Movie Tab II

Nine



Guido Contini, a famous Italian director, is struggling with his next big film. He has no script and no inspiration, but everyone is counting on him. He tries to juggle both his new film, his wife, his mistress, his producer and his muse. Oh yeah, he also talks to his dead mother.

Nine is an ambitious film, I'll give it that. Rob Marshall, the director of the Best Picture winner Chicago serves up a mix bag with Nine. The film feels like Marshall is trying to rekindle the magic he had with Chicago, he comes up short, specifically with the musical numbers. For everything that I liked about it, there were two things I didn't. Nine needs to be more focused and shorter for it to be a film I would recommend.

The film is about film-making, yet the way Marshall presents the film to us is in the style of a stage play. Everything from the set-pieces to lighting screams stage play. It was an interesting touch, but felt out of place because it dealt with the art of film-making so much. The musical numbers, all uninspiring and rather boring, even attest to this. With the exception of Fergie, who gives us the best song and dance number that uses sand in a creative way, all the other numbers are generic and rather 'not good'. When you have a Grammy winner singing a song and then have Kate Hudson sing one, there is a difference, and it is more noticeable than the filmmakers might have wanted.

Nine has a great cast, most of them are Oscar winners too. Daniel Day Lewis, with an amazing Italian accent, is the obvious stand out. He plays sexy and stressed all in one look. Penelope Cruz is the mistress, who has the sexiest scene of this movie, her career and this year. Her work in this film is pretty basic, the other lover who wants to be the one loved. With the exception of DDL, the only other actor that is given any kind of emotional depth is Marion Cotillard. She has to go through the realization that her husband is cheating on her and make the choice to stay or leave. Everyone else is pretty much there to fill up time and sing their one song. Judi Dench is the fashion designer and she plays a motherly figure, whereas Sophia Loren plays his actual mother, well his dead mother, but he still sees and talks to her. Fergie has her one scene in which she steals the show with her tune and then Nicole Kidman turns up at the end and makes you wince with her accent. Don't get me started on Kate Hudson.

The problem is that these are good actors, with just no material to work with. Daniel Day Lewis is great, but he's a hard character to connect with, he's sleeping around with a lot of women, it feels like half the cast. Emotional scenes don't play out as well as they should and the film drags itself to the finish line near the end. I found myself wanting it to end sooner and sooner, but it kept going.

On the plus side, the choreography is great and the cinematography really grabs you, even if it is a little misplaced with it's stage feel. The film is well put together and the editing is well done. It weaves it's story in and out of timelines from Guido's life, during the musical numbers. The film isn't bad, but it didn't do anything for me either. Leaving a musical not tapping your toes or even remembering the tunes may be a bad sign. I liked it enough to give it a good rating, the cast and style are good enough for me to do so, but everything else makes me lean on the side of telling you to skip this. It's well made, but has no real heart and the film is a little on the long side, you may be checking your watch.

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Suspect's Reviews

The Good German

+

The cinematic world may be sodden with Soderbergh, but he certainly keeps things varied. The retro equipment & techniques he deploys here are more than just gimmicks, and jibe well with the plot, which itself harks back to classics like The Third Man. Although the visual and formal hat tips are pretty welcome, Soderbergh has over-reached himself somewhat by the end, with the attempt at mirroring Casablanca's finale seeming particularly foolhardy. The plot also fails to scale the heights of those that clearly inspired it, but still remains an engaging mix of romance, mystery and action. The additions of sex and swearing heighten the realism, as do the retrospective trufflings through war crimes and pragmatics, with the atrocities of V2 slave-production, and the continuing influence of the science involved, enriching a bold effort.





Big Nothing

Very uneven dark comedy that doesn't really work, but entertains in little bursts. Kind of ends up like Shallow Grave meets Scary Movie 3, only much more the latter than the former. It does embrace its inconsistencies somewhat as the third act snowballs into a jumbled pastiche of switch-back deceptions, but if anything it's not self-aware enough, and just accentuates the fragmented nature of what's gone before. So yeah, kind of a mess, which can't be saved by its quirky directorial touches, and if anything gets buried by the hoard of non-sequiturs born out of its magpie sensibilities.

(+)

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Virtual Reality chatter on a movie site? Got endless amounts of it here. Reviews over here

Nine is a remake of 8 1/2 by Fellini?

