The 29th Hall of Fame

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To me, four of the best music scores in a film are Gladiator, Seven Years in Tibet, The Mission and Memoirs of a Geisha. I'm sure there are many more but those are the four I really like.

Edit: I hate my phone. All my spelling errors are due to it.



Das Boot (1981) -


This is a really good film which flies by surprisingly quickly, in spite of its nearly 3.5 hour runtime. I must confess though that it leaves me somewhat cold since it falls in the 'characters feel like props amidst the action/suspense set pieces' category. With the exception of the Captain and (to a smaller extent) Johann, most of the other characters (the Chief Engineer, the 2nd Watch Officer, and Ullmann) are given only one character trait to stand out, and the movie doesn't even do much with that character trait to begin with. Also, Werner, who I think is intended to be the main character, is easily the blandest of the bunch. In spite of this, I do enjoy the movie quite a bit as, judging the film through the lens of the suspense and claustrophobia it creates, it's pretty fantastic. The sounds and visuals (the radar showing the ship's depth, the ship creaking from water pressure, the darkness of the cabin) work in harmony to make the film technically outstanding. The highlight of the film is when their ship faces a British fleet and are forced to dive well below the sub's test depth. The various large and small scale set pieces within that sequence are highly memorable and the conclusion clinches it as one of the greatest stretches of cinema I've ever seen. I also like how you never get the sense that the U-boat is at an advantage against the enemy ships. After all, the opening text says all that's needed to be said about how the crew was basically sent on a suicide mission. From what we see, their boat seems rather flimsy given how often they have to take shelter and only by carefully sneaking up to an enemy ship will they have a chance of sinking it. Overall, I have a ton of respect for this film's technical craft. I just wish it would grab me more on an emotional level. I might watch the mini series someday though as it may do a better job with that.

Next Up: Robot (Enthiran)
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I sux right now. I got caught up in binge watching Stranger Things over the past week. I'm at the beginning of season 4 so I hope I'm done by this weekend so I can get back to movie watching.

Problem is, now Netflix has a new series based off Resident Evil.



I forgot the opening line.
About Adams ębler's score - I didn't think it was too bad. It was just simple and reflective. If you're not enjoying a movie however, the score can really rub you up the wrong way, unless it's some kind of John Williams masterpiece. I'm still haunted by the score for The Greasy Strangler (actually, I'm kinda haunted by the whole movie) - and in that respect, it did feel like the same piece of music that repeated for too often.
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Latest Review : Le Circle Rouge (1970)



About Adams ębler's score - I didn't think it was too bad. It was just simple and reflective. If you're not enjoying a movie however, the score can really rub you up the wrong way, unless it's some kind of John Williams masterpiece. I'm still haunted by the score for The Greasy Strangler (actually, I'm kinda haunted by the whole movie) - and in that respect, it did feel like the same piece of music that repeated for too often.
There are memorable scores like The Imperial March by JW. If you hear that, guaranteed you will be seeing Darth Vader walking.



Tomboy


French demogorgons don't stand a chance.

This sometimes beautiful, sometimes tense tale about self-acceptance impressed me with how simple and elegant it is. As someone who's not a big fan of exposition, it was a breath of fresh air to see almost all of a story organically rise from character behavior and interaction. It's one of those rare movies that manages to make a single frame speak volumes, my favorites being when Laure's sister Jeanne draws her portrait - there's a reason it's the image on the poster and DVD cover - and Laure's card game with her father in which he complements her poker face. The images would say a lot less, however, if it weren't for how good Zoé Héran is in this. The way she conveys what Laure is feeling (or pretending to feel) is subtlety at its finest. She also pretends to be a boy so well from the outset that the bathtub reveal almost isn't necessary. Speaking of her deception, the very different reactions to it are as fascinating to watch play out as they are accurate. Her sister Jeanne's innocent and judgement-free response is my favorite to take in, especially since it leads to the movie's best and most wholesome laughs like the scene where she talks about why Mikael is her favorite boy in the neighborhood. On the other end of the spectrum, any of the boys' reactions to Laure letting the mask slip are much more difficult to watch and make it easy to understand why Laure believes she must wear one. As for her friend Lisa's pivotal one, it's as interesting for what is said for what is not said, and explains why that ending - which, when you think about it, is more of a beginning - is such a gut punch.

