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In theory, I think the concept could work.
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I sort of agree with all of this.
I really like the first twenty minutes or so of the movie. I like Roberto Benigni. He can be enormously charming.
But there was a line I found myself unable to cross with the rest of the film. For me, the notion that a father trying to distract his son with a child's game could have the power to distract the boy from the impossible horribleness of what was happening around them, just undermines how not ignorable that horribleness would be. A starving child forced into slave labor, surrounded by disease and hate and death cannot have these experiences brushed under the rug by a bunch of Benigni branded whimsy.
In theory, I think the concept could work. In fact I think Jojo Rabbit plays in the same kind of territory, successfully.
But this movie really bugs me. In some ways it reminds me of the scene in Gimme Shelter, where people are being murdered and hit by pool cues in front of him, and Mick Jagger thinks a little chicken dance can solve everything. I think Life Is Beautiful believes in such Jaggerisms. Basically if it just gives us bunch of scenes where Benigni makes funny faces, and sentimental music is cued, we will somehow be able to overlook what the extermination of 6 million people looked and smelled and felt and hurt like. You know, like a six year old kid playing funny games with his goofy dad might.
I really like the first twenty minutes or so of the movie. I like Roberto Benigni. He can be enormously charming.
But there was a line I found myself unable to cross with the rest of the film. For me, the notion that a father trying to distract his son with a child's game could have the power to distract the boy from the impossible horribleness of what was happening around them, just undermines how not ignorable that horribleness would be. A starving child forced into slave labor, surrounded by disease and hate and death cannot have these experiences brushed under the rug by a bunch of Benigni branded whimsy.
In theory, I think the concept could work. In fact I think Jojo Rabbit plays in the same kind of territory, successfully.
But this movie really bugs me. In some ways it reminds me of the scene in Gimme Shelter, where people are being murdered and hit by pool cues in front of him, and Mick Jagger thinks a little chicken dance can solve everything. I think Life Is Beautiful believes in such Jaggerisms. Basically if it just gives us bunch of scenes where Benigni makes funny faces, and sentimental music is cued, we will somehow be able to overlook what the extermination of 6 million people looked and smelled and felt and hurt like. You know, like a six year old kid playing funny games with his goofy dad might.
A while back, I read that Chaplin wouldn't have made The Great Dictator if he was aware of what went on in the concentration camps, but while his approach is forgivable since little was known about the Holocaust to most of the world when the film was made (in addition to Chaplin being Jewish himself), Benigni knew what went on and downplayed it, so his sugarcoating fell apart for me.
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Yes, but it would take a filmmaker known for their restraint and good taste.
According to the evidence I can gather from this photograph, not only were the Nazi's supplying him with a supply of grease paint while detained, but also an abundance of back medication and whisky.
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Life is Beautiful (1997) -
I'm very torn on this one. Sugarcoating the Holocaust just seems like such a bad idea and, while I get what this film is going for with having the light-hearted tone of the first half translate to the second half, the tone is too inconsistent for me to take it seriously. Given all the suffering shown in the second half of the film (not to mention that most of it is shown offscreen, which wasn't the best idea either), I found it hard to feel the cuteness the second half seemed to want me to feel. In one scene, for instance, after Giosuè unknowingly escapes from certain death, the film has a "cute" scene between him and his father talking about it, but given the knowledge that the people who didn't understand the rules all died, I couldn't take that seriously at all. Sugarcoating the first half of the film works just fine, but the closer the film moves towards the Holocaust, the more this magic wears off.
I'm very torn on this one. Sugarcoating the Holocaust just seems like such a bad idea and, while I get what this film is going for with having the light-hearted tone of the first half translate to the second half, the tone is too inconsistent for me to take it seriously. Given all the suffering shown in the second half of the film (not to mention that most of it is shown offscreen, which wasn't the best idea either), I found it hard to feel the cuteness the second half seemed to want me to feel. In one scene, for instance, after Giosuè unknowingly escapes from certain death, the film has a "cute" scene between him and his father talking about it, but given the knowledge that the people who didn't understand the rules all died, I couldn't take that seriously at all. Sugarcoating the first half of the film works just fine, but the closer the film moves towards the Holocaust, the more this magic wears off.