Why would they do that?

Well, technically Nine is an adaptation of the Broadway Musical from the early 1980s, which is an adaptation of Fellini's 8½.

As to why they would bother, I'm still trying to figure it out.

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"Film is a disease. When it infects your bloodstream it takes over as the number one hormone. It bosses the enzymes, directs the pineal gland, plays Iago to your psyche. As with heroin, the antidote to Film is more Film." - Frank Capra

Meh 8 1/2 is a remake of Star Wars.

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Avatar(James Cameron 2009)-I usually never do reviews I just post my opinion on the movie here so I'll do it again.Went today to see it on 3D(first time by the way,I never knew 3D was so cool)and usually I am one of those people who is a sucker for special effects and CGI.That movie was,I don't know how to describe it-beautiful wont be enough I havent seen better CGI in my life and I thought that transformers was good pfff,what Avatar did is it changed cinema forever.I never had any hopes for it judging from the trailer,I thought it was a better version of Star wars but avatar exceeds star wars 1000 times better the vision of the movie the landscapes are so beautiful that at one point of the movie a few tears came out from my eyes(not joking).The plot of the film,well we've seen many like that but I forgive James Cameron,he simply wanted to show us his creation and I'll tell you it was worth the wait.The battles are so epic and huge and you can see a lot of references to old Cameron movies.It was a great ride that I'll be glad to go and see again I recomend it to you too

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I'm in movie heaven

Invictus



Nelson Mandela has been released from prison and was voted as the South African president. Wanting to unite his country, he found a way to do so with rugby and in the South African team captain, Francois Pienaar.

Morgan Freeman was born to play this role, he knew so, and that's why he produced this film. A dream project of his, waiting for someone to take the job of directing, his old friend Clint Eastwood steps in. Who says no to Clint? Especially Freeman, who under Eastwood's direction won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. Invictus, a poem by William Ernest Henley, which is read by Mandela in the film, is well crafted and has a strong lead role. Unfortunately, the film is a by the numbers product that you seem to forget once you leave the theatre.

My main problem with the film is the lack of emotion. I couldn't care for any of the characters in this film, save for Freeman, who as I stated does an excellent job. Matt Damon, who is shown on the poster, has the supporting role here. But he is given absolutely nothing to do except play rugby. His character has no story to him, but aren't we suppose to believe in him? After all, Mandela does. He gives him inspiration to win the world cup. Matt Damon does an alright job, but nothing worth mentioning. The same goes for the rest of the cast, they seem to be there just because the story is based on real life.

Eastwood knows how to direct a film, the Academy seems to think so too, so you know going into it that it well be well crafted. This is Eastwood's first step into a semi sports movie genre. The sport is rugby, and after watching the film, I still have no idea how to play it. The final act of the game is in slow motion as well, clichéd? You know it. You can hear every grunt from every player. It is elongated to the point of annoyance. The rugby sequences did not pull me in, nor did I care for who was going to win. It doesn't feel like he is trying to step out of his comfort zone either. It feels like an Eastwood movie, take that as you want.

The best parts of the film, are when Freeman commands the screen. His presence is more interesting and entertaining than any of the rugby scenes. Speaking of a rugby scenes, I must say that every 'epic' shot of the fans in the stands looked horribly fake. At some points I thought I was watching a PS3 game. It really took me out of the experience of the film.

If the film were a bit shorter and more focused (is it a sports film or character driven film?) than I could maybe invest my interest. It seemed to balance both as nice as it could, but ultimately gave out to one more than the other and unfortunately it's the weaker part. Eastwood chooses to sidestep more important things in the film. Is this because of the script? Are we suppose to want to keep watching Mandela inspire a rugby team to unite nation? The racial undertones are there at the beginning, then completely forgotten. In the end, I wanted more from this film.

The film is not bad, it's moderately good. Some scenes are actually inspiring, but that's more because of Freeman and not the generic script. I guess I wanted a little bit more from this one. Everyone involved made it seem like it should have been a great success, instead it comes off as something that everyone just decided to throw together. This is another film that belongs in that category of good, but not good enough for me to want to recommend it to you for theatre viewing.