One reaction to Laure pretending to be a boy I haven't called out yet is her mother's. At first, it confused me because up to that point, her family had been one of the most loving and accepting families I had seen in a movie in a long time. While forcing her daughter to wear a dress may be borne out of wanting to punish Laura as well as help the boy she fought and his mother understand, it still seems overly harsh and out of character. Now that I've had time to think about it - and harshness notwithstanding - I believe Laure's mother is in the right. For Laure to take the next step on her journey to self-acceptance, it's more important for her to know who Laure is than who Mikael is. The movie ends up being one that more than successfully proves that journeys like the one Laure is on are difficult, especially for the confusion and pain they instill on yourself, those closest to you as well as those with whom you would like to be closer. When the dust settles, however, you'll learn who is worth keeping close and who is not. All the while, we're reminded that this journey is sadly more challenging for people like Laure and is unfortunately just as challenging now as it was eleven years ago.




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Vengeance is Mine



This is another film that I never really heard of until this Hall of Fame. Technically it was very well constructed. It was filmed very well with great camera work and the cinematography is really on point. The story was really well done, never had me losing my interest and the runtime went by smoothly. The dialogue was good too. I wasn't super impressed by the acting but the tight script didn't really make the acting too much of a downfall. The thing was is that nobody really stood out for me. That's not always necessary though. Overall a pretty fun watch.




So I watched The Year My Voice Broke (1987) for the first time. I thought it was alright, but it didn't do much for me. I found the main character to be fairly uninteresting and not that likeable. I would have preferred if he was a minor character and if the movie focused on the girl instead. She was a much more interesting and more likeable character. Acting was fine, no performances really blew me away, but no one was bad. The story was decent, but nothing exceptional and fairly generic. I found that the film dragged at times and felt longer than what it was. I did really like the cinematography and the score was good too. There were a few interesting moments here and there, but overall the film left me a little cold. I've seen one other film by this director, Wide Sargasso Sea, but I barely remember it. I gave it the same rating that I'm giving this film.



I forgot the opening line.


Vengeance is Mine (Fukushū suru wa ware ni ari) - (1979)

Directed by Shōhei Imamura

Written by Masaru Baba
Based on a novel by Ryūzō Saki

Starring Ken Ogata, Rentarō Mikuni & Mitsuko Baishō

This review contains spoilers

Vengeance is Mine unwraps in pieces, much in the same way an investigation into one man's horrible crime spree might. Those pieces, put back together, paint the portrait of a Japan that those outside the country rarely get to see - the lower classes, with prostitution being so common that it's a regular service some inns provide. Hustling and gambling is widespread here, and many men force themselves on women who lack the means to fight them off or report them. This is the true story of serial killer Akira Nishiguchi - who took advantage of Japanese culture at that time, and continued to kill, con and rape during his flight from justice. It was another stepping stone on the path director Shōhei Imamura took in examining the seedy side of human nature, especially that of Japan's population.

The film opens with Iwao Enokizu (our Akira Nishiguchi surrogate - played by Ken Ogata) being transported by police after being captured - resigned to his fate. As the police interrogate him, and despite his reluctance to talk, the extent of his crimes begins to come into focus. We look back at his initial two murders, seemingly coming out of nowhere and committed for financial gain. From that moment on, Iwao is on the run, and tries to stifle the hunt by leaving a suicide note and some of his clothes on a ferry. The police aren't so easily tricked, and they question past girlfriends along with Iwao's wife and parents - which sends us further back in time to his troubled childhood. Despite having two loving parents he seems to have had a deep hatred burning away inside of him, and he's soon sent to a reformatory. In the meantime, back to his time on the run, Iwao takes up at an inn, pretending to be a university professor, and while he continues to scam and murder, he begins a relationship with Haru Asano - the innkeeper. It's not long before a prostitute he's bedded recognizes his face on television.

