Film views from Sarge

Disturbia (2007)

I re-watched this film last night and enjoyed it as much as I did the first time.

The film is about a troubled young man called Kale (LaBeouf) who is placed under house arrest.

The film centres around what he does whilst he is confined to his property and the observations he makes of his neighbours.

The film is a great example of how a film should raise the tension as well as maintain a sense of intrigue throughout.

LaBeouf is excellent in his role and I find him utterly convincing.

Overall it is a slick, quirky and edgy thriller.

This film was a bit weird. It was ok, and good in parts but for me it was guilty of trying to do to much.
It was a funny and lighthearted indy film in parts and then switched to a gangster shoot em up, with plenty in between.
I liked the 2 main characters and the actors that played them but at times I was thinking what am I watching.
It was like a mash up of 'Napoleon Dynamite' and 'Snatch'

It wasn't bad, but I still can't decide if I enjoyed it or not.

Buffalo 66

Release date: 2 October 1998
Director: Vincent Gallo
Cinematography: Lance Acord
Screenplay: Vincent Gallo, Alison Bagnall

I had never heard of this film before the nomination to this HoF.
I knew that Vincent Gallo is a controversial figure, but wasn't fully sure why, and chose not to research this until after I had viewed the film, so that I could judge the film on it's own merits.

From the opening scene of this film I loved the cinematography and that continued for the full length of the film.
As I knew so little about this film, I was also really intrigued to see what story would unfold.
The film starts with Billy Brown leaving prison and making his way home. He is also looking for a toilet/bathroom. The search for a toilet leads to Billy seeing an opportunity to make a lie seem true, and sets the story into motion.



What I liked

Cinematography - As I have said, I loved the way the film was shot. It was very classy and somehow gave a greater sense of realism to the film for me.
The colour palette and composition are an outstanding feature of this film. It was Lance Acords feature debut and it was breathtaking.
Acting - As I said, I had never heard of this film before the nomination and had chosen not to read anything about it before viewing. Therefore I didn't realise that Gallo was the lead until after I had watched it. In my opinion he was superb. He portrayed a deeply complex and affected young man superbly. I disliked the character and cared deeply for him in equal measure, and that is a credit to the acting. I didn't realise Ricci was in this until she appeared on screen and was pleasantly surprised, as I am a fan of her work and consider her to be a seriously under rated actress. She was once again excellent.
The quality of acting from the two leads, gave the film a greater authority and sense of realism.
Characters- The two lead characters were multi layered and beautifully complex. That was true of the supporting characters too. They were all so weird and eccentric that it made them feel more real and sincere.
Screenplay - This was a really well written story the character of Billy Brown was initially easy to dislike but a glimpse into his past and to his family gave an understanding of that, which then led my to sympathy and pity.








What could have been better

I am not sure a lot could have been done better. The flashback sequences were a bit weird as they blocked in.
There was little background to Ricci's character, but I would assume that was intentional as the focus was on Billy.
I fluctuated between thinking that the story was really believable and utterly ridiculous and still don't know where I ultimately landed.


Summary

I really enjoyed this film. I wasn't sure that I would and neither was Camo.
Well, I say enjoyed, but I mean I appreciated it's quality throughout and then the last 5 minutes led to it being a film that i 'enjoyed'.
It is a very raw and sincere film that has a sensitivity to it.
Overall, I think it is a great piece of work with a genuine undercurrent of complexity to the characters.

Catch me if you can (2003)

I last watched this 10 or more years ago.

I remember that I liked it and have wanted to rewatch it for a while now.

Finally got around to doing so and am so glad that I did.

I realise that I had never fully appreciated it the first time, but that is more to do with me than the film.

The way I watch films and my appreciation of them has changed so much over the last 5-7 years.

This is an excellent film.


Frank living the dream

The story is one that I would find absolutely ridiculous and so far fetched if it wasn't actually based on true events.

The cast and acting was superb and I never realised until the rewatch that so many talented actors were in it including a young Amy Adams.

Hanks and Di Caprio

I previously enjoyed it, but now it is a firm favourite.

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring

Before watching this film, I had no idea what it was about. The only thing that I had heard was when reading on here that there was some dialogue about the director and his tendency to use animal cruelty in his work.