Avatar



A paraplegic marine is sent to a program that would give him the ability to walk, as well as be over ten feet tall with blue skin. He becomes a Na'vi, these native like creatures that live on Pandora, a moon that scientists and marines want to invade to grab some minerals that are worth lots and lots of money.

I must say that before I saw Avatar, in IMAX 3-D no less, I made an effort to avoid every trailer, every TV spots and anything regarding the plot. It was difficult because everything on the internet and in the media was AVATAR for the months leading up to it. But I managed to pull it off, knowing that knowing nothing about it would probably heighten my experience. It did. Was I expecting to be blown away? I was, did I? For the most part. The film, from a visual and technical stand point is marvelous. Is it the next step in film-making? It looks like it, but it feels more like a first step and not the giant leap people have been waiting for.

Avatar stars the next big star, Sam Worthington. His twin brother has died and the government needs him to operate this avatar that is worth millions. Since he is genetically identical, they figured it would be fine. Sigourney Weaver is the person spearheading the operation, she is always butting heads with Stephen Land, the Colonel and Giovanni Ribisi, the head honcho of everything. She wants to learn and comes to love the natives, they want to blow them all up. There is our conflict ladies and gentlemen. Where is Worthington in all this? He becomes emotionally attached to one of the Na'vi creatures and fights on their side. I don't blame him because for the first time ever, I was sexually attracted to a creature created from motion capture, played by Trekkie Zoe Saldana.

So Avatar is the big game changer, or so they say. Let me say that I wanted this film to be my Star Wars. I wasn't alive when that film came out, so I've never really had that AWE moment. Lord of the Ring came close and Avatar has come even closer. But it never really reached it. Cameron and his team have created a world with so much detail that you'll probably have to see the film twice just to break the surface. He paints the film in beautiful colours, even at night. Everything illuminates beautifully, and it was a smart move. Using 3-D technology, Cameron knew he had to brighten the picture, since everyone would have these dark classes on their eyes. His camera, which he created, gave him an edge on using the technology and he uses it well. It's not gimmicky like G-Force or lame like Harry Potter.

The film has many memorable sequences. I had heard the final battle is off the wall crazy and while it was well done and looked great, I didn't feel like it was 'off the wall crazy'. Seeing Worthington try and tame a creature of flight was one of the more memorable moments. Every moment on Pandora is beautiful and you literally have no idea what to expect. Cameron has created something new here and I commend him for that. In a year full of sequels and load obnoxious films that feel stale, Cameron has created a world that is new, fresh and bright. The story is something we've seen before, but we connect well enough with the characters that we care about the end battle. Did I care in Transformers? Hell no.

Cameron has yet to disappoint me, he continuously pushes the edge of technology and film in general. He takes risks and he manages to pull it off every time, despite the nay sayers. There have been millions of them, they doubted Titanic and when he proved them wrong, they doubted him again with Avatar. In my opinion, he's proved them wrong again, but I can see a lot of people not liking the film as much, The reason? A lot of people are having gripes with the story. It's not bad, it's just been done. I don't care if it's been done, as long as it's done well. Avatar does it well. People tell me that they don't expect the film to blow them away, it might not. I totally expect people to be 50/50 on this film.

In the end, Avatar is a film you need to see. I saw it in 3-D and in IMAX, I went in knowing nothing about it. I had no idea that they all controlled the Na'vi creatures, I had no idea about why they were there or even that he had a twin. Was the film worth it? It sure was, the experience is one to marvel in. This film was a film made for IMAX, and in the words of Cameron himself, made for 3-D. I don't think I would have enjoyed it as much as I did if it were a regular screen. Everyone's talking about it, everyone's seeing it, so be a part of the phenomenon.

Some really amazing movies this time around



Very interesting crime thriller starring Tom Selleck. He was definately the best choice for the role of Jesse Stone. Even through it is a made-for-television movie, I didn't think it was all that noticable. A really good script. The story line is two cases that are sort of woven together in the end very nicely. It isn't much of a mystery because you know the villians pretty near the beginning. But they are so insane they kinda scared me. Something of a few side storylines thrown in for depth too but work out well. Although don't take the tv rated R too lightly. The bodies are sorta grisly and there is some sexual content. I don't plan to continue with the series because they aren't the sort I see getting better with age, however.