It's always been something of a challenge understanding what makes serial killers tick. What makes them different from most normal people? Many of them seem to have been born with certain traits, and developed cruel and mean streaks from early childhood. Each scene in Vengeance is Mine is like another piece of the puzzle - not only trying to understand Iwao Enokizu, but also the society he interacts with. It's surprising how many people see Iwao around the same time they see his face on 'wanted' posters, but don't scrutinize him - seeming so polite that they never even stop to consider it might be him - and many of the people he comes into contact with prove to be easy marks for his money-earning con-jobs. Although Iwao mostly uses prostitutes with the money he's stolen, there are many scenes which include Japanese men forcing themselves on vulnerable women. The country seems to be uniquely geared to making an oversexed and fraud-happy serial killer have an easy time of it. All Iwao has to do is vaguely threaten a transport worker and he earns 50,000 yen with the promise of more to come.

This all seems to have been a deep abiding interest for Shōhei Imamura, who at one stage of his career settled into a documentary feature groove just to sate an appetite for his curiosity concerning the criminal mind, and Japan's seething lower classes. This is a part of Japan that the country as a whole ignored, and that includes it's filmmakers. Yasujirō Ozu, to whom Imamura served as an apprentice, seemed to limit himself to the middle classes and family drama. Kurosawa was more of fantasy and epic specialist, although he occasionally drew on the middle classes, melodrama and humanism - giving a mere glimpse of that lowest class in High and Low. Imamura was different, and in being so gave the world it's first peek at the Japan we never knew - and that does a lot to ease any sense we once had that they were so different from the rest of the world. It also gives us an uncomfortable feeling about how much of a misogynist society Japan is and was - something, when considering employment for example, that's been slow to change. Here Imamura narrowed that focus down to one person specifically : Akira Nishiguchi - and this film is based on Ryūzō Saki's book of the same name.

The way the film is edited, and the cinematography by Shinsaku Himeda (a Japanese great who was nominated for an Oscar for his work on Tora! Tora! Tora!) gives this a feel of the reenactments you usually see on crime shows. To enhance that, there are regular titles which convey to us how the rest of Japan is finding out about Iwao's crime spree - they include dates, amounts of money obtained by fraud and methods of murder in newspaper headline type fashion. The whole documentary feel is quite deliberate, and Imamura seems to relish the opportunity to meld the genres together somewhat, obviously still having a great fondness for his documentary style. I was surprised by the amount of sexual content there was, but have to admit that if there's a time period concerning Japanese cinema I'm a little ignorant of, it's this 1970s period. Kurosawa was having trouble getting funding, and Ozu had long since passed. I only just recently watched Nobuhiko Ōbayashi's House, and I was surprised there also, so perhaps nudity and sex was fairly common during that period.

Shinichirō Ikebe's score very much evoked the crime shows from the time period as well, specifically the U.S. ones on television which were so prevalent - and this increases the feeling that we're watching a true crime story at times. Visually, there are some nice touches - like when Iwao and Haru's mother (played by Nijiko Kiyokawa) come across a dead eel in a river, seeming to illustrate the dead end Iwao has come to - and the death he leaves in his wake. Later they come across a pool of water filled with eels, and I thought of how much it reminded me of Japan's teeming masses, bustling their way thoughtlessly while odd ones like Iwao and the mother (who is herself a murderer, and served her time in prison) fight against the grain. Iwao is often adrift on a sea of humanity who don't recognize him despite his face being on 'wanted' posters everywhere. He easily passes himself off as a lawyer or professor, neatly dressed and polite - but it's his interactions with his family that hint of what is going on under the surface.

Iwao's family is Christian, which I imagine would have made them a minority in Japan. During the war, Iwao's father, Shizuo (played by Rentarō Mikuni) is forced to give all of his boats up to the war effort - being the first to be picked upon because of his religion. Iwao himself detests his father's weakness in submitting to the navy, and later in life thumbs his nose at attempts to pair him up with a Christan woman to wed, and insteads has his own pick converted - but the union is cursed by his infidelity and proclivity for fraud and crime. While in prison his wife, Kazuko (Mitsuko Baisho) divorces him, but then turns around and remarries him when Shizuo begs her to. In this film, Kazuko falls in love with Shizuo and often tries to seduce him, but it's religion which prevents any kind of sexual union coming to fruition. Iwao senses this marital betrayal though, and breaks off contact with his family altogether. It's alluded to a few times that these are the people he really wanted to kill, but his anger is redirected to those who don't pose any threat to him or his mental wellbeing. Later, Shizuo visits an unrepentant Iwao in prison, and the two clash.

