Iro's One Movie a Day Thread

Yeah, it's a pity that virtually all the funniest parts are generated by Jay's own idiocy and his interplay with Bob, plus some of the sillier jokes (everything about the C.L.I.T., for instance) but that means that its attempts to get clever just fall apart.

I really want to see CinemaSins' take on it, but unfortunately it is apparently restricted in Australia due to copyright claims from Universal. Don't see why they have to make a big stink about it, especially since about 90% of the other CinemaSins movie videos are still available anyway. Superman is a whole other kettle of fish because he still has his Clark Kent persona and upbringing to keep him honest and good-hearted so he doesn't abuse his powers for evil, against which his weakness to Kryptonite doesn't seem to have much of an effect.

Sci-fi, definitely, but the philosophical kind? Please elaborate.

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Iro's Top 100 Movies v3.0

#458 - Blue Jasmine
Woody Allen, 2013



A highly neurotic woman who used to enjoy a more expensive lifestyle is forced to move back in with her poorer sister.

Exactly how many chances should you give a filmmaker to impress you before you decide to just give up on watching their films altogether? Whatever the answer may be, I think I've probably passed it when it comes to Woody Allen and thus have nobody to blame but myself for my continued attempts to see him do something worthwhile. Blue Jasmine marks the sixth (and, surprisingly, not the last) film of his that I've seen, though I imagine it was more to do with seeing what kind of performance won Cate Blanchett an Oscar than anything else. If nothing else, Blanchett definitely delivers a performance that's appropriately nervous and pathetic as the eponymous Jasmine, but I never shook the feeling that it was a performance that deserved a better film. Jasmine is introduced while talking non-stop about her life and problems to a fellow airline passenger in a sequence that lasts from the plane's flight to the luggage area, eventually revealing that the passenger in question hadn't invited any conversation in the first place. Such a sequence really sets the tone for the rest of the film, but perhaps not in the way that actually makes the film any good as a result - I still feel just like that bewildered passenger from the start of the film, all the way up until



I suspect the main reason I tend not to like Allen's films is that I find it difficult to really care about the characters in them. Jasmine is clearly intended to be a complex character who constantly zig-zags between winning and losing an audience's sympathy, but it's done to the point where it's easy to lose interest in how her situation is resolved, whether for better or worse. This same viewpoint does not completely apply to her sister Ginger (Sally Hawkins), who has her own series of troubles that are less self-imposed and more inclined to make one sympathetic as a result but still feel like largely inconsequential window-dressing for Jasmine's A-plot. Said A-plot basically involves Jasmine pinballing between different characters as she attempts to get her life back on track while still having to contend with her conflict-riddled past (which is gradually revealed through a series of flashbacks that are never clearly announced as such) and also present-day crises such as an amorous dentist/employer or Ginger's rather abusive loser of a boyfriend. Unfortunately, there's very little in the way of ostentatious style (apart from Allen doing what he usually does and picking some of the most boring-sounding background songs possible) to help compensate for the lack of substance that seriously undermines some rather good performances on the parts of both Blanchett and Hawkins.

"Lucy" explores themes of evolution, consciousness, drugs, artificial intelligence and religion. Lucy is revolutionary being that keeps reaching new frontiers of higher consciousness in the evolutionary process. It might be by Devine intervention or drugs or becoming God itself. Each stage Lucy reaches comes with different moral outlook therefore killing or not killing is made by Lucy at a different stage of evolution. The movie gives many answers for what intelligence or consciousness might be and it's up to a viewer weather he considers them relevant or not. Brain power percentages is just a meme used to explore these themes.

Dude you are totally overthinking this. Lucy is just an excuse for Luc Besson to have Scarlett Johansson destroy stuff with her nonsensical abilities, all the assumptions about evolution and consciousness are simply very weakly explored themes attached to look intelligent, sort of like fake nerd glasses.

For everybody who overthinks something - and let's face it, that's what this thread is often about - there's somebody who underthinks it to make an unliked film look worse than it is. Not that that's really eye-opening.

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It's what you learn after you know it all that counts. - John Wooden
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I loved Blue Jasmine, my second favorite Allen. I love a lot of his films for the reason you seem to hate them. I think his characters are amazing, neurotic and flawed. His dialogue is, of course, some of the best around.

