I haven't tabbed in a while! Warning, gargantuan post ahead!
In a lonely place (1950) - Nicholas Ray
Very good noir (although it's much less about murder mysteries than about abusive relationships). I felt Grahame's character went through an odd change (from femme fatale to "battered wife") and the whole murder case seemed a little out of place/underdeveloped. I'm thinking it could hold up to repeated viewings though (especially on account of Bogart's performance).
Tokyo twilight (1957) - Yasujiro Ozu
Started watching this about a year ago, fell asleep after about 40 minutes. Tried it again in the morning, started falling asleep again, but was determined to finish it because I can't stand to look at it collecting dust anymore. I took 3 breaks but I finally did it. Extremely slow paced (2h 20 min.), stiff acting, not a particularly interesting story, nothing particularly inventive in the directing or visuals and a pretty problematic message (as I saw it at least): single parents raise troubled children, therefore, it's best to give an abusive relationship another go than to risk raising a wayward child? Yah, I don't think so Mr. Ozu. I suppose it says something about the slow decay of traditionalist Japan but I didn't really care... :\
Pitfall (1962) - Hiroshi Teshigahara
I guess I'm just not a fan of absurdist, abstract(ish?) cinema. I'm pretty sure I understand what it wanted to say, and appreciate all the technical aspects (and especially acting which, after the Ozu debacle, was a blessing), but I was still mostly uninterested. I'll watch his other stuff though...
Nights of Cabiria (1957) - Federico Fellini
Obviously much closer to my kind of mentality/sensibilities. I liked La Strada better and thought it was much better suited for Masina's face and gesticulations (some of the clownishness was seeping out in Cabiria too which I could have gone without) but she's still pretty spectacular and carries the entire film really well. I love the host of characters, the street life and atmosphere of Fellini's Italy and particularly the ending. Definitely adding it to my collection. -
The cranes are flying (1957) - Mikhail Kalatozov
Ok, the first half hour of this one is extraordinary. I can't remember if I've ever seen any pre-1960s film which managed to show such incredible intimacy and genuine tenderness between a love couple. A lot of this is probably due to the casting, especially with Tatyana Samojlova who has a very Audrey Hepburn-like charm. But as soon as the boyfriend gets sent off to war the flow is lost, the characters start behaving oddly
WARNING: "the cranes are flying" spoilers below
(I'm still trying to process why she married Mark)
(I'm still trying to process why she married Mark)
and the story is underdeveloped. In that sense it's kind of similar to Atonement which was brilliant until the shift to the front when it loses all its momentum. I would have preferred it had they kept the focus on their relationship
WARNING: "The cranes are flying" spoilers below
(kept him alive perchance, which would have added all sorts of interesting complexities to the plot).
(kept him alive perchance, which would have added all sorts of interesting complexities to the plot).
..alas...:\
The African Queen (1951) - John Huston - It's just a treat to see two of the greatest and most lovable actors of the last century doing their thing. Everything else is secondary (but the story is pretty good too
).
The Killing (1956) - Stanley Kubrick - The ending really ruined it for me (I mean, c'mon!) but pretty good heist/noir/somethingorother nonetheless. Sterling Hayden is pretty great, I've been intrigued by this man ever since I saw The long goodbye (he's fantastic in it), I've read up a bit about his life and wow...respect.
Paths of glory (1957) - Stanley Kubrick - One of the best (anti-)war films out there. Outstandingly realistic performances from the cast (especially the scene in the holding place). I couldn't believe this was filmed only a year after The Killing. It's an entirely different sort of film.
The Shining (1980) - Stanley Kubrick - Loved some bits, but the downside to watching such pop-culture classics is that you know a lot of the scenes already which takes away some of their power. Other than that, horror just isn't my genre of choice so this film probably has the least replay value of all of his films I've seen so far. :\
The graduate (1967) - Mike Nichols - Great fun. Laughed my ass of at certain scenes. Hoffman was absolutely perfectly cast, the soundtrack was great and my God, Ann Bancroft has an amazingly commanding presence doesn't she? Dayum...Will add to my library a-sap. (:
Battle of Algiers (1966) - Gillo Pontecorvo - Pretty spectacular considering when it was made (documentary style years ahead of its time methinks). And surprisingly enough, given that it was financed by Algeria, it's very even handed in that none of the sides come out looking particularly good. You also get a great insight into their struggle. I don't think it has much replay value for me though...:\
Persona (1966) - Ingmar Bergman - I liked and understood most of it, which is why I like his brand of art film, he does actually try and spell it out for you. I didn't understand the opening or closing sequences though but it doesn't matter much I figure. Very good idea, but spectacular performances from the two leads. It was a pleasure to watch great acting...