Something I was really fascinated with was the film's ending, which, with better effects, might have been even stronger for me. After Iwao has been executed for his crimes, Shizuo and Kazuko take his bones and ashes up a mountain to throw them onto the earth - but every time Shizuo throws one of his bones, the bone stays hovering in mid-air. The two, completely amazed, try to throw more bones, but they also remain hovering in the air, refusing to go away and fall back down to the earth. It's the ultimate act of defiance from the dead Iwao, and also a sign that this man and his crimes won't go away, but will haunt everyone. Shizuo and Kazuko very much want this man to be expunged not only from the earth, as he has been, but from all memory and contemplation. Iwao, for his part, sends a final letter to his wife forbidding her another man in her life. A last ditch effort to control and make misery for her from beyond the grave. It's no wonder his bones refuse to go away. Perhaps all of Iwao's intention was a cry in the dark - a need for attention and immortality, a need for permanence and control over reality. A need to go back and take those fishing boats away from the emperor's war effort. A need to take, as a direct result of being taken from.

Seen from that light, I found Vengeance is Mine to be much more than just a true crime story, but a film that's trying to say something about being human. Our mortality, once confronted, and our helplessness in the face of overwhelming forces such as nature, governments and masses can evoke a violent response. A "rage against the dying of the light". This rage is unmediated in Iwao - and while nearly all of us can control it, for him this is something that's completely out of his own control. His rage leads to murder, robbery, sex and violence. His need to not be like his father and turn the other cheek has led to him becoming the absolute antithesis of his father, and he takes the view that in his life, he'll be the one who takes boats from other people. He'll be strong, where his father is weak. He'll ignore God, while his father prays. He'll have sex with every woman he meets, while his father remains abstinent. He'll live - and in his own mind his father and wife are already dead. He'll live forever - in the memory of those whose lives have been unalterably changed by him. When Iwao takes us back to his childhood, it's to that one event - his father's humiliating capitulation. Akira Nishiguchi's bones hover to this very day.




I forgot the opening line.


A Moment of Innocence (Nun va Goldoon) - (1996)

Directed by Mohsen Makhmalbaf

Written by Mohsen Makhmalbaf

Starring Mirhadi Tayebi, Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Ali Bakhsi
Ammar Tafti Dehghan & Maryam Mohamadamini

It feels fortunate that I saw Close-Up a little while back, for now I have some point of comparison, and familiarity, with Iranian neo-realism. It's certainly a different, unique and interesting style which would have caught me even more off-guard if I was experiencing it here for the first time. Mohsen Makhmalbaf's A Moment of Innocence uses this kind of filmmaking to do several things at once - help him relive a traumatic event from his past, make a statement of what reliving that event through filmmaking really encapsulates, and bring something positive (a wonderful, and optimistic observation) out of the pain, regret and hardship a certain decision brought upon not only himself, but another man who suffered as a result. I enjoy the mind-bending aspect of all of this, even as it tires me as my mind overthinks all of this as I watch the film. I wouldn't be surprised if some people balked at the prospect of watching what is in effect a film about the making of a film about an autobiographical and personal event - with non-actors keeping all of our scenes low-key and real.

Mirhadi Tayebi is someone who was once a policeman, and is looking for Mohsen Makhmalbaf so he can help recreate an event from both of their personal histories. Apparently as a youth he'd been stabbed by the Iranian director (who was, at the time, an idealistic young man) as the latter attempted to steal his pistol - a violent event in a violent time, as revolutionaries were trying to overthrow the Shah. As an actor to play his younger self, the policeman chooses a handsome young guy who is replaced by Makhmalbaf by a more outgoing young actor (Ali Bakhsi) - who Tayebi dissapproves of. Meanwhile, Makhmalbaf chooses a young actor (Ammar Tafti Dehghan) who wants to "save the world" in an idealistic way to play himself at a young age. As Tayebi and Makhmalbaf teach their younger selves how to play their parts, reality, past history and current events begin to meld in strange ways. Tayebi laments not being able to conjure the young woman he once fell in love with through taking a role in this film, and the young faux-Makhmalbaf discusses adopting and saving the entire world with his cousin (Maryam Mohamadamini) who he's in love with. As the recreation draws nearer, the strain on everyone begins to tell, leading to a surprising and memorable climax.

