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Old, 2021

Married couple Guy (Gael Garcia Bernal) and Prisca (Vicky Krieps) bring their children Trent (Nolar River) and Maddox (Alexa Swinton) to a beautiful island resort, at the end of which they intend to tell the kids about their impending divorce. On the second day of their vacation they are invited by the resort's manager to enjoy a day at an out of the way private beach. They are joined by couple Jarin (Ken Leung) and Patricia (Nikki Amuka-Bird) and couple Chrystal (Abbey Lee) and Charles (Rufus Sewell), Charles' mother (Kathleen Chalfant), and Chrystal's daughter Kara. But only a short while into their day, things get very weird. Time doesn't seem to pass in quite the same way here on the beach . . .

I watched this with a group and at the end, one person observed that the film was "good, but a bit one note for me." I think that I actually agree a lot with this assessment, though I thought that there were some really strong parts that lifted it a bit above average.

In the lead roles of Guy and Prisca, I thought that Bernal and Krieps were really solid, and actually seemed to get better as they went. In part I think that this is because their dialogue got a lot simpler and less labored as the film progressed. There was a moment where Prisca had her head gently tilted toward Guy in the final act that was incredibly moving, more than any dialogue could be.

I also liked some of the details and the way that they added to the creepiness factor of the film. Like the amount of food they are given and what we discover that's about. A note about metabolism that later has a really grim and unexpected consequence. "Can you imagine trying to process this logically?" someone asked during our viewing. Nope! And I thought that the way that the film showed the characters trying to cope--assuming there must be an allergy or a virus---seemed reasonable considering the circumstances.

When it comes to the themes of the film, I really clicked with them. Maybe it's partly because time has been so weird this year. Maybe it's just my own age and thoughts that have been on my own mind. But the idea of time accelerating---of the time we have with each other literally passing in a day---is both horrific and kind of beautiful. The characters have no choice but to live in the moment, because a moment is all they may have. It pushes some of them to a place of honest expression and emotional candor that they may not have found otherwise. At the same time, the price that they pay is very steep indeed. The film takes one particular heartbreaking moment to let this sink in.

Finally, I like the way that the film was shot. I could probably name at least three different parts that I really enjoyed on that front, the main one probably being how a game of freeze tag between the children was filmed. There was something fun and dynamic about this film that is something I haven't associated with Shyamalan in a while.

Now the negatives . . . well, this is very much a "your mileage may vary" kind of film.

I didn't have a problem with the central conceit (ie the magic beach). The nature of horror/fantasy is that weird stuff happens and you just roll with it. But during the film there were several questions that were raised that were answered in a way that only made me have a lot more questions. Annoyingly, the film kept having characters raise questions and then tried to actually answer them. No! Just have characters say "I don't know"!. This is the kind of film where any kind of focus on logic just detracts from the really interesting themes and allegory it has constructed. I do not care why their hair isn't growing like crazy, let's not take precious time to discuss it.

I can also see some viewers finding the humor kind of cringe. I thought that about 3/4 of the intentional comedy worked. Calling the rapper character "Mid-Sized Sedan" . . . oh, sweetie, no. But a woman shakily constructing a "raft" out of some random pool noodles? An improbable and disturbing/hilarious result of calcium deficiency? At times the film manages to elicit both horror and humor in the same breath.

Honestly, this was a fair deal better than I'd expected. Not exactly a must-see, but I'd give it a tentative recommendation.




I forgot the opening line.