Stone Cold:

I can definately understand why some prefer this sequel to the original. I kept getting interrupted when I watched it and that seemed to take away just slightly from the tension. I'm pretty sure I've never seen a movie with action sequences as long as this one. When the action finally breaks for awhile, you're left with an excellent story line. Humorous touches throughout a good script. Excellent acting as expected and a must-see for sci-fi or action fans.

Terminator 2: Judgement Day:

This thriller is "untouchable". The cast is absolutely terrific with each great actor playing their part perfectly. Plenty of nail-biter moments throughout this film. The storyline is based on a true story, and I never quite know how to judge those. However, it made a fascinating plot. At the end, I was actually ready for more. I was also very impressed with the musical score and direction. Morricone's score is awesome, lively, and suspense-drving. De Palma created some great camera shots. Highly recommended.

The Untouchables:

Carefree kind of screwball classic perfect for lightening up any mood. One would probably guess this is one of Capra's with all the good-feeling to it. The storyline is actually very cute and somewhat curious. Jean Arthur leads the excellent cast including Ray Milland and Edward Arnold. The dialouge is pretty fast with some physical gags thrown in. Plenty of laughs and a heart-warming charm for fans of this type.

Easy Living:

Amazing film. Period. I have only one regret about watching this movie, I already knew the ending. I spoiled it for myself when was about 11, so I didn't quite get the shock at the end so many people talk about. I was proud of myself though for catching a couple clues. However, the film was still a terrific watch. Bruce Willis was great as the lead role, but Haley Joel Osment stole the show in this one for me. His acting is deep and flawless. The supporting cast is notably good as well. M. Night Shalyman has created one of the creepiest movies I've ever seen. It's so eerie and suspenseful that it leaves you with chills after it's over.

The Sixth Sense:

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The Man In The White Suit ( Alexander Mackendrick, 1951 ) - The ironic, understated tone of most of the humor keeps things low-key but effective. It's the kind of approach that is far more challenging than direct ridicule, and it takes disciplined film-makers to make something like this work.

Twelve O'Clock High (Henry King, 1949) -



Terrific film about the psychological and physical hardships which American pilots had to undergo during the height of WWII when they were forced to bomb Germany during the daytime, often in good weather. The number of flights required of each man continues to rise even though more and more of them are "cracking up" from the pressure and the trauma of seeing their brethren shot out of the sky. The film is told in flashback as Adjutant Major Stovall (Oscar Winner Dean Jagger - Best Supporting Actor) returns to the now-barren English airfield in 1949 and relives what happened in 1942 and 1943 with his group. The popular commander, Col. Davenport (Gary Merrill), isn't getting enough precision bombing out of his men (or so headquarters thinks because they believe him to be too friendly with the men), and he's replaced by the "sterner" General Savage (Gregory Peck), who's immediately confronted by an entire group of unhappy men who all want to transfer out of his outfit because they think what's happened to Davenport is unfair. Savage, with the help of Stovall (he "loses" the transfer paperwork) is able to bring the men around eventually and proves to them that they can do things which are seemingly impossible and needed if the Allies are to win the war. What makes Twelve O'Clock High still so potent is that it's all about the people who have to risk their lives on a daily basis for the good of humankind. It's definitely not a gung-ho war film; in fact, it's a very potent anti-war film, but it's one of those films which makes the case that some wars are necessary and have to be won, no matter what the cost. The fact that the cost is the blood and broken bodies of men and the never-ending heartbreak of their families is just one reason why it's a classic film, not just a classic war film.


The Thing (John Carpenter, 1982)



I think that's just about one of the coolest movie posters I've ever seen. The Thing is a wild reimaging of the Hawks/Nyby 1951 flick and closer in tone to the original John W. Campbell Jr story which is apparently one of the first sci-fi stories about shape-shifters from outer space. At the time of its release, The Thing wasn't really greeted with good reviews, but I've always loved it, and I find it to be Carpenter's masterpiece. It's a lean, mean, fighting machine with almost nothing in the way of wasted scenes and a strong sense of its own capability of holding your interest while taking it's sweet time in building things up. Now, Carpenter has always tried to build his films in a similar fashion, but to me, this is the one where he's far more successful than ever before or since. Maybe it's the exotic location of Antarctica. Who can name more than five films, not including documentaries and cartoons, which take place on that continent? Maybe it's the mind-boggling special and makeup effects which to this day are some of the most-disgusting-yet-witty displays of violent destruction of life ever depicted on film. Maybe it's the combo of the men's camraderie and their contempt of each other because once it becomes clear what the hell this thing is and what it wants to do, it makes the all-male cast want to keep to themselves even though they all would probably like to have someone cover their back if they could only trust them. Both Twelve O'Clock High and The Thing are about men facing impossible odds in an attempt to survive and theoretically help save humankind. In The Thing, there's a computer calculation which states that if the ONE Thing were left to its own devices, it would take over every single living thing on earth in about three years. So yeah, that showdown at the end of The Thing, which reminds me more of John Huston's The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (Dobbs and Curtin betting on who's going to fall asleep first) than it does anything in Hawks' Red River or the original The Thing (Hawks being Carpenter's fave director), is basically about the survival of the human race. Cool.