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Letterboxd

Yeah, I don't deny that it adds those themes, but Gatsby is right in that they are explored very weakly, if at all beyond the most cursory of references. My original review even compared Lucy to Watchmen's Dr. Manhattan in that both were once ordinary humans who underwent traumatic events that resulted in them becoming God-like beings that were capable of manipulating matter but were losing touch with humanity as a result. Lucy's state of consciousness and moral outlook may shift constantly as she unlocks more and more of her brain power, but that doesn't excuse some severe lapses in logic. The most obvious example of this is when she tortures the mob boss for information and then lets him live even when she should know that, if he lives, he still has the power to pose a threat to her. Even if she evolves to the point where she cannot physically be killed, he can still interfere with her plans thanks to his goal of recovering the drugs, which he does. Then there's the scene where she's recklessly driving through the streets of France and endangering civilians while also causing police cars to crash. When the detective in her car calls her out on this behaviour, she simply responds that "nobody ever truly dies", which is an awfully convenient way to handwave any collateral damage she might do in her search for enlightenment and whatnot.

Another thing that's never actually established about Lucy is whether or not she can actually be seriously hurt. She learns how to ignore pain early on (as evidenced by her getting surgery without anaesthetic to remove the burst pack of drugs) but that's about it, with the only real threat being that she might disintegrate completely if she doesn't get any more of the drug (which sounds an awful lot like the "keep your adrenaline high" gimmick from Crank), so that also sucks a lot of the tension out. That might have been fine if Lucy was willing to emphasise the philosophical side more so than the action side, but its philosophical side is too superficial (and is caked in badly done knock-offs of animal documentaries and The Tree of Life, to boot) and ultimately undermines the action so that it can't even provide adequate suspension of disbelief even within the context of such a fantastic premise. As I said before, the brain percentage myth actually ends up being the least of the film's problems.



That's probably true.

I think should try to watch his other movies, like Angel's Egg, Urusei Yatsura 2 and Patlabor 1 & 2, I think you will like most of his movies, they are pretty cool overall, though Patlabor 2 is the closest to GitS (since he made it 2 years before GitS). GitS still is my favorite of his so far, perhaps because it was the first of his movies I watched, when I was 14, in fact. He is the director with the second largest number of movies in my top 100 animated movies behind only Miyazaki.

I watched Angel's Egg about five years ago now and gave it a on the basis of that viewing. I would not hesitate to re-watch it, though.

#459 - Battle Royale
Kinji Fukusaku, 2000



A class full of middle-school students go on a class trip only to find that they have been stranded on a remote island and are being forced to fight each other to the death.

Another day, another favourite film - this time it's Battle Royale, the instant cult classic that spun a darkly fun little film out of a well-worn sci-fi trope by building a dystopian world where the Japanese government's plan to crack down on growing socio-economic problems such as unemployment and juvenile delinquency is to...randomly choose one class of middle-school students each year to be placed on an island and forced to compete in "Battle Royale", where they must fight to the death until there is only one student remaining. To guarantee that the students comply with the rules of the game, they are fitted with explosive collars that will detonate if there isn't a clear winner left by the end of the game's three-day period. Other factors - such as survival packs that each contain a single randomised "weapon" (ranging from practical ones like guns and knives to non-lethal ones like binoculars and GPS trackers) so as to make things more interesting. Once the classmates (and a pair of mysterious newcomers who are added at the last minute) are set loose on the island, they all respond to the situation in a variety of different and disturbing ways (some go on killing sprees, some opt out through suicide, some try to fight back against those in charge, etc.), but the common goal for many of them is to survive no matter what.

Multiple viewings and the passage of time have made it easier to see through the flaws that were easy to ignore the first dozen times I saw this film, but I think it's to the film's credit that it blows past a lot of them pretty easily. The film's cold open indicates that each year's Battle Royale attracts a media frenzy whenever it's over, yet this year's class have to have the whole thing explained to them as if they had never heard of it (presumably for the sake of developing exposition to the audience). There are other inconsistencies provided by the rules of the game, such as the references to "danger zones" that set off the players' collars but play virtually no significant role in the story, as well as the entire sub-plot involving a trio of computer nerds planning their own subterfuge that doesn't make a lot of sense for a lot of reasons. I think stuff like this is easy to tolerate because, despite its rather disturbing premise involving schoolkids being forced to murder each other, it is a fundamentally pulpy and satirical piece of work that doesn't go overboard in terms of seriousness but instead knows how to play up its absurd premise for some twisted laughs here and there. This much is emphasised by the casting of renowned comedian-actor Takeshi Kitano as the man overseeing this year's contest, with his haggard appearance and worn-out demeanour making him a definite scene-stealer. The other actors in the film tend to be young ones who are close in age to their middle-school characters, and though they vary in terms of ability they fill out the roles of scared teenagers reasonably well no matter what.