By Universal Pictures - Universal Pictures, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=63176354

The Invisible Man - (2020)

I came here too late to see the general consensus on The Invisible Man - but had heard enough good things in general to eventually give it a shot. Watching it invites speculation on what you'd do if you had an invisible suit - would it necessarily be nefarious? If so, how far would you go? Unfortunately, our invisible man here is a controlling, domineering and abusive man with an obsession for Cecilia Kass (Elisabeth Moss) who finds murder well within his abilities. I guess that makes my probable use of the suit seem pretty innocent in comparison. As far as thrillers are concerned, this is well-made enough to entertain and well and truly engage - but I fear it's going to soon become lost to many of us, although it will probably hang around as a favourite to a few. The perfection of the suit's invisibility is of course a fantasy, but that's what it's all about, and for a couple of hours I'm willing to believe. I enjoyed this a lot, but can't see myself going back to it again as it lays everything out in a fairly straightforward manner and doesn't have the depth needed for replay value. Tense and thrilling - and not overly complicated. Good stuff from Moss.

7/10


By Poster scan, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=36025973

The Battle of Algiers - (1966)

I felt myself a little displaced during The Battle of Algiers, and never really found myself sympathising with anyone or really getting into the events as they transpired. Although, on the face of it, the occasion is pretty straightforward (a nation's battle for independence from colonial France) I still felt I could have done with a little more background to start with, as this film throws you right in amongst it from the very first scene. One thing it did marvelously though was not take sides. The Algerians bomb civilians and the French torture Algerians - and nobody wins as far as having the higher moral ground is concerned. Everything in this film is very dry, and I didn't really learn anything personally about the various personalities involved. I think with closer proximity to the real events I would have better understood. That said, it's perfectly and very realistically filmed - it does give you the sense of really being there, with bombings and reprisals captured with sudden ferocity and shocking impact.

7/10

Foreign Language Countdown films seen : 68/100
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Latest Review : Le Circle Rouge (1970)



I watched "Masquerade" a few hours ago. It's okay. Meg Tilly gives a good performance. **1/4







SF = Zzzz


[Snooze Factor Ratings]:
Z = didn't nod off at all
Zz = nearly nodded off but managed to stay alert
Zzz = nodded off and missed some of the film but went back to watch what I missed
Zzzz = nodded off and missed some of the film but went back to watch what I missed but nodded off again at the same point and therefore needed to go back a number of times before I got through it...
Zzzzz = nodded off and missed some or the rest of the film but was not interested enough to go back over it




The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007, Andrew Dominik)


I don't know what to say - I had no major issues with it, and it was definitely time well spent, but I didn't completely love it either.
The cinematography by Roger Deakins is the star of the show here (stunning!), and Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck deliver excellent performances (imo).





Rewatch, this time with my son and niece. Great entertainment
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Mandabi, 1968

Ibrahim Dieng (Makhouredia Gueye) is an unemployed man living in Dakar with his two wives, Mety (Ynousse N'Diaye) and Aram (Isseu Niang) and their seven children. One day, a money order arrives from Dieng's nephew, who lives and works in Paris. Thus begins an absurd day whereby Dieng must try and cash the money order while dealing with both people who want to borrow money from him and people he owes money who begin arriving for what they are due.

To begin with, some trivia that I read on Wikipedia suggested that this may be the first feature-length African-language film from West Africa, having been filmed in director Ousmane Sembene's native Wolof. Sembene made the more well-known film Black Girl, which I watched recently, and it's fun seeing a film from him in color and fully immersed in the Senegalese setting.

This film is a short and sweet comedy, full of frustrating bureaucracy and absurd characters who are just real enough to make the film feel a bit grounded.

The central figure of Dieng is played with alternating entitlement and bafflement by Gueye, and I thought he was very god in the lead role. Dieng is, to put it nicely, kind of useless. He is more than content to receive what he thinks he deserves---meals served by his wives, money from his nephew, food from vendors to whom he is already indebted. But with no exaggeration, we see no real kindness or even productivity from him except for the bare minimum he must exert to try and get the money from the money order.