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Life is Beautiful (1997) -
I'm very torn on this one. Sugarcoating the Holocaust just seems like such a bad idea and, while I get what this film is going for with having the light-hearted tone of the first half translate to the second half, the tone is too inconsistent for me to take it seriously. Given all the suffering shown in the second half of the film (not to mention that most of it is shown offscreen, which wasn't the best idea either), I found it hard to feel the cuteness the second half seemed to want me to feel. In one scene, for instance, after Giosuè unknowingly escapes from certain death, the film has a "cute" scene between him and his father talking about it, but given the knowledge that the people who didn't understand the rules all died, I couldn't take that seriously at all. Sugarcoating the first half of the film works just fine, but the closer the film moves towards the Holocaust, the more this magic wears off.
I'm very torn on this one. Sugarcoating the Holocaust just seems like such a bad idea and, while I get what this film is going for with having the light-hearted tone of the first half translate to the second half, the tone is too inconsistent for me to take it seriously. Given all the suffering shown in the second half of the film (not to mention that most of it is shown offscreen, which wasn't the best idea either), I found it hard to feel the cuteness the second half seemed to want me to feel. In one scene, for instance, after Giosuè unknowingly escapes from certain death, the film has a "cute" scene between him and his father talking about it, but given the knowledge that the people who didn't understand the rules all died, I couldn't take that seriously at all. Sugarcoating the first half of the film works just fine, but the closer the film moves towards the Holocaust, the more this magic wears off.
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Adaptation (2002) - 8.5/10 - Very meta movie which is a turn off for some but I think it is well done here
The Wrestler (2008) - 8.5/10 - Good movie for people who love bad news
Bottle Rocket (1997) - 6.5/10 - well written movie and you can see the first rumblings of Wes Anderson's style (which is interesting in and of itself) but the chemistry in the romance sub-plot was a flatline for me.
The Wrestler (2008) - 8.5/10 - Good movie for people who love bad news
Bottle Rocket (1997) - 6.5/10 - well written movie and you can see the first rumblings of Wes Anderson's style (which is interesting in and of itself) but the chemistry in the romance sub-plot was a flatline for me.
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Adam's Apples (2005) -
I imagine this film will be hit or miss amongst us, but I enjoyed it quite a bit. It's a funny, odd film which mixes a handful of characters with diverse backgrounds together, including a priest who has some farfetched religious beliefs, a neo-nazi inmate on probation, a terrorist trying to save up enough money to leave the country, and a former alcoholic. The film takes some risks in terms of offending the audience, but even though the characters are far out there, it simultaneously has enough restraint so that it doesn't go too far and, as a result, it makes for a surprisingly enjoyable experience. The solid twin performances from Mikkelsen and Thomsen enhance the material as well. Also, bonus points for having some unexpected outcomes to a few character arcs since comedies tend to struggle with this. For the most part, the religious themes were pretty good as well. As the film goes on, it seems less likely that the misfortunes the church's apple tree goes through are just coincidences but actually brought about by a deity. Given that, my interpretation is that the film is a modern day rendition of the Book of Job.
Still though, it's a really good film and I enjoyed my time with it.
Adam's Apples (2005) -
I imagine this film will be hit or miss amongst us, but I enjoyed it quite a bit. It's a funny, odd film which mixes a handful of characters with diverse backgrounds together, including a priest who has some farfetched religious beliefs, a neo-nazi inmate on probation, a terrorist trying to save up enough money to leave the country, and a former alcoholic. The film takes some risks in terms of offending the audience, but even though the characters are far out there, it simultaneously has enough restraint so that it doesn't go too far and, as a result, it makes for a surprisingly enjoyable experience. The solid twin performances from Mikkelsen and Thomsen enhance the material as well. Also, bonus points for having some unexpected outcomes to a few character arcs since comedies tend to struggle with this. For the most part, the religious themes were pretty good as well. As the film goes on, it seems less likely that the misfortunes the church's apple tree goes through are just coincidences but actually brought about by a deity. Given that, my interpretation is that the film is a modern day rendition of the Book of Job.
WARNING: spoilers below
I do think it loses its way a bit as it moves to its ending though since the priest's restored faith doesn't feel entirely earned. Unlike in the Book of Job which has a more complete character arc, this film's arc is more akin to the characters finally outsmarting God and then turning back to him, which doesn't make as much sense.
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Both thumbs way up for this great classic. Orson Welles' screenplay produces some memorable scenes along with a fascinating story.
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Adaptation (2002) - 8.5/10 - Very meta movie which is a turn off for some but I think it is well done here
The Wrestler (2008) - 8.5/10 - Good movie for people who love bad news
Bottle Rocket (1997) - 6.5/10 - well written movie and you can see the first rumblings of Wes Anderson's style (which is interesting in and of itself) but the chemistry in the romance sub-plot was a flatline for me.