What makes the film really come alive is how it uses its premise to stage some unforgettably bloody and comical vignettes as students do battle with one another. Having a couple of minor villains stalking the island make for constant threats (case in point being wild-haired transfer student Kiriyama, whose silent yet gleeful stalking of his prey also make him a scene-stealer whenever he shows up), but often the film plays out a bunch of unrelated conflicts that have tenuous connections to the main plot. Individual scenes use use the teens' heightened emotions as springboards for memorable moments - one of the best scenes of the film involves a group of best friends turning on each other in the wake of a suspicious death, while another involves a girl getting bloody vengeance on a boy who won't stop pestering her. The scenes are brought to life with some impressive effects work with well-done mixtures of the practical and the computerised that still hold up a good fifteen years later. These scenes prop up the development of a main plot that involves a pair of friends swearing to both make it out alive by any means necessary, which isn't all totally interesting on its own but is a decent enough narrative thread to follow through to the end.

While Battle Royale is far from a perfect film that's got its fair share of shortcomings, even now it's still an oddly charming piece of work that manages to invent a clever yet controversial variation on a familiar trope yet not get bogged down in tedious dramatics. The film may be a little slow at times and it steamrolls over possible plot holes so quickly that you can't always pick them up or you just assume that they're part of the plan, but it's more than made up for by some rather inventive scenes of emotionally charged carnage as well as an extremely bizarre sense of humour bubbling underneath its extremely tense surface. Some excellent slices of classical music are used to great effect, plus there are some great leitmotifs (such as the ominous chanting that starts up whenever Kiriyama shows up). The film still stands tall and remains a major favourite of mine even today, and if you can handle an off-beat yet blood-soaked piece of dystopia then you should definitely check this one out.

#460 - Akira
Katsuhiro Ôtomo, 1988



Decades after a mysterious explosion devastates Tokyo and triggers World War III, a teenage delinquent's chance encounter with a government test subject leads to him developing psychic powers.

Original review found here.

#461 - Pixels
Patrick Jean, 2010



Gigantic versions of classic arcade game characters start coming to life and terrorising the world.

It wasn't until reviews started pouring for the brand-new sci-fi comedy Pixels that I learned that it was actually an expansive remake of a computer-animted short of the same name. It runs for only two-and-a-half minutes but it's an entertaining two-and-a-half minutes. There are no human characters save perhaps for the faceless person whose discarding of an old television at the start of the clip seems to be the catalyst for this sudden invasion as it comes to life right before waves of pixelated attackers appear in the sky and start wreaking havoc on the city by taking the form of characters from the most old-school of videogames such as Pac-Man, Space Invaders, and Donkey Kong.

Of course, I can't really rate Pixels too highly because it is a very simplistic affair even after taking its extremely brief running time into consideration. Aliens invade in the form of videogame characters and wreck stuff (presumably out of revenge for being disregarded by the human race, as evidenced by the discarded television). The animation is nice, colourful, and competent enough that I managed to believe I was watching actual cars being destroyed by killer spaceships. It's definitely worth the short amount of time that it takes to watch, but it's too lightweight to be truly great.

#462 - The Caine Mutiny
Edward Dmytryk, 1954



During World War II, the crew of a U.S. Navy battleship must contend with their new captain and his incredibly frustrating methods of commanding.

Geez, spoiler alert. But seriously, The Caine Mutiny is a decent if not amazing piece of wartime drama that starts off by stressing that a mutiny has never actually happened in the history of the U.S. Navy and that the events of the film are merely the exploration of such a hypothetical situation. Naturally, the film decides that the perfect way to frame such a situation for the audience is to introduce a new transfer (Robert Francis) who gets to witness events unfolding firsthand, from the titular ship's old captain getting sick of the ship's lack of discipline through to the new captain (Humphrey Bogart) and his obsession with discipline that ironically ends up causing more problems and discontent amongst the crew. Naturally, this leads to the crew considering relieving Bogart of his command, and it's not long before the opportunity arises...

The Caine Mutiny is pretty straightforward as far as dramas go and it's held up by some respectable actors. Bogart brings an appropriately unhinged demeanour to his usual grouchy charisma that becomes sufficiently challenged under stress (especially during the courtroom scenes that make up the film's third act), while actors such as Fred MacMurray, Van Johnson, and José Ferrer (especially the latter, who gets in some powerhouse moments despite only appearing during the film's final third). It's competently directed, though it does have its odd moment that doesn't work so well (such as a romantic sub-plot for Francis) and I can't help but feel like the quiet, character-driven courtroom scenes end up being more interesting than the action-packed thrills that actually take place onboard the Caine itself. It's decent enough for one watch, but it doesn't have much staying power.