The characters of the wives operate on a similar frequency, and they are absurd in their own way. They are dependent on Dieng for their well-being, and so they can't help but try to fight on his behalf. In one great sequence, Mety decides to try and save face by loudly wailing that Dieng has been beaten up and robbed. When Dieng, looking at a few gifts of sympathy brought over by neighbors, asks why she told the lie, she says "Better a lie that unites than a truth that divides". Despite how ridiculous they are, I was a bit more sympathetic toward the wives because their status and well-being is dependent on their head of household.

The portrayal of the Dakar bureaucracy is also funny, and there is a universal truth to showing up to an official government office and being asked for some paper you don't have. In the case of Dieng, he needs to acquire an identity card in order to cash the money order. So making his way to his local government office, he finds that he can't get one unless he can give the man there his exact date of birth, which he does not know. It is also revealed in this scene that he cannot read, only making navigating the process all the more arduous. While other patrons in line are sympathetic and try to help him, he walks away empty-handed.

One theme that runs effectively through the film is the idea of people who bemoan the state of society but do not behave in a way that would create the kind of society they supposedly want. Dieng frequently complains about the greed of others, but at the same time he repeatedly turns his back on others in need.

A solid, enjoyable comedy.






Great Expectations (1946)
I've seen a few versions and have faded in and out of them. But here, I was (forgive the cliche) riveted. But there it is.

My viewing pleasure was brought to wondrous heights by the sublime performances throughout the cast. Martita Hunt was the haunting Miss Haversham with such sublime machinations at the lead of said performances. And has her protege, the young Estelle, played with callous precision by Jean Simmons. Tony Wager as Young Pip raises the bar for their older counterpoints. Along with such amazing surprises such as Frances L Sullivan as the lawyer, Mr. Jaggers, and, at such a VERY young age, as Pip's roomie, Alec Guinness as Herbert Pocket.


Their performance of the Charles Dickens Classic was complimented impressively by the cinematography's masterful composition of light and shadow.


Placing it, for me, in the forefront of renditions of this Classic Tale of a simple act of kindness and the resounding repercussions throughout the life of a young British Gentleman of Great Expectations.
That's one of my favorites of the 40's. Love David Lean.
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By Poster scan, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=36025973

The Battle of Algiers - (1966)

I felt myself a little displaced during The Battle of Algiers, and never really found myself sympathising with anyone or really getting into the events as they transpired. Although, on the face of it, the occasion is pretty straightforward (a nation's battle for independence from colonial France) I still felt I could have done with a little more background to start with, as this film throws you right in amongst it from the very first scene. One thing it did marvelously though was not take sides. The Algerians bomb civilians and the French torture Algerians - and nobody wins as far as having the higher moral ground is concerned. Everything in this film is very dry, and I didn't really learn anything personally about the various personalities involved. I think with closer proximity to the real events I would have better understood. That said, it's perfectly and very realistically filmed - it does give you the sense of really being there, with bombings and reprisals captured with sudden ferocity and shocking impact.

7/10

Foreign Language Countdown films seen : 68/100
That's one of my favorite films of all time. Character development is really light, but I think it's sacrificed in service of presenting the events in the film on a large scale.





This is Not a Film, 2011

This documentary was made by Iranian writer/director Jafar Panahi while he was under house arrest awaiting a trial for having created propaganda (in the form of his films) against the Iranian government.

I am a fan of Panahi's film Offside, about a group of girls in Iran who disguise themselves as boys so that they can attend an international soccer match.

While I think that everyone should check out this film, I find myself without too much to say about it.

As we watch, Panahi waits in his apartment for news of what his final sentence will be---the original sentence was 6 years in prison and a 20-year ban on filmmaking---helpless under house arrest. While he awaits the final decision, Panahi discusses his emotions, often processing them through his past films or the plot of the film he was hoping to create next. In one great sequence, he compares himself to a child actor in one of his films, who threw off her costume and demanded to be released from the set. It's an astonishing piece of behind the scenes footage even without Panahi using it as a way to explore his feelings.