The Wrestler (2008) - 8.5/10 - Good movie for people who love bad news
Bottle Rocket (1997) - 6.5/10 - well written movie and you can see the first rumblings of Wes Anderson's style (which is interesting in and of itself) but the chemistry in the romance sub-plot was a flatline for me.
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The Fall of the House of Usher, 1928
A man named Allan (Charles Lamy) is summoned to the home of Roderick Usher (Jean Debucourt). Roderick is obsessed with his wife, Madeline (Marguerite Gance), who is dying of some sort of disease that leaves her in death-like states. Roderick is fixated on painting Madeline, and equally fixated on the fear that she will be buried alive.
Sometimes when you're watching a movie from the 20s, there's a scene that's framed kind of flat, or a performance that just doesn't work, and you think "Well, yeah, the early days of film and they were still figuring things out." But then you watch a movie like this one, and it's like, "No, that's right, people did know what they were doing."
This is a film that runs only about 65 minutes, and I'd say a solid 30 minutes of that is just mood. Curtains billowing in the wind. A frog atop another frog, leaping out of a mountainside tomb. A vast, cavernous room that dwarfs the men sitting within it.
The image above--in which a Madeline who may or may not be a figment of Roderick's imagination looms in a billowing white dress--is probably my favorite from the film, but there's so much good stuff to choose from here. Often I find the use of color filters kind of cheesy and distracting, but here it feels like it's all part of the same fever dream. We the viewers and Allan are similarly called on mainly to witness the madness that is the demented relationship between Roderick and Madeline.
This version of the story (I've also seen the Vincent Price version) slightly softens some of the perversity of the original story by making the Ushers husband and wife instead of siblings. But it doesn't soften it that much. As Roderick paints Madeline, it almost seems as if he might be stealing some of her spirit. I read online a comparison to The Pocture of Dorian Gray, but it also made me think of a short story from the collection called The White People where a man slowly steals his wife's soul in a crystal he's created. The love that Roderick feels for his wife totters on the knife edge of affection and obsession.
We've discussed whether or not movies can "age" in a negative way. I think that this film is a great example of how age can actually work with the intent of a movie. A man helping out his bereaved friend by reading him a short story might seem strange to modern eyes and, um, yeah, it's REALLY WEIRD. I have to imagine that even in a time period where such an act between friends would seem more normal, this scene would still have some charge. From a modern point of view, it seems even more alien and bizarre.
I've been waiting ages to find this film somewhere I could watch it, and a silent film channel on YouTube just uploaded a very nice looking print.
Highly recommended.
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Often I find the use of color filters kind of cheesy and distracting, but here it feels like it's all part of the same fever dream.
As Roderick paints Madeline, it almost seems as if he might be stealing some of her spirit. I read online a comparison to The Pocture of Dorian Gray, but it also made me think of a short story from the collection called The White People where a man slowly steals his wife's soul in a crystal he's created. The love that Roderick feels for his wife totters on the knife edge of affection and obsession.
But yeah, one of my favorites, obviously. So many gorgeous shots.
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This caught my eye because my DVD does not have color filters, and it appears you have discovered a print that I didn't know existed. My copy features a dissonant guitar score, with a guy reading the French intertitles in English with a heavy French accent. Not ideal. I wonder if your version is for sale somewhere? Google, here I come!
My version didn't have any reading of the intertitles.
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The First of the Few (1942)
aka Spitfire (US release)
Produced and Directed by Leslie Howard
In the beginning this movie comes across very much as a newsreel style British wartime propaganda film. But after the first 5-10 minutes or so when things start to develop, what you get is a pretty decent biographical picture with good historical development. I would not describe this as primarily a war film, with the vast majority of the story taking place throughout the inter-war years.
It tells the story of the famous British aircraft designer R.J. Mitchell (Howard), whose many achievements in that field include the design of the iconic Supermarine Spitfire fighter aircraft, notable for its service in the Second World War. Mitchell's career is traced from his early days where his unconventional ideas for high speed aircraft face opposition from his firm's directors. Eventually he gets his way though, and his designs go into production for competition in the Schneider Trophy races. Over the years that follow, great advances in performance and success in the competition are attained, but not without some human cost. There is an ever present theme of the rise of fascism in Europe and the threat of war, bringing Mitchell to the conclusion that he must design a fighter aircraft for Britain, harnessing all of his knowledge and the latest in technology. At the same time, he is hampered by serious illness which threatens his life and work.
It has decent performances with Leslie Howard shining well as the main character, David Niven amiable as ever as his test pilot friend and Rosamund John effective as the steadfast wife. Principle flaws mainly lie in the low end production values, the overly obvious propaganda aspect and some mishandling of historical aspects. This is adequately compensated with good original footage of the seaplane races and prototype Spitfire, in addition to some decent model work for the period.