#463 - The Defiant Ones
Stanley Kramer, 1958



In the middle of the Deep South, a pair of convicts - one black, one white - manage to escape from captivity but they are forced to co-operate with one another since they are chained together at the wrist.

The Defiant Ones has one of those great high concepts that's very of its time and yet truly timeless. Given the time period and setting, it's no surprise that racism plays a major role in the proceedings. Most prominently, there is the blatant racial tension between the two convicts (Tony Curtis and Sidney Poitier) that must work together in order to evade the search party that is hot on their heels and find a way to break their shackles while they're at it. As can be expected, both characters gradually learn to overcome their socially ingrained hatred for what the other represents amidst trying to navigate obstacles such as whitewater rapids and lynch-mobs. Definitely some tried-and-true material that is elevated by having a pair of charismatic leads who play off each other well as they move through a lot of the usual beats for such a narrative (even going so far as to introduce a romantic sub-plot for Curtis).

Technically, the film is rather utilitarian and dedicated to telling its story, generally avoiding music while using some fittingly monochromatic cinematography. The actors are generally decent, but it wouldn't be what it was without its leads being as good as they are. Curtis may start the film as a wild-eyed racist spitting a lot of the usual epithets but he soon grows over the course of his journey with Poitier, who carries himself with a dignified air of tranquil fury that makes for a captivating performance. It's not the most shocking film you'll ever see, but it's got enough surprises to stay compelling all the way through.

AWWWWW YEAH!!!!! IRO FOR THE WIN!!!!

i've refused to watch another Woody Allen film ever again because i find him unforgivably despicable, though i admit i had heard decent things about Blue Jasmine and was a little curious about it. but i share your opinion that Woody Allen and his characters are nothing all that special.

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letterboxd

Yeah, I don't particularly like the guy as a human being either. I even noted in my Annie Hall review that it's hard to separate the art and artist when it seems like just about every film of his prominently features a character that's so clearly modeled off himself (which becomes exceedingly obvious when said character is played by Allen himself). Similar examples include Owen Wilson in Midnight in Paris and Cate Blanchett in Blue Jasmine.

#464 - Match Point
Woody Allen, 2005



A newly-employed tennis instructor starts to ingratiate himself with a rich family by promising to marry the daughter but soon begins an affair with the son's girlfriend.

Credit where credit's due - Match Point at least tries something a little different to just about every other Allen film I've seen (this makes the seventh one I've seen as of writing). There's no character that could be loosely be considered a surrogate for Allen himself, which is often a major sticking point regarding my appreciation (or lack thereof) of his films. However, the film still gives us a rather reprehensible protagonist to follow in the form of a tennis pro (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers), who is quickly established as a smooth-talking social climber who warms up to a pair of wealthy siblings (Matthew Goode and Emily Mortimer). Mortimer becomes infatuated with him, while Rhys-Meyers does not share her feelings but instead becomes attracted to Goode's fiancée (Scarlett Johansson) and intends to start his own affair with her.

While Match Point changes things up significantly by shifting the action to England, using predominantly British actors, and introducing certain complications at the end of the second act that feel rather unlike anything I've seen in other Allen films (though they could have happened for all I know), for much of its running time it still feels like a mess of flat characters interacting in manners that come across as theatrical yet soulless (even though the actors playing them are generally decent). While one could argue that that is the intent when it comes to Rhys-Meyers' character, it doesn't make him or his self-inflicted predicament especially engaging even when less guilty characters like Mortimer's and Johansson's are involved and are capable of being damaged by his cruel and self-serving nature. As such, most of the film only feels like it's biding time waiting to kick things into high gear for the rather surprising third act, which almost made me give this a higher rating. Unfortunately, it's the kind of slow-burning build-up that's too slow and uninteresting for its own good and so the third act feels like too little too late, especially considering how it works as a shallow exploration of the themes of chance and fate that are mentioned during an opening shot that uses a tennis ball striking the top of a net as a metaphor for said themes.

out of curiosity, what other Allen films have you seen?

As of writing, Annie Hall, Manhattan, Broadway Danny Rose, Hannah and Her Sisters, Midnight in Paris, and Blue Jasmine. With the exception of Broadway Danny Rose, all of them have reviews in this very thread.