The Bitter Tea of General Yen (Frank Capra, 1933)



Frank Capra snuck this delirious flick in before the Hays Office had a chance to gather enough power to stomp it out because of all the potentially-objectionable behavior within it. These would include miscegenation, unmarried sex, Eastern thought overcoming Christianity, and even something resembling "Good Vs. Evil". It tells the story of a young American woman Megan (Barbara Stanwyck) who comes to war-torn China to marry her missionary fiance, but instead is captured and held by Chinese War Lord General Yen (the awesome Nils Asther, a Dane who, unsuccessfully, once proposed to Greta Garbo). The film begins as a cautionary fable about the differences between the East and the West, but General Yen, whose first encounter with Megan involves his auto callously running over and killing her rickshaw boy, quickly causes her to try to understand all the contradictions apparent in him. General Yen treats his Chinese women as sexual slaves, especially the intelligent Mah-Li (Toshia Mori), but he's fascinated with Megan, and eventually she succumbs to his "courtship" which involves discussions of art, literature, the moon, fruit trees, and love which lasts longer than life. Capra made this film after he was already a very-commercial filmmaker, but none of his "classics" for which he's mostly known for nowadays had been filmed yet, so he throws in as many different action-packed, exotic and beautiful scenes as he can. The cinematography, sets, costumes, etc., are all gorgeous with luxurious lighting and moody music. There's a spectacular fantasy sequence where Megan dreams of Yen as both a Fu Manchu-type monster with long finger nails and a Joe College-type rescuer with a mask on. The thing is that it's difficult to tell which version of Yen turns her on more. The Bitter Tea of General Yen is unique in the Capra canon, although some of its Eastern action and peaceful glamour are found in his later classic, Lost Horizon. However, it's doubtful that Capra or any other American filmmaker from the classic period ever made a film more unique, personal and ravishing about such a bizarre situation. It's almost enough to restore your soul in the faith of movies. I realize that this is another film which is occasionally accused of racism because the male lead is a European, but I find that a no-brainer because Nils Asther actually gives one of the more-thoughtful performances of the early '30s, and he and Stanwyck generate a palpable heat sexually and an honest understanding between their kindred souls. Just check out that closing look on Stanwyck's face as she listens to Yen's American former "Secretary of the Treasury" (Walter Connolly) and tell me that she isn't head over heels in love. OOPS! CENSORED!


Conan the Barbarian (John Milius, 1982)



I'm not a comic book fan. I don't say this to attack all of you who are, but what I'm trying to say is that I've never actually bought a comic book in my life. Now, I've also never bought any marijuana in my entire life, but it always seems to be available to me, and in that same manner, comic books have always been available. Conan never meant anything to me, but it meant a helluva lot to my H.P. Lovecraft-loving brother, so of course, we immediately went out and watched the Sneak Preview of this flick. Sure, I loved it. The beginning was reminiscent of the attack on the ice lake in Alexander Nevsky and Basil Poledouris' score, which is definitely one of my three fave (along with Morricone's Days of Heaven and Moross's The Big Country) is highly-reminiscent of Prokofiev's groundbreaking Nevsky score. The film is an opera in the same way that Once Upon a Time in the West is an opera. Who needs dialogue when the visuals and the music can tell the story so much better? Oliver Stone wrote a script which was deemed acceptable, but director Milius, who co-wrote Apocalypse Now, decided to make it more realistic and less fantasy. Therefore, he probably made it less-"Conan". Anyway, Conan the Barbarian is a legit film to me; it's not a comic book and it's not a prequel to the silly Conan the Destroyer. I realize that many people accuse this Conan film of being WAY TOO serious, but then again, others say it's WAY TOO silly, and that's just completely unfair. I find it a perfect reflection of its time. It came out at the same time as Excalibur, Dragonslayer, Clash of the Titans, etc., but it was all about this kid whose family was killed by a marauding KING of an alternate universe who didn't bother to take him under his wing as so many conquerors do. Instead, Thulsa Doom (the menacing, hypnotic James Earl Jones) just leaves him to be tortured for most of his life, and of course, that turns out to be Thulsa Doom's fatal flaw. Even if Milius doesn't admit it in the special features, I find the ending of Conan the Barbarian to be Milius's way of trying to improve upon Coppola's ending of Apocalypse Now, and he succeeds because the ending of Apocalypse Now pretty much relegates THAT film to the state of mediocre. HA! Here, I'm going to say it: Conan the Barbarian is both less-pretentious and more-successful than Apocalypse Now. YOWZA!

