'Christine' (1983)
Not Carpenter's best but still fun and enjoyable. It is silly in places but it has to be as that's the premise of the original Stephen King story. Artie’s transformation from high school nerd to deranged vamp like monster is great to watch, and there are Terminator 2 vibes with the self re-generating Plymouth Fury (hope they didn’t smash up too many of those beautiful cars). The film explores growing pains, girls and self destruction, and there are some quality lines. “God I hate Rock n’ Roll”.
'Persepolis' (2007)
Thought I would like this more than I did. It’s not poor, just that the comedy and tragedy of it all didn’t hit me for six like I wanted it to. I also thought it would have been better done in the French language with English subtitles (why is Sean Penn in it?) as it was originally written in French for a Western audience. There is an option on the Blu-Ray to switch to French audio, but then you’re not getting the original actors voices. It’s a decent portrayal of the brutal regimes that tore families apart in Iran. I just wanted more.
'Only You' (2019)
Romantic drama starring Josh O’Connor and Laia Costa. The script is a bit wobbly and over sentimental, and it seemed to take a very long time to dig out a plot in the middle section. The third act is where it comes together somewhat. But can’t help feeling it is a missed opportunity.
'The death and life of John F. Donovan' (2019)
Xavier Dolan’s career has a whole host of great films and he’s still so young. This one isn’t his best. That accolade belongs to ‘Mommy’. But it is very interesting. It tells the connection of a young boy and his written correspondence to a famous heart-throb actor. It’s well constructed, with flashbacks and weaving timelines. And typically Dolan explores themes of sexuality, mental illness, mother-son dynamics and addiction. There are lots of facial close ups trying to get us inside the headspace of the characters.
Dolan knows how to ramp up a scene with needle drops. Music cues are a strength of his – and there is a fantastic night club scene which shows off his talent for this. However, there is also a scene where it doesn’t work, and a cover of Ben E King’s ‘Stand by Me’ is played over what should be an incredibly tender scene, but just feels far too melodramatic. A few mis-steps aside, it’s a film that Dolan fans will like. Perhaps love.
'The Souvenir' (2019)
Where to start with this one. It’s odd. It has a deadpan, almost dour like delivery. It reminded me of a Yorgos Lanthimos film in terms of atmosphere and dialogue, crossed with the pace and tone of Christopher Nolan’s ‘Following’. It is a very sparse, one dimensional film that has little to no tension or action to speak of, and instead relies on a series of life lessons for the lead character Julie. The last half hour has an almost meta / documentary feel to it – and it’s at the point you realise that it is basically a Biography by Director Joanna Hogg that it all clicks.
WARNING: "The Souvenir" spoilers below
It’s at this point you begin to ask yourself – are we seeing a slice of life in the early 80s that the Director went through? Is she Julie? Is this film that we are actually watching – the result of that experience? Instead of making a film about a boy in Sunderland, Julie is told to relate more to her actual experiences, which will mean her work will have more of a connection to her. Her privilege, her ups and downs etc. So ‘Souvenir’ seems to be literally her tale of how the film came into being. Which is a rather brilliant concept. Right down to the painting called ‘The Souvenir’ – in which a young girl (also named Julie) carves the initials of her lover into a tree.
It’s at this point you begin to ask yourself – are we seeing a slice of life in the early 80s that the Director went through? Is she Julie? Is this film that we are actually watching – the result of that experience? Instead of making a film about a boy in Sunderland, Julie is told to relate more to her actual experiences, which will mean her work will have more of a connection to her. Her privilege, her ups and downs etc. So ‘Souvenir’ seems to be literally her tale of how the film came into being. Which is a rather brilliant concept. Right down to the painting called ‘The Souvenir’ – in which a young girl (also named Julie) carves the initials of her lover into a tree.
I’d hesitate to recommend this film to anybody as it is probably a little abstract / obscure compared to your average movie. But it is one for those who like to be challenged.
'Casino' (1995)
I struggled a bit with this re-watch. The trademark Scorsese God shots, Dutch angles and zooms were a joy as always. But it felt like it was an unnecessary pastiche of Goodfellas. Did we really need this film? Everything that was good about it had been done before. It just had more of the same plus repeated ehtnic insults.
Reply to Topic
.
– came to mind as I watched. The last time The Crying Game was on I was surprised at how good Forest Whitaker's accent was. Granted his character voice is quite unusual but I think it's well-observed enough to be convincing; also the character's family supposedly "moved to Tottenham" which you could infer to be from abroad rather than just from another part of the country. Miranda Richardson's also brilliant with her Northern Irish accent.