The film starts with a Buddhist monk and his young apprentice. It shows the relationship between the two.
Everything seems to be going well and then...Cupid strikes.
The film goes on to document the lives of the Monk and the apprentice through the various seasons over the years.



What did I like?
Some of the cinematography was really good, with some beautiful scenic shots of what I believe to be South Korea.
I liked the set of the film. I would like to visit and maybe have a week in the tranquillity of the house. So quiet and peaceful.
There was a good use of symbolism throughout the film. There may well have been more than I noticed, but I did notice the 'Four noble truths' woven in there, and also Samsara (Birth, Life, Death and Rebirth) that were represented by the seasons and also by different animals for each season.
My recognising of the symbolism helped me to understand the film more than I would have otherwise.



What didn't I like so much?
Overall, I just found the film boring. Everything was so slow, and with such dreary music. It felt like I was watching in real time and the years were actually passing as I watched.
I understand that it was meant to be that way but I just became more and more frustrated with it.
Apart from the Monk (Yeong-su Oh) who was great, I thought the acting was weak. The kids were unconvincing and as for the detectives
Again, apart from the Old Monk, I didn't really find myself liking or caring about any of the characters.

Summary
I think that I can understand why some people really appreciate this film and why it is highly rated by many.
As I said however, I found myself looking at the clock, and just wanting the film to finish.
This may be more to do with me than the film, but it is never a good thing to be bored when watching a film.
It wasn't awful, there were some good elements about the film, and plenty to be appreciated.
I look forward to reading what others make of this film.

The quiet earth (1985)

Another on the list that I knew nothing about. As with the others I kept it that way before viewing.
As the film started, I didn't know what to expect but was drawn in by the score and the opening scene of the sun rising...

The films starts with a man called Zac Hobson waking up to find the place eerily quiet and things become more and more strange as there seems to be no people anywhere.
The film follows Zac as he searches for answers, whilst facing challenges to his own mental well-being, from his forced solitude and the lack of answers.



What I liked
It is a great idea for a film, I love the way that I was immediately led to placing myself in that situation. What would I do? Where would I look for answers? How would I cope mentally?
The opening scenes were really good. From the sunrise scene as the film started with some music that really created an anticipation. The film did well at setting the scene and showing the uncertainty and eeriness of what was going all around Zac.
It showed how such an event may have an effect on the characters mentality.

What could be better
Some of the acting was so bad that it was comical.
Bruno Lawrence was largely good as Zac, but there was some really bad acting elsewhere in the film.
The dynamic between the characters was at times weird and confusing. I will refrain from giving specific details as I don't want to influence the opinions of others.
I said that I liked that the film addressed the effect of the events on the characters mental well being, but I thought that the way this played out in this film was a bit strange.

Summary
The film started well, and I was intrigued. It set the scene really well, and I was convinced by the world that was created on the screen.
After such a strong start, it just faded away as the film went on. I felt that it just lacked direction and descended into obscurity.
It didn't really answer the questions that I wanted it to in a comprehensive enough way.
Ultimately I think that it was a great idea for a film that largely failed to deliver after showing early promise.

Carlito's way (1993)

I have been intending to watch this film for some time. It seemed like the sort of film that I would like and had a couple of strong actors headlining in Pacino and Penn.

I quite enjoyed the film but it didn't grip me in the way that I hoped it would or that other similarly themed and styled films have.

It was stylish and slick and Pacino carried it well as you would expect and utterly convinced in his role.

It is a film about Carlito, who upon his earlier than anticipated release from prison, claims to have changed and states his intention to stay on the right side of the law.

As you would expect, and as we have seen in many other films, this is easier said than done.



There were some excellent scenes in it, with my favourite being where Carlito (Pacino) addresses Benny Blanco (John Leguizamo) whilst eating his dinner.

Another superb scene is the 'pool hall' scene, which was great fun, and yet more realistic looking than many similar scenes in other films.



As you would expect, there is a love interest, friendship, double crossing, Feds, offers of deals, betrayal, revenge etc woven into the story, as well as a lot of trash talk and violence.

As I said though, I felt that for all of the good things that this film has to offer there was just something missing.

I am not sure what it was but I think that some of it was that it all felt a bit familiar, and although I felt some sympathy for Carlito, I didn't find myself ever fully caring about how things worked out for him.