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It's what you learn after you know it all that counts. - John Wooden
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I wanted to see this myself but I only caught the tail end. Let me add that Nils Asther is gorgeous and quite sexy as General Yen and that the Capra encouraged the make-up department to go out of its way to make the Scandanavian Asther look convincingly Chinese. Rather than using tape to give a slant to the eyes prosthetic eyelids were created and Asther suffered burning of the eyes under the heavy Klieg lights they used in those days. One thing I found odd was the cinematography. Stanwyck (a very young woman) was photographed in vaseline and gauze mode to give her a romantic look while her co-star, Asther was photographed clearly in the same scene. I found this choice a bit disturbing to watch. It looked as if they were in two different movies. It wasn't unusual to photograph lovers or older women in that mode but it was disconcerting when the female lead was so young and her co-star was filmed with all the sharp edges clearly defined.

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Louise Vale first woman to play Jane Eyre in the flickers.

I just want Joan Greenwood to tell me "no" leaning back in a defenseless position with her arms above her head.

I believe she has the sexiest voice ever.

Absotively posilutely.

Le Orme aka Footprints (Luigi Bazzoni, 1975)
Another elegant minimalist visual feast courtesy of Bazzoni and cinematographer Vittorio Storaro. A sort of surreal psychological thriller; Le Orme is infinitely more interesting than their previous (above average) giallo The Fifth Cord, with Florinda Bolkan's Rome based interpreter drawn to the remote island town of Garma after blacking out for three days. Once there she follows a trail of clues and information from various locals and tourists who all seem to recognise her as having been there before. Slow paced but compelling nevertheless, with an unforgettable haunting atmosphere of desolation, and some fantastic imagery. I've never seen anything else like it.

also rewatched a couple of classics. Once I get a new computer I'd like to discuss these properly (My library time allotment is running out). I think they both deserve their own threads.



Blow-Up (Michelangelo Antoini, 1966)
Poetic film about perception, gender roles, and interpretation no doubt partially influenced the Italian giallo craze that followed (consider how many gialli involve photographers and fashion houses) but is so much more. As much an arty social commentary on swinging sixties London and sexual freedom as anything else. Plus Herbie Hancock's music is great.



Network (Sidney Lumet, 1976)
Gyaaa!!! really low on time now. What can I say? It's always great to revisit Lumet's Network when I'm feeling angsty and cynical about the world. This is probably one of the greatest scripts of all time, and the cast are all outstanding. Just as relevant now (probably more so) as it ever was; someone should strap Simon Cowell down and force him to watch A Clockwork Orange style. Watch it then listen to Rage Against the Machine right after.

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100 Favourites From The Future: REWIRED

Adaptation (Spike Jonze, 2002) -

An ingenious little film in just about every regard. The biggest credit must go to Charlie Kaufman's script that manages to rise above postmodern convention and deliver something that's at times amusing, captivating and above all interesting. Served as a good reminder to check out other Kaufman-related films.



Public Enemies (Michael Mann, 2009) -

I'd heard this was kind of a let-down, and I'm not sure how much that coloured my judgment. Maybe it made a difference, maybe it didn't. In any case, I was by and large unimpressed by this. Way too many of the characters lack serious definition, the film's whole high-definition look is a bit too distracting to enjoy properly (at least not on regular DVD) and the film lacks a real sense of tension. A pretty disappointing exercise.