This film was smuggled out of Iran on a USB drive, hidden inside of a cake. Every moment of the film exists in this strange double-edge. The setting and conversations are seemingly mundane---for example, two middle aged men drinking tea at a kitchen table. And yet what they are doing is illegal. They include language meant to take the edge off (for example, one person is careful to note that he was handed his camera on and he is handing the camera back still on, not having done anything but held it). But later he jokes that he wants Panahi to film him. "That way if they catch us, there will be some images of me." It is a joke, but it is also not a joke.

Trapped in the apartment with only Ig the iguana for company, it could be easy to say that it is not so bad. That he's really just dealing with isolation. But we see other things peek in. These people have friends, family, and children. One person helping to make the film is worried about his son. Even what seems like a small act of defiance--lifting a camera for an old friend--could have consequences for their loved ones.

Panahi has continued to make films illegally, despite the official ban on them. The publicity of his case probably affords him some protection. But this is still an astonishing portrait of what it is like to be an artist and an enemy of the state.




One-Eyed Jacks -


Bank robbing partners Rio (Marlon Brando) and Dad (Karl Malden) go their separate ways and end up on different sides of the law in this Western that is, if anything, curious. For one, the story is not only typical Western fare, but also not the stuff that epics are made of. Still, with its Oscar-nominated cinematography, sweeping musical score and considerable length, it certainly looks and feels like an epic. Also, even if you skipped the end credits, it's obvious that Marlon Brando is in the director’s seat. It goes without saying that the man had an ego, and while his unique screen presence has a lot to do with this, the way he portrays Rio and films himself recalls how Mr. Burns did the same in The Simpsons episode "A Star is Burns."

While a tad pretentious, the movie's eyebrow-raising aspects are not so much drawbacks as they are oddities. If anything, they make the movie stand out from other Westerns of its era. I do not, however, think they make the movie on par with what the likes of John Ford and Sergio Leone were doing - then again, what is - at the time. There's still a lot to like, the highlights being the moral dilemma of whether Red or Dad is the bad guy, which the movie keeps interesting from start to finish, as well as how it depicts how toxic and petty revenge can be. As for Brando, he's as compelling to watch as you'd expect, not to mention terrifying since Red could be described as a man with a short temper. Malden and Slim Pickens, who plays Dad's right-hand man Lon, are no slouches either, especially for how they ground Brando's flourishes and seeming otherworldliness. Oh, and if it’s action that draws you to this genre, there’s plenty of it and it’s all exciting. Again, I wouldn't mention this movie in the same sentence as ones like The Good, The Bad and the Ugly, but it's still bound to make you wish that Brando had directed more.







SF = Z


[Snooze Factor Ratings]:
Z = didn't nod off at all
Zz = nearly nodded off but managed to stay alert
Zzz = nodded off and missed some of the film but went back to watch what I missed
Zzzz = nodded off and missed some of the film but went back to watch what I missed but nodded off again at the same point and therefore needed to go back a number of times before I got through it...
Zzzzz = nodded off and missed some or the rest of the film but was not interested enough to go back over it



Women will be your undoing, Pépé
The Tragedy of Macbeth - This is so GD good….a must for fans. I’ve seen Macbeth numerous times, stage and screen as well as having read the Classic Comic and the play. This new movie version is definitely among the best. It’s condensed into movie screening time, but covers all of the important points of Shakespeare’s play. You probably all know the plot, 3 witches, a Scottish king, a ruthless Thane, urged on by an ambitious wife who has no clear idea what she has started. In the end, it’s “The King is dead, long live the King” and the cycle starts over. Also, half of the cast is dead.

This version, directed and screen-written by Joel Coen goes right to the point plot wise, omitting some of the longness of the original. It’s also shot in a very stark, monochrome German Expressionist, minimalist style, not unlike silent movies such as Nosferatu or Metropolis. The visuals really emphasize the gnarly torment of the characters who wear every sin as a line in their face. It has Francis McDormand as Lady Macbeth and Denzel Washington as the Thane himself. Both are excellent.