Along with recreating a recreation, A Moment of Innocence displays for us it's own kind of Iranian humour - going so far as to be comfortably called a comedy. It's not a comedy that really makes me laugh, but it is one where I recognize the various moments of levity and humour within it, imagining either an Iranian audience or even people I know laughing along with those unusual beats. The real-life characters generate all of this energy because they're set about doing something which is unusual on the face of it, and are placed in situations where many misidentifications, mistakes and accusations roll out easily. At one stage, when Ammar Tafti Dehghan walks down the wrong passage, and his cousin continues to speak to him as if he's right there, there's a nice sense of down-to-earth and real-life funniness and joviality. The young people in this are the ones who bring the least baggage, and are the ones who most easily fool around. The older ones are more likely to slip into unhappy remembrances or recrimination. I could quite easily see some people missing the humour altogether though - as something that doesn't translate easily, Iranian humour might escape the casual viewer.

The only problem I really had with A Moment of Innocence was the lack of talent and charisma some of these people brought along with them. Mirhadi Tayebi lacks both acting talent and an ability to ad-lib, which makes his scenes feel a little awkward and unimaginative. The two young actors feel a little the same way, and I was only able to really enjoy the performances of Makhmalbaf himself and Maryam Mohamadamini - who is a natural in front of the camera. I guess there's a unique case to be made for these people actually acting in this manner - for these are the parts they are playing. They're playing uncomfortable real-life figures in the midst of teaching young actors, and discussing these past events with them. It's a very strange semi-documentary kind of partly-scripted film that I don't have a lot of experience with. Where does real life end, and scripted film begin? There's no telling. But everything that exists within this film is building up to it's most important and revelatory moment - that beautiful freeze-frame it ends with.

The documentary-type, almost hand-held cinematography utilizes Mahmoud Kalari's talents, which have been transferred to my favourite Iranian director Asghar Farhadi when Kalari was director of photography on A Separation. There's not really much of a score to credit Majid Entezami with and Makhmalbaf did his own editing. It's all very basic and simple, with the powerful part of the film being the very idea behind it. The visuals and audio aren't what it's here for - this film is nearly strictly one for the mind, and it aims to dazzle us by getting us to question how to interpret the past, and how to use the past to make a better future for all of us. You can tell that Makhmalbaf feels a deep regret for what happened back then, and wants to make some kind of amends - especially since the reverberations still haunt that policeman he stabbed and sent to hospital. In turn, that policeman just wishes he'd been more comfortable with the woman he'd fallen in love with, and quicker with his pistol. It's coloured what they both see to this day, and no matter how they might try, they can't transfer the event to the young people they identify with, who happily reinterpret it all and transform the moment themselves.

This isn't the kind of film I enjoy for it's content, but it's one I enjoy very much for it's message - and for that final moment which sets off all kinds of good feelings from within me. It's definitely not the kind of film I could watch from start to finish many times, for it can get pretty staid at times, with auditions and actors receiving instructions and rehearsing in front of us. As I said, the humour was nice, but wasn't engaging me as much as others might be engaged by it - so my experience completely depended on that final moment. That final moment was one of the most beautiful cinematic moments I've seen for quite a while, and my appreciation of the film is encapsulated within it. Putting all of that pain and regret in focus, and seeing what these young people put into those roles came out with. Urged to shoot and stab, and filled with recriminations and instructions, what comes out from within them and into the film's frame is something Makhmalbaf seems to be praising these young people for - and hoping that it can be translated onto a much larger scale. Perhaps when they grow, and all of the youth have power in their hands, then they'll react in the same way.

So, to return to this very meta style of filmmaking that seems to have taken root in Iran, it does their cinematic community much credit to strive forward with such originality and thoughtfulness. From that one terrible moment in Makhmalbaf's life could have come a straightforward 'based on true life' film, but he wanted to dig deeper, not only into the event but into the very need to revisit it, and replay it, restage it and reshape it. That's what he saw as meaningful in all of this - the act of recollection, and the wish all of us have from time to time - to go back and change events that we wish we'd acted differently in. He's probably influenced quite a few filmmakers while doing just that. Anyway, when it comes to how highly I rate this film, it's for the original way it's put together, which I find really interesting, and for that final revelatory reaction from our young performers, which I found particularly beautiful. It might not have produced stunning sights and sounds to marvel the senses, but it did produce deep thinking and an appreciation for peace, love and all the kids out there who have so much endless idealism that they think they can save the world and all the people in it singlehandedly - or with their girlfriend, because, you know, two heads are better than one.




