For all of this however I just could not connect with the film in any manner and I've got to admit that I found the whole thing (and I hate saying this about a film) rather boring. One of the main problems that the soldiers encounter is the slow speed of the river and the meandering nature their journey takes on. That quite aptly sums up my experience of watching this film. I didn't care about any of the characters and the story unfolded too slowly to hold my interest. And perhaps it's just me but I found the treatment of animals to be quite distressing at times. However as there was so much I admired about it I do plan on giving it another go someday in the hopes that I'm in a better mood for it.








I usually love a slice of sweetness and whimsy but this one just didn't really do it for me. I think there is perhaps a film in here that I would enjoy, certainly more than I did, but I think it rather got lost in its running time. I just felt that at over 130 minutes long the film seemed to go on for way too long, creating a number of lifeless stretches throughout. I think a good deal of the film could have been trimmed; the President's impotency for example and even Shirely MacLaine's attempts at seducing Sellers' character. Peter Sellers is decent I guess although his performance is about the most one-note I have ever seen. I just never connected with his character whatsoever. As a result I was more impressed by the showings from Shirley MacLaine and Melvyn Douglas, with those two bringing heart to the film and MacLaine providing some humour. As for the objective of the film I wasn't sure whether it was meant to be a rallying call for the wonder and wisdom to be found in innocence, or if it was more of a satirical bent. A satire of the rich, of high society and of politics and how that in those circles stupidity can often be taken for and excused as eccentricity and on occasion even genius. Either way I just could not make myself go with the whole premise however. I just found myself becoming more and more irritated with the increasing amount of people who don't see the character for what he really is. I also wasn't really a fan of the blooper reel at the film's conclusion. I enjoy outtakes in the credits of a comedy film or a Jackie Chan flick, but here it just felt completely out of place with the rest of the film's tone.








Sugarland Express was Steven Spielberg's first ever theatrical endeavour (with Duel being a TV movie production that later gained cinema release) and as Spielberg films go it's fairly low key stuff. That said you can still see a number of touches that would go on to become hallmarks of his work on his way to becoming one of the most popular directors of all time. We see his ability to get as many thrills out of a set-piece as possible, even if they are quite small-scale and restrained. We see his inclination to be overly sentimental on occasion. We also see how well he can achieve a sense of scope, and indeed a sense of place; right from the opening shot we can tell right away that we are in the American South. Given the film's straightforward, A to B structure I feel the film could have done with just a little tightening up; losing 10 or 15 minutes would perhaps not have been the worst thing in the world. Though Spielberg does give us a series of additional small story threads to try and keep up the level of interest; the Stockholm syndrome-like relationship that the kidnapped cop develops with his kidnappers, the compassionate police Captain who does his best to end the chase peacefully, the idiotic reservists, the fact that the actions of the two characters capture the imaginations of the public who line the streets to cheer them on (evoking other 70s films like Dog Day Afternoon and Vanishing Point). Both Goldie Hawn and William Atherton give strong performances that generate great sympathy for the characters despite the crime they have committed. Perhaps Spielberg's lack of experience can most be seen in his handling of tone. For 99% of its running time this is a fairly light-hearted, occasionally farcical film which threatens to head into the territory of a screwball comedy. So when it ends on a very sombre tone it feels rather jarring. People could argue, perhaps quite rightly, that it accurately reflects the mindframe of the two fugitives but I just felt it could have been balanced better.








Another tough, hard-nosed genre flick from Walter Hill. Another winner. This was Walter Hill's first ever film but already you can see elements that would become his trademarks. Like the majority of his films Hard Times is a tough, macho film comprising of a series of tough, macho characters that takes place in urban environments. In fact most of the fights that Bronson's character engages in take place in very urban, working class locations - garage, the docks, warehouses etc. Also as was the case for much of his work Hard Times features a bit of a fairytale vibe to it, with Charles Bronson's Chaney coming across as a somewhat mythic character. He's a simple man of simple means who just sort of wanders and drifts across America. He may not be the smartest of men but he seems to have a great sense of peace within himself. An old-timer who seems well past his prime he's got a bit of a Cinderella Man vibe to him and his successes.

The film has an absolutely tremendous atmosphere and mood, generated largely by its excellent sense of time and place. It fantastically evokes the despair and desperation of its Depression era setting, as well as the entrepreneurial spirit that it sparked amongst some people. The people, the places, the music; absolutely everything is just a perfect fit. There's some lovely peroid detail with the cars and fashion of the time. And special praise has to go to the casting of the film. In addition to the main cast (Bronson, Coburn, Tessier) absolutely everyone feels like they just belong in this time and this world; their craggy, weathered faces just bringing such a rich sense of character to proceedings. In particular Charles Bronson is very well-suited to his role as Chaney. He may not have the most skill or range of an actor but he does have a substantial screen presence and it's put to great use as the rugged, taciturn drifter-cum-fighter.