As usual for The Bard, a lot of dialog will go right past you, but you might notice that about every minute or so, you hear a line that’s become a common English expression. There’s a LOT of those in Shakespeare, too many to list in Macbeth.

This really is worth a watch, and, if you tell your English Lit professor, you will get extra credit.


WOW! I am SOOO going to a-searching for this one!

THANK YOU!
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SF = Zzzz


[Snooze Factor Ratings]:
Z = didn't nod off at all
Zz = nearly nodded off but managed to stay alert
Zzz = nodded off and missed some of the film but went back to watch what I missed
Zzzz = nodded off and missed some of the film but went back to watch what I missed but nodded off again at the same point and therefore needed to go back a number of times before I got through it...
Zzzzz = nodded off and missed some or the rest of the film but was not interested enough to go back over it
the original candyman always good . hope u watched other ones






The Honeymoon Killers - 1970 low budget B&W crime docudrama written and directed by Leonard Kastle and starring Tony Lo Bianco and Shirley Stoler. It's based on the true life case of serial killers Ray Fernandez and Martha Beck dubbed "The Lonely Hearts Killers" by the 1940's press. When asked about the creative process, Kastle said that he was revolted after watching Bonnie and Clyde and that he did not want to make a film filled with beautiful shots of beautiful people. He meant this to be diametrically opposed to what he felt were romanticized takes on outlaw couples. All I can say is mission accomplished on a relatively modest budget of 250,000 dollars. Kastle also makes brilliant use of snippets from Mahler's Fifth and Sixth symphonies. You wouldn't think they would but they somehow fit in perfectly. For this being his only film, the man knew what he was doing.

Martha Beck is an overweight, morose and mostly angry nurse living with her demanding mother. She's given up on ever finding love so her best friend and neighbor Bunny (played by a young Doris Roberts) submits Martha's name to a Lonely Hearts Club. Martha is surprised when Ray Fernandez writes her a letter and they soon start a correspondence that leads to Ray visiting her and her mother for dinner. Little does she know that Ray is a con artist who makes his living seducing and scamming lonely women out of their life savings. Once he finagles a loan out of Martha he writes her a Dear Jane letter. She turns the tables on him though by getting Bunny to call and claim that Martha has attempted suicide because she can't live without him. This apparently appeals to his ego and he ends up confessing his true nature as a predatory gigolo. This doesn't deter Martha in the slightest and she agrees to go along with his schemes as long as he stays true to her.

There's nothing remotely glamorous about these two wretched characters. The obsessively possessive Martha poses as Ray's sister which serves to reassure the potential victims. The movie is good at ratcheting up the stakes as the pair gradually escalate their scams to include flagrant larceny, druggings and eventually murder. When they finally get around to showing their first actual killing it's wholly disturbing and squirm inducing. The characters also commit what I consider the ultimate transgression in any film (mirroring the real life killers) which set my teeth on edge and which will surely make any viewer devoutly wish for them to get their comeuppance.

This is a no-nonsense take on the grubby, dead-eyed particularities involved in the killing of another human being. Bits and pieces of Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer mixed in with some John Waters having a bad day.

90/100



The Honeymoon Killers - 1970 low budget B&W crime docudrama written and directed by Leonard Kastle and starring Tony Lo Bianco and Shirley Stoler. It's based on the true life case of serial killers Ray Fernandez and Martha Beck dubbed "The Lonely Hearts Killers" by the 1940's press. When asked about the creative process, Kastle said that he was revolted after watching Bonnie and Clyde and that he did not want to make a film filled with beautiful shots of beautiful people. He meant this to be diametrically opposed to what he felt were romanticized takes on outlaw couples.
90/100
So there are obviously many films based on this true crime story. If you liked this take on it, I would recommend Deep Crimson, a Spanish-language, likewise unromanticized version of the story.