Das Boot - (1981)
Even though I'm not a part of this hall of fame thingamajig, I'd like to say that's a brilliant review and analysis of the film Das Boot. You nailed everything 100% and provided a huge amount of terrific info. Thanks for taking the time and effort to do so, it made for very excellent reading.



There were some great reviews for A Moment of Innocence by everyone here that gave me added perspective on the film. Especially from @Okay @Torgo @ueno_station54 and @SpelingError
And here all along I had thought the greatest reviews for Moment of Innocence was Siddons, Rauls and mine



I forgot the opening line.
And here all along I had thought the greatest reviews for Moment of Innocence was Siddons, Rauls and mine
He he he. I enjoy the wide range of opinions I read when a lot of the reviews and comments are in - but I especially like the ones which are praising the film I like and dissing the film I don't like.



He he he. I enjoy the wide range of opinions I read when a lot of the reviews and comments are in - but I especially like the ones which are praising the film I like and dissing the film I don't like.
True dat!


I hope to have another review up real soon, I've been taking a break and watching Gidget movies, I have two more to go in the series.



Robot (Enthiran) (2010) -


That was some of the most fun I've had in a while. Like, I'm not saying it's flawless or anything, but it definitely excels at being pure entertainment. As others have noted, the action is probably the biggest highlight. The fight on the train has some impressive stuntwork which managed to drop my jaw a few times, the highway chase is delightfully over-the-top and comes with one of the best action set pieces I've seen in a while, and the final fight with the police, well, it needs to be seen to be believed. Sure, the cgi is dated, but while this stuff usually bothers me, the sheer level of creativity and imagination involved with those scenes is incredible and easily shines through that. You can sense the director going "I want to make this as large-scale and crazy as possible" and this made for some technically outstanding sequences. As terrific as the action is though, a lot more happens in the film which needs to be judged as well. For example, I was mixed on the musical numbers. To cut the film a bit of slack, I couldn't find subtitles for those scenes, so I might've enjoyed them more if this wasn't the case (I think I got the gist of what the songs were in reference to though). Mainly though, I thought they were incorporated into the film really awkwardly. It felt like someone took several music videos and inserted them into the film at various points, with most of them overstaying their welcome. The film definitely nails the humor though. Most of the jokes are really clever, with the mosquito scene being the clear standout. This leaves the story, which started out pretty well but lost its way in the final hour. Throughout the first couple hours, the emotional core becomes more and more focused on Chitti. Struggling with his identity, he begins to fall for Sana, putting him at odds with Vaseegaran. This made for an interesting dynamic between the three of them, but unfortunately, this didn't resolve itself in a satisfying way. After a series of incidents which occur midmovie, this dynamic was pushed aside for the big action set pieces I mentioned up above and then the film rushed through the apology scene at the end. This was a double-edged sword as, while this directorial choice gave me the terrific action scenes in the final hour, it also harmed the film's story and left me kind of unsatisfied after it ended. As a result, the story felt more boilerplate than it should've. In spite of everything I've said though, I do enjoy the film. This is the kind of film which is better to watch with your brain turned off.


Next Up: Invasion of the Body Snatchers



Good review, Speling. I'm pretty much in agreement.
For example, I was mixed on the musical numbers. To cut the film a bit of slack, I couldn't find subtitles for those scenes, so I might've enjoyed them more if this wasn't the case (I think I got the gist of what the songs were in reference to though). Mainly though, I thought they were incorporated into the film really awkwardly. It felt like someone took several music videos and inserted them into the film at various points, with most of them overstaying their welcome.
With the exception of the one with the Cylon backup dancers, which I think is a good fit, that's my impression of the songs as well for this movie and the few other Indian movies I've seen. The one set in Macchu Picchu in particular almost made me forget I was watching a movie about robots!