I've been left in two minds over this one, with both a series of positives and negatives to be found throughout the film. On the positive side of things I really liked the moody, neo-noir atmosphere that the film generates right from the first moment. And I found the Phillip Marlowe character to be quite engaging and strangely likeable, even if he did break away from the established Marlowe personality. He's got a bit of a shabby, bumbling Columbo vibe to him coupled with an aloof, f*ck the world kind of attitude. And I was quite taken aback by the finale which was a bit of shock. As for negatives, my biggest problem would probably be the actual mystery itself which I thought was really weak, especially for a Phillip Marlowe film. For much of the time the film didn't even seem all that interested in the mystery aspect, preferring to instead meander amongst some quirky little interludes involving Marlowe's cat or the bizarre scene where he and group of gangsters all strip naked. It's almost like the film realises every so often that it has neglected the plot and has to reluctantly throw the audience a bone. And in addition I also wasn't a fan of much of the film's acting, generally finding it to be stiff, self-conscious and contrived. At no point did I ever feel that the actors were inhabiting these roles, merely just spouting off their lines. The film sort of reminded me of Nicolas Winding Refn's Drive from a few years ago; very cool but fairly shallow and very cold and uninvolving. In fact given how conflicted I was I feel I've gone a touch high on the score.

I too was a tad let down by Aguirre, but I liked it just a bit more then you did. I have not seen the others but I will say I want to see Sugarland Express.

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Fear and Loathing in MoFo... The Gunslinger 45's Top 50 Favorite Films

In the 10 Ring: Gunslinger45's reviews

Aguirre is far more-interesting and faster-moving than The Loooonnng Goodbye (your second fave and my least fave), and The Sugarland Express has wonderful tone.

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It's what you learn after you know it all that counts. - John Wooden
My IMDb page

The only one I have seen from the group is The Long Goodbye and I loved it. I could meander with 70's Altman anytime, there hasn't been a movie of his from the 70's I have disliked yet and three that I love. I grew up watching 80's movies as well being born in '76 but I have found that I love 70's movies. Maybe it is that I pick and choose the best from the decade to watch, but it seems like I watch very few duds from the decade.

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Letterboxd

I have seen Aguirre, the Wrath of God. I hate it. Horrible film.

Pretty surprised by this Very harsh words even if you disliked it, I find it hard to hate a film that has been filmed so passionately by someone like Herzog, in every single frame you can feel what has gone into the movie and what he's trying (and succeeded) to create.

At least you liked The Long Goodbye JayDee, whilst it doesn't really have a plot, it doesn't need to, don't really understand your complaints about the acting though

Look at my top ten.

Oh God. Was thinking that was strange considering your tastes, and I have looked at your top ten many times, silly me

Shame you didn't like The Long Goodbye more, Jaydee. I really liked it when I watched it and my opinion of it has only grown in retrospect. It's by far my favorite of the movies I've watched so far in preparation for the 70s countdown and it'll definitely rank high on my personal list.

Haven't seen the others.

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Just about ready to get back to my normal reviews but first a few more bits and pieces I've had kicking about to post.

A while back I posted a bunch of alternative Captain America posters including a lot of fan-made stuff. While these aren't posters I did think they were quite cool little designs that should delight anyone who likes both Cap and Game of Thrones



And then I just stumbled across these alternative posters for Dallas Buyers Club; they had been hiding away in a dark corner of my documents folder

Well, at least you're watching some interesting films. I really like both Aguirre and Being There, sorry you didn't.

I think that's actually the nicest and most positive thing you've said about my reviews in years!

I like this poster for Dallas Buyers Club:



I also like this poster for The Wolf of Wall Street:

Attachments

   

Really like that Dallas Buyers Club one. The Wolf of Wall Street one is pretty damn weird; like a piece of 60s pop art.

Perfect!

PER-FECT!

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Cobpyth's Movie Log ~ 2019

Leonardo Di Caprio is a lego figure?

Well, that's Altman for you. He's not interested in transferring a typical, generic detective plot to his viewers. He just gives you a slice of his main character's peculiar life in a cool and unique way. I personally love that!

Unlike you, I actually think this makes the film more involving and less cold. Altman doesn't try to manipulate his audience emotionally. He doesn't tell you what to feel or what to think. He just creates a unique and detailed vision of a certain lifestyle, based on a movie genre in this case, and cynically twists a little bit with the usual expectations that come with the kind of story he's telling. It makes his films more surprising, more limitless and therefore more involving.

Altman just knows how to make everything look interesting and intriguing. His films are always alive, they feel real to me (even though there's often a lot of odd and comical stuff happening) and at the end, I always have the feeling that I witnessed a good, meaningful story with typical plot turns and twists, even though I experienced it all in a much more "free" way than a typical plot-driven genre movie.
There's something about the atmosphere of his films, the cinematic environments he creates and the characters he portrays that make his movies much more resonant, relevant and memorable than most other pictures for me. Altman films have spirit and soul. They somehow make me feel more "aware".

It's very difficult to accurately explain my feelings for The Long Goodbye (and most of Altman's other work) because they're so extremely metaphysical, but I hope I at least make some sense.

Let's just conclude that Robert Altman's directing style and way of storytelling totally works for me.

P.S. Too bad you couldn't get into Aguirre and Being There either.

Well, that makes about as much sense as Altman does with this movie - the low end of fair to middling.

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