Adventureland (Greg Mottola, 2009) -

On paper, it's a decidedly average coming-of-age comedy-drama peppered with the odd funny moment. However, this gets the edge over said average film through through a number of things that are admittedly simple factors - some decent characters, a pretty cool 1980s soundtrack (breakin' the law, breakin' the law...) and overall just a sort of - vibe. Hard to explain, really, although I think people get what I mean in a way. Yeah...I don't know. I just liked the movie and can't really articulate it with any sort of critical approach at the moment.



Synecdoche, New York (Charlie Kaufman, 2008) -

Kaufman's directorial debut may just be the most surreal of all the films he's written, which functions as a double-edged sword here. The film gives off the vibe of being so confusing on an initial viewing that it demands repeat viewings, yet it remains so fascinating to watch that I wouldn't actually mind going through with a second viewing to pick up on stuff. It's generally really weird, but in a pretty good way.



Revolutionary Road (Sam Mendes, 2008) -

It almost seems a bit narrow-minded to dismiss Revolutionary Road outright as yet another exercise in exploring the angst that festers in the prim and proper world of American suburbia, but that's essentially all it is. It's a little too drawn-out and melodramatic in parts, but it's photographed well and the acting isn't so bad. However, it's not really much chop when it comes down to it.



Star Trek (J.J. Abrams, 2009) -

I only have the most basic familiarity with the show, but I generally liked this update. Not exactly the best blockbuster I've seen all years, but overall it was pretty decent.

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Iro's Top 100 Movies v3.0

The Wild One ( Laslo Benedek, 1953 ) - Every so often that movie comes along that defies everything, everyone and all expectations. It reaches beyond the realms of mere big screen entertainment and constructs iconography and archetypes that are so enduring that to this day they are relevant and have an effect.

Brando deserves all of the accolades he's received over the years from this role. He could have easily carried the film on his own. He's charismatic, cool, and complex, and he only becomes more complex and darker as the film goes on. Eventually he says more through silence than most actors do through long monologues.

A scene that is, and forever shall be ingrained into the Hollywood psyche is when Johnny is standing by a jukebox and one of his gang members is dancing with a girl and she asks, `B.R.M.C., what does that stand for?'. Johnny's gang member replies `The Black Rebels Motorcycle Club' and she replies `Hey Johnny, what are you rebelling against?' and he replies, in what could very possibly be the most career defining sentence that has ever been uttered on-screen, `Whaddya got?'. Now in this day and age that comes across as incredibly trite and corny but in those days, in that social environment that existed in Western Culture, that movie was called incendiary and ran into censorship troubles (cue The Hayes Code) and in England was banned outright until sometime in the mid 70s. While watching this movie one must remain totally and utterly aware of the context of this movie.





The Young Lions ( Edward Dmytryk, 1958 ) - An adaptation of Erwin Shaw's novel of the same name, which examines World War II and conveys a strong anti-war sentiment through the stories of three characters - a terrific book to make into a film.

Brando's portrayal of Diestl was brilliant right up to the end. His ideals, his heroism in France, his dissatisfaction of his duty, his affair with his Captain's wife, his disillusionment, his pitiful retreat, and his sense of humanity that is heavily clouded by his blind ideals were all vividly brought to the screen by Marlons skillful rendering.

One of the very best moments of the film is the sequence in which Christian, tired of fighting, tells his officer, while riding on a motor cycle, what a waste of energy the war is. Brando had written most of his dialogue himself, which makes the movie even more interesting.





Giant ( George Stevens, 1956 ) - Filled with excellent writing, fabulous direction and technical elements, outstanding performances, gorgeous photography, and plenty of depth via subtly implied philosophical ideas.

The cinematography and production design are consistently beautiful. The stark Texas landscapes couldn't have more impact. The Benedict home is oddly Gothic and a bit eerie in its exterior, and lushly gorgeous and Victorian inside. Later scenes give the interior a redecoration to match changing fashions.

Giant is heavy on symbolism in many ways. Jett Rink's newfound fortune isn't just a personal transformation, but it symbolizes changing technology and the necessary adaptations to remain viable economically; it's a move away from a more agrarian existence. There is also pithy commentary on World War II--just look at who returns in one piece and who doesn't, and the different attitudes towards this.

