Slay's Reviews

FOX AND HIS FRIENDS ***



Fox (Rainer Werner Fassbinder, who also wrote and directed the film) is a gay carnival worker whose boss, and lover, is arrested at the beginning of the film for tax evasion. Fox is a blue-collar worker that has very little education and absolutely no refinement whatsoever. He’s also rough around the edges and doesn’t prove to be all that sensitive of a man. One thing that he really loves is to play the lottery. The day that his lover is carted off, he meets a distinguished gentleman who wants to spend some time with him alone. On the way to their interlude, Fox begs the man to stop at a convenience store so he can buy his lottery ticket. The next thing we know, we are with Fox and his new socially elite friends celebrating his winning $500,000.

The person he likes most out of this new group of friends is Eugen (Peter Chatel), a handsome, young, gay man that lures Fox to himself. At first, Fox thinks he is the dominant man in the new relationship, and tries to take control of Eugen by intimidation. In time, Fox learns that he really is only a sheep in a den of elite wolves. They know the difference between salad and dinner forks, they can speak French, and know how to dress. Fox finds his self-esteem shrinking all the time, but seems incapable of doing anything about it other than watching himself in disbelief.

Fox and His Friends is an ironic title, because none of these people care about him. He is being fleeced and he seems more than glad to help them do it. If he tries to stop them, he only shows his ignorance, and that ignorance is what he is most ashamed of.

I felt for Fox, and could relate to him after a fashion. I’ve personally been in situations that were over my head by being with serious gangsters with guns. You seem them smirk and can tell that the private joke between them is all about you, but fear stops you from saying anything. It just might start something that you’re afraid of, and all hell can break loose. The acting by all concerned in the film is spot-on. They had the looks between themselves and it was obvious that Fox could see it, but was afraid to acknowledge it. He could only play along in a game that everyone was aware of and wasn’t about to disrupt.

Fox and His Friends isn’t a fun film, but rather a depressing tale of a loss of ones self. It also shows what can happen to a person that isn’t used to the white-collar wolves that inhabit our world, and who will surround you when you gain means quickly. At first, I didn’t like Fox, but could tell quickly that he was all an act. He was king of the mountain in his world and he figured that his rough and arrogant attitude would transfer itself easily into the new world he was so quickly thrust into. Unfortunately, he had no clue what he was in for.

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"Today, war is too important to be left to politicians. They have neither the time, the training, nor the inclination for strategic thought. I can no longer sit back and allow Communist infiltration, Communist indoctrination, Communist subversion and the international Communist conspiracy to sap and impurify all of our precious bodily fluids."

Again I ask DO YOU SLEEP! i can't keep up with you, my list of must watch, is getting bigger and bigger, you need to come to my house and I will make you rest, sleep relax, etc etc.

Great reviews, I am just jealous of your ability to do so many things.

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Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship.
Buddha

I'm still unemployed. Over the weekend, I'll watch four or five movies and one a night during the week. I write the reviews for them on the weekends. The movies are free because the local library has tons of indie and foriegn DVDs to check out that nobody wants to. So, during the week, I'll stop by the library at the beginning of my job search, and stop again at the end of it. I have about 30 DVDs at any one time. My reading I do during the day while I'm in transit. I can't really afford all the gas to look for work, so I stick to the train and the buses. That's a good time to read. I have a few more foriegn films here that I need to watch like, Happenstance from France starring Audrey Tautou from Amelie, The Piano Teacher from Austria, and Son of the Bride from Spain.

I saw Cinema Paradiso some years ago and I remember that I liked it a lot. I suspect that I watched the shorter version because I recall thinking that the first act was absolutely beautiful and heartwarming while the second act was a bit of an anti-climax. It's a really long time since I saw it and maybe my views about it would be different today, but I think I would like to check out the longer Director's Cut. Maybe then it'll make sense a bit more.

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The novelist does not long to see the lion eat grass. He realizes that one and the same God created the wolf and the lamb, then smiled, "seeing that his work was good".

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They had temporarily escaped the factories, the warehouses, the slaughterhouses, the car washes - they'd be back in captivity the next day but now they were out - they were wild with freedom. They weren't thinking about the slavery of poverty. Or the slavery of welfare and food stamps. The rest of us would be all right until the poor learned how to make atom bombs in their basements.

Sorry for shouting, just mucking around. Thanks for that LordyLord.

Hope you get a job soon.

I like the idea of having 30 DVD's at anyone time to watch, keep it up, really like this thread.

Lord Slayton-Have you watched The Piano Teacher yet? I've got this on video, it's brilliant.

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Gimme some sugar!

I watched it last night and I'm still trying to figure out what it is exactly I'm feeling about it. I'll write my review tonight.