With that said, this is better than most 'mob' or 'gangster' stories, but for me it just doesn't reach the top table.

The Marriage of Maria Braun (1979)

The only thing I knew about this film before watching, was that it was in German, and I assumed that it featured a lady called Maria Braun and that somewhere she gets married.

The opening scene is indeed the wedding of Maria Braun, who is marrying Hermann (a German soldier) before who goes off to war. They have one afternoon and evening together before he leaves.

When the war ends Maria is waiting for her husband to come home, before hearing from a source that he may be dead.

The film documents the journey of Maria through that time and beyond. I will leave it there, as I don't want to be the revealing spoilers.



What I liked
Maria - The character of Maria is wonderfully complex, strong, focused, calculated and a little bit dangerous. She was acted superbly by Hanna Schygulla. It really was a great performance. I found her captivating in terms of her on screen presence but also the character.
The story - The story kept me engaged. The end game was revealed early on and although the journey twisted and changed throughout the film, I was always conscious of what Maria was striving for and was willing her to succeed in that.
Acting- I felt that the acting was largely strong over all. There were some performances that were more wooden than Pinocchio, but overall the acting was believable. It helped transmit the personalities and emotions of each character, which always helps when you are reading subtitles to obtain the dialogue.



What could have been better
The film was maybe slightly too long for what was happening on screen.
There were a few things that had me scratching my head, in the case of character behaviour, but I assume that is the case for most films that I watch.
A couple of times some characters were doing something and having a good old chat, but there was little context as to why the characters were where they were, and why they were indded there together. Maybe some things were just lost in translation.



Summary
I enjoyed this film for what it was. A story of love, yet a story of so much more. With that said, the title sums it up perfectly. It is indeed a film about Maria's marriage.
The main character and the actress that played her, commanded the screen from the start to the end. By the end of the film, I felt that I really knew Maria.
As I watched the film, it almost felt like reading a book. That was helped by the subtitles but also by the fact that you are watching a persons life, rather than it focusing on a snapshot or a single event within that life. You are viewing her Marriage to her husband and everything that happens within that and because of that.
And at the end it did feel like I had finished a good book.

So glad that it was nominated.

Straight outta Compton 2015

This film has been on my Sky planner for almost a year now.
I knew I wanted to watch it, but never found myself choosing it when sitting down to watch a film.
Today I chose to watch it, and this was mainly due to the fact that I was sick of seeing it taking up space on my planner
I am so glad that I watched it today.

It is a biopic film about a group of young men that live in Compton, in southern L.A. and they have a talent and a passion for Hip-Hop.

This focuses on their journey from Compton to making a record label and a band and ultimately becoming household names, and influencing and inspiring millions in the process.

I used to listen to a lot of hip hop when I was younger and still appreciate the talent involved. I didn't used to like the stuff that went to heavy on the guns, drugs and hoes but this film helped me gain a greater understanding, that it was in fact a reality for these young men and millions of others.



What I liked
Powerful - This film was more powerful and impacted me more than I anticipated. It highlighted my ignorance in a way that 'Hidden figures' did earlier in the year.
I have never been the victim of racial discrimination and therefore can't really understand what it feels like. We learn about things in history and of course I identify the injustice of it, but seeing it played out is more powerful, As with hidden figures, seeing the discrimination acted out contextually is a powerful thing. This film highlights the discrimination towards young black males from the police. It also shows the footage of Rodney King being beaten by police which led to the LA riots in 1992 and the verdict that was returned of 'not guilty'.
It also brought home in a powerful way, what life was like on these streets, with gangs, crime, violence, drugs etc.

Music -- As I said, I don't always like the lyrics that are included in a lot of these songs, but I really appreciate the talent it takes to write these 'rhymes'.

The story - These young men were far from perfect but were a product of their environment. It is about these young men, using their talent, passion and message to find a way out of their situations and circumstances. It really documents the struggle that they faced because of their environments and also within themselves and between one another.

Acting - The acting was top drawer, and there were strong resemblances to the people that they were playing. Small gestures and mannerisms that made me believe that I was watching a young Dre, Snoop, Ice Cube etc




What I didn't like
There was not a lot that I didn't like about this film.
It was a really well made film, and it gave me a greater insight into the lives of the people featured in the film.
Some of the lyrics in the songs are just too much for me, but that is the case with the genre of music in general. I knew that some songs that I didn't like would be in the film so it wasn't a surprise.