The film holds an odd special significance in that it marks Leslie Howard's final regular on-screen film performance, before being tragically killed when the civilian aircraft in which he was a passenger was shot down over the sea by German aircraft in 1943. The incident has been the subject of many theories over time and remains an interesting mystery in itself.
7/10
Yeah, I don't know if the color was the original intent of the filmmakers or if it's something that someone added at one point. In either event, I thought it worked pretty well.
My version didn't have any reading of the intertitles.
My version didn't have any reading of the intertitles.
The film does not appear to be currently available on BluRay, however. Bummer.
But if they've restored the image and commissioned a new score I assume there'll be a release in the future.
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By IMDb, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8956753
Fat Girl - (2001)
When Fat Girl ended I felt like I'd just watched a truly great film, but I also felt like I'd been shaken up quite a bit - to say this isn't for everyone is an understatement, and I'm not sure I could have gone through with seeing it if I'd known what was in it. Despite all of that, it was only banned in Ontario for a little bit, which really surprises me. With what we see in Fat Girl, I'd have thought would be banned everywhere. Anyway, the film is principally about two girls - sisters - Elena (Roxane Mesquida) who is around 14 to 15-years-old, and Anaïs (Anaïs Reboux) who is around 12 to 13-years-old. While on holiday, Elena attracts the attention of young Fernando (Libero De Rienzo), who is in his 20s and attends university - and he lecherously takes advantage of Elena, with Anaïs as an unwilling witness to what goes on between them. This film goes into grotesque detail, and in my shock I kind of felt like barfing. To put a cherry on top, the film has an outlandish, horrific, full stop with a scene that just comes right out of the blue. Catherine Breillat has made a brilliant film here - but one I can't really recommend anybody watch. If you at all get offended by untoward things in film - stay clear. Good, but clearly crazy, filmmaking.
9/10
(Catherine Breillat had so much trouble filming the sex scenes in this that she made a whole film about her experiences, called Sex is Comedy.)
By Mongrel Media - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6365796...r/rm2525064448, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=62927098
The Grizzlies - (2018)
Fat Girl only goes 86 minutes, so I had time for this true story sports film set in far Northern Canada about lacrosse. It's well made and all of it's subplots are told expertly and with heart - but I'm a little tired with the genre, which plays out the same way every time. This one tries desperately hard to avoid the white savior narrative so prevalent in film, but at the same time it's what we're faced with, so the filmmakers try and make it so Russ Sheppard (Ben Schnetzer) learns as much from these indigenous Northerners as they do from him.
6/10
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By IMDb, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8956753
Fat Girl - (2001)
When Fat Girl ended I felt like I'd just watched a truly great film, but I also felt like I'd been shaken up quite a bit - to say this isn't for everyone is an understatement, and I'm not sure I could have gone through with seeing it if I'd known what was in it. Despite all of that, it was only banned in Ontario for a little bit, which really surprises me. With what we see in Fat Girl, I'd have thought would be banned everywhere. Anyway, the film is principally about two girls - sisters - Elena (Roxane Mesquida) who is around 14 to 15-years-old, and Anaïs (Anaïs Reboux) who is around 12 to 13-years-old. While on holiday, Elena attracts the attention of young Fernando (Libero De Rienzo), who is in his 20s and attends university - and he lecherously takes advantage of Elena, with Anaïs as an unwilling witness to what goes on between them. This film goes into grotesque detail, and in my shock I kind of felt like barfing. To put a cherry on top, the film has an outlandish, horrific, full stop with a scene that just comes right out of the blue. Catherine Breillat has made a brilliant film here - but one I can't really recommend anybody watch. If you at all get offended by untoward things in film - stay clear. Good, but clearly crazy, filmmaking.
9/10
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The Suicide Squad -
people really thought this one was better huh
people really thought this one was better huh
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By IMDb, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8956753
Fat Girl - (2001)
To put a cherry on top, the film has an outlandish, horrific, full stop with a scene that just comes right out of the blue. Catherine Breillat has made a brilliant film here - but one I can't really recommend anybody watch. If you at all get offended by untoward things in film - stay clear. Good, but clearly crazy, filmmaking.
9/10
The ending is shocking and all, but I have a hard time overall reconciling it with the rest of the film. Not just stylistically, but in the sense of what is happening with the character. I think that it sort of works as a kind of
It probably doesn't help that I watched this and Anatomy of Hell back to back, and the latter is just out and out a bad movie.
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