Tetro 2009

Finally got my hands on Coppola's Tetro, which really ended up being the actors' Tetro. Excellent performances, rich cinematography, a haunting score, and a screenplay that's surprisingly simple. What appears to be Coppola once again voyaging into the surreal to tell his story, is only a front.





The Motorcycle Diaries 2004

Where you find Bernal, you'll find an ambitious movie. Although this is the weakest I've ever seen him, likewise weakest film I've seen him in. The whole movie is about Che changing, but he really doesn't. It's much too external, his attachment to the people isn't explored, it's just there - out of the blue.





You the Living 2009

I still believe a movie with no core plot could work, but it'd have to be exciting. You the Living is very patient, very minimalistic, work with few rewards. Many of it's situations are built without finish and it becomes a dull endless ensemble.





Little Big Man 1970

I was more than a little surprised when I discovered this was not the dramatic western epic I imagined. Little Big Man is a screwball comedy set in the violent era of the American colonization. Hoffman's totally over the top performance sets the overall tone - but curious, deeper roles, like the seductive Dunaway's Louise make it a story worth telling.





The White Ribbon 2009

Unlike Little Big Man, the story is not being told by someone threatened to lose your interest. It doesn't want to be told and your curiosity is never rewarded. It's a curious film with the patient power of subtlety, but aggravatingly hallow.

White Christmas ( Michael Curtiz, 1954 ) - I have to say the most impressive performer of the quartet is Vera-Ellen, a phenomenal dancer who was the equal of Astaire and Kelly at her peak. She makes even Kaye look good in their musical duets - "The Best Things Happen While You're Dancing" and the amusing Martha Graham riff, "Choreography". However, her best numbers are with dancer John Brascia - the elaborate "Mandy" number where her pliable, slender frame seems to be everywhere on the screen, and the brief rehearsal number, "Abraham", where she and Brascia snap, pop, clap, kick and swing with unerring military precision. It's worth noting that her singing is dubbed by vocalist Trudy Stevens, which is pointed out by Clooney on the less-than-informative audio commentary track in the DVD package. Much better is the 16-minute retrospective interview with Clooney where her natural sense of humor emerges.

There are other numbers worth mentioning in the movie - the duet, "Sisters", done first straight by the women and later by the men as a comedy routine in half-drag (Kaye steals this bit handily with his over-the-top clowning); the foursome on the vintage Berlin "Snow" and "Gee, I Wish I was Back in the Army"; and of course, the title tune at the end.

Special mention needs to be given to Loyal Griggs's vibrant Technicolor cinematography, which makes the entire movie look appropriately like a bright red candy box, and the print transfer in the DVD almost fully captures the original visual quality. This is undemanding entertainment and a dependable holiday classic that feels like a favorite well-worn blanket.

The Good, The Bad, The Weird (Ji-Woon Kim, 2008) -

It's easy to dismiss this as a low-rent rip-off of a certain Sergio Leone film, but to do that is to dismiss a rather inventive action film. Even though it shares plenty of similarities with Leone's film (three wildly different lead characters all end up chasing one another towards buried treasure), it manages to twist the storyline in a variety of inventive way, throwing in plenty of elaborate action sequences and some surprisingly good character development. The film also looks a treat with its inventive use of colour and ambitious camerawork, especially in each of the film's action setpieces. The ending is also a hell of a treat. I'd consider this one of my favourite films of 2008 and highly recommend it to everyone.



Wake in Fright (Ted Kotcheff, 1971) -

It's a modern-day horror story - an urbane schoolteacher tries to make his way from the middle of the Australian outback to Sydney in order to go on summer holidays, but a cruel twist of fate leads to him being stuck in an isolated country town. There he ends up rubbing shoulders with the crazed locals, never seeming able to escape the town. The film is yet another example of a simple story stretched a little too thin across a fairly lengthy run-time with several segments that do just drag on (such as a drunken kangaroo hunt) and the acting's fairly sketchy, to say nothing of the various instances of "experimental late-60s/early-70s" camerawork and editing. I'll give it an alright rating for some decent photography and some unusual developments, but other than that it's pretty unremarkable in its depiction of rural Australia as a purgatory saturated in booze and blood.