Summary
With all the positive things that I have said about this film, I do think it important that I do state that I realise that it was not an impartial take on events.
I know that there are stories and incidents involving the people the film is about that are not in the film. Incidents of violence, crime and drug offences that were not included.
There is some controversy that this film is glorifying young criminals that spouted hateful lyrics.
I do understand that point of view and in some ways I agree with it, however at the same time, these men that were reflective of their upbringing and surroundings, gave a voice to millions of others who could relate to the anger and pain that they had inside.
All in all it was a well made film, that made me feel and I was invested in the characters.
I have no idea how accurate this film was or how different these characters were in reality to how they were portrayed on the screen, but fI was engaged throughout and felt like I was journeying with them.

Nightmare Alley (1947)

Another of the nominations that I had never heard of. I didn't know what on earth it was about and couldn't really obtain a lot from the title.

So I kept an open mind and jumped right in.
The film starts with a group of people that work on a travelling carnival, and there is one young ambitious employee Stanton Carlisle (Tyrone Power). Who is fairly new to the job but has desires to make it to the top.

I struggled to really engage with the film, whilst appreciating it's quality. I did find my thoughts wandering throughout and at times it took real effort to focus on the film.



What I liked

Acting - For the most part the acting was good with me only having a few issues throughout. Power commanded the screen and gave a good performance and really led from the front in terms of performance.

Set - I think the set for the film was great. This was especially true of the scenes at the carnival. What I could see and hear, had me convinced that I was indeed looking in at a group of show people that worked at a travelling show.

Intrigue -- I felt that I was continually trying to guess what was going to happen next, and what certain characters agendas were etc. I didn't find it overly predictable and it maintained a level of uncertainty throughout.

Lessons- There are plenty of lessons to be learned from the story that is told in the film. There is a life lesson or two for all of us within it.



What I didn't like
There were parts of the film that had me shaking my head, One scene in particular involves 'Stan' and a Police officer/Marshall, and it had me laughing at how ridiculous I felt that it was.
I felt at times the pace was a bit slow and these were the times that I found my attention drifting.
Maybe, I wasn't in the right frame of mind (I feel ok) or something but it just seemed to lack any excitement.



Summary
I just don't think that this film was my bag. It was ok and it did a lot of things well, but I can't think of anything that I would say that it did more than well. The acting was largely good, the film looked ok, the plot was good, if a bit far fetched. There was only one character that I felt any kind of warmth for.
It was good, but not great for me.

Forbidden Games (1952)

Yet another that I had never heard of or knew anything about before I watched it. I suspected it would be in French due to the poster being in French, but that was about it.

I have just finished watching this film and I have all kinds of thoughts and feelings about it.
It was simple,complex, enchanting, weird, dark, funny, moving, happy, sad and so much more, in less than 90 minutes.
I am struggling to find what my over riding opinion is. The film has a real purity to it.
Whatever words I eventually get to, in order to sum up my thoughts on this film, they will be positive.

The film starts with a girl and her family trying to get out of Paris as it is under attack from the German bombers.


The two main characters in the film are children, Michel and Paulette.

What I particularly liked
The Characters - The characters were an absolute joy. The film is carried by the two main characters of Michel and Paulette. They are an absolute joy to behold. I found the relationship and dynamic between these two kids to be utterly charming. They are naive and don't fully realise how inappropriate some of their actions are, but they share a special friendship. Brigitte Fossey and Georges Poujouly who play the roles are excellent.

The story - Any good film rises and falls on the strength of it's story. This is a simple story with a great deal of complexity running through it. It is superbly told and from the first scene, I was transported into the story and it was almost tangible.



What I didn't like
There is not a lot that I didn't like about this film at all. There were a couple of bits where I thought "That is not realistic", but unusually for me, I really didn't care about it. It was like they didn't matter as they were a side point anyway, that only existed to highlight the heart of the story.



Summary
I have found myself surprised at how much I enjoyed and was affected by this film.
It has left me with many feelings and that is key for me, as I want films to make me feel.
I was genuinely sad when this film ended, as I had to leave the world that I had been enjoying for the previous 85 minutes or so.

I loved the experience of watching this film.

Great nomination by Jeff Costello