Psycho (1960) - Albert Hitchcock - It was all pretty good, but as I mentioned in The Shining, too much of it has been exploited indefinitely in the last 50 years so pretty much all of the initial impact is gone since I knew what happens in the end. Still worth watching, I guess...
Vertigo (1958) - Alfred Hitchcock - Probably the most languid of the films I've seen by him. It does force the psychological issues too much, but Hitch has had that problem in many a film (remember Spellbound? *shudders*)...in any case, enjoyable...
Breaking away (1979) - Peter Yates - Pretty average post high school- feel good- small time America- teen drama. But dayum, Dennis Quaid was RIPPED in his younger days...
The treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948) - John Huston - I'm a bit ambiguous about this one, on the one hand it was very engaging and I found myself completely suckered into taking sides and rooting for the good guys. I liked its ancient Greek idea of fatalism but on the other hand, intellectually I find it's not a very credible case of character development (I'm sorry, I've never been sold on sudden changes in personality unless the change is triggered by severe trauma. Bogie's transformation therefore struck me as somewhat silly, almost cartoonish near the end, complete with the maniacal laughter). It's also a very frustrating watch so I'm not sure what its replay value is, but let's compromise and give it a
+
Best boy (1979) - Ira Wohl - Not much to say, obviously given the subject matter (a retarded 50-something year old is being prepared for independent life) it's a given that it's going to be a very emotional documentary. I was on the verge of tears several times. Extremely melancholic viewing.
It happened one night (1934) - Frank Capra - Very charming (and apparently very influential and innovative) romantic comedy which actually made me laugh a few times (not common for older films), but the concept is a little too familiar by now (Roman holiday anyone?). Was pleasantly surprised by Clark Gable's performance (haven't seen many of his films though).
Umberto D (1952) - Vittorio de Sica - Not nearly as good as The Bicycle thieves (which for me is one of those very rare perfect 10s) but a very solid and moving neo-realist movie nonetheless. The far too obvious amateurishness of the main actor was its only major flaw for me.
In the heat of the night (1967) - Norman Jewison - Electrifying thriller with an amazing ensemble cast. But the scene stealer wasn't Poitier (whom I'm not a big fan of), but Rob Steiger.
-
A night at the opera (1935) - Sam Wood - My first Marx brothers film, EVER *le shock*. I didn't particularly care for it, even though some lines were funny. -
Amadeus (1984) - Miloš Forman - Spectacular "costume drama" (I
think that's a genre) with spectacular costumes and even better drama (I know, right?). I wish I was more familiar with the music so I could giggle and point at the soundtrack and the placement of particular pieces. Even so, I was much impressed. Although it is a bit of a commitment with a running time of just under 3 hours.
The Killing Fields (1984) - Roland Joffé - Been meaning to watch this ever since I saw Withnail and I (which I wasn't much impressed by, if you'll recall). This didn't really change my opinion of Robinson as a mediocre writer. I guess all films that deal with large scale human suffering inevitably get the attention of the Academy but I wasn't much impressed (with the film, mind you, it's based on a true story and that certainly
is impressive). I felt as though I was thrown into the middle of the story so I never really got any sense of the relationship between the two main characters. I felt it was anything
but close (Shanberg actually shows a great deal of impatience towards Pran in the beginning) so when the actual...poo starts hitting the fan I was not a little surprised to see them all start to bend over backwards to help what I assumed was an insignificant character. So the whole middle of the film seemed rather unbelievable. The last third, which focuses solely on Pran and his attempts to escape the death camps, though featuring very little dialog, is actually the most intriguing.
Oh and I also resented its cheap sentimentality. I mean the ending actually features Lennon's Give peace a chance. I mean, c'mon....
Oh and I managed to endure about 2/3 of
Being there but decided staring at the ceiling might be more interesting.