Oh, this will be interesting... I will wait to give my opinion until Slay gives us a review on it though.

Hey Brian, I'd like to see a review of Wonderland (2003 - Starring Val Kilmer)

I wanted to write it tonight, but I haven't the energy. I do want to say that I'm awfully grateful to you for all the responses you've given my reviews in this thread and my war movie thread. It's really nice of you to give me support with my amatuer reviews, and for your constant positive input.



Sure, I guess I should watch it sometime first though. Thanks for the nod, man.

Sure thing! This is a movie forum and I love to discuss movies! And the ones you've seen lately happen to be interesting to me and your reviews are passionate. It's nice to see threads devoted to other films than Matrix.

THE PIANO TEACHER ***½



It’s not easy to describe The Piano Teacher, actually, it’s just as hard to interpret. I watched it the other night and have been racking my brain to figure out an appropriate review for it. One thing I am certain of is that The Piano Teacher is a descent into madness. It is an excruciatingly real and often uncomfortably voyeuristic view into the mind of a woman who can see the oblivion of a degenerative sanity that she is sure to face and completely helpless to stop.

The woman in question is Erika Kohut (Isabelle Huppert), who teaches piano at the Vienna Conservatory and takes out all of her frustrations on her pupils by day. At night, she slinks into the world of perversion, often going to the local porn shop to smell the discarded tissues left behind in the boothes. Erika lives with her mother (Annie Girardot), who is domineering and obsessively nosy. There she soaks up abuse like it is a salve. At night, they share a bed together so the mother always knows where Erika is, and if there is a time when she is gone past her regular schedule, the mother calls every few minutes to keep some semblance of control. Erika’s father is in an asylum, and we never meet him. The likelihood of heredity being part of the cause for her mental illness seems apparent, and the constant abuse from her mother only makes her collapse all the more probable. Erika is obsessed with Franz Schubert, who wrote a sonata about a man who sees the brink of his own sanity and can only watch helplessly as he loses his mind. Furthering my opinion that Erika is aware of what is happening to her.

Enter the young and charismatic Walter Klemmer (Benoît Magimel), a young engineering student with a flair for the piano. After seeing Erika at a recital, Walter becomes immediately obsessed and quickly tries to seduce her. Little does Walter know that getting to know Erica is the same as opening a Pandora’s box. I am loath to tell any more of the story than this because the shock value of what happens is what gives the film its edge.

There are many different interpretations of The Piano Teacher. Many of them see this as a tale of sexual repression, self-mutilation, S&M, and morbid erotic obsession. I personally think those are just the by-products of Erika’s impending loss of sanity. Part of the reasoning behind the different interpretations might be because there are two versions: the rated R version and the unrated version. The unrated version shows explicit scenes of self-mutilation and pornography. Regardless of how it is interpreted, it is not a movie for the easily offended or the prudish by nature. Isabelle Huppert’s portrayal of a woman on the brink is absolutely phenomenal. I cannot, for the life of me, see any of the contemporary actresses from America doing the role any justice. Annie Girardot’s role as the somewhat insane mother is noteworthy as well. The ending of the film is of the type that causes great debate. It just ends. It cuts off at a point where we are robbed of any closure or follow through. There is no way of knowing what happens to Erika specifically, but we do know that she is lost. I would say that the only person to know what is going through Erika’s mind at the end is Erika herself…and she’s not telling.

IN AMERICA ****



Jim Sheridan has a proven history of making emotionally charged films filled with powerful performances. My Left Foot not only secured him as a respected director, it also made Daniel Day-Lewis into an international star. A few years later, Sheridan followed up with the critically acclaimed In the Name of the Father which cemented his and Lewis’ stardom for good. Now he, along with the help of his two daughters Naomi and Kirsten, follow up with In America, which is being heralded as this years best film.

In America is based on Sheridan’s family’s immigration to New York City during the mid-eighties. It is told narration style through the voice of the eldest daughter Christy (Sarah Bolger), older sister of Ariel (Emma Bolger). It is through her eyes that the story unfolds.

Johnny and Sarah (Paddy Considine and Samantha Morton) only wish to start anew. They have recently lost their oldest son Frankie, and the assumption is that their move to New York is a way of escaping all the things that remind them of him. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work.

Sarah tries to be strong. When Johnny mourns, Sarah is there to tell him to “act” happy, if only for the children’s sake. Sadly, she is acting as well. Sarah has privately assumed all responsibility for Frankie’s death and breaks apart when she looks into her husband’s eyes. They are the eyes given to their dead son. Sarah hopes for peace of mind, yet it quietly eludes her.

Meanwhile, Johnny, who is a struggling actor, suffers with a debilitating pain that inhibits his acting, his ability to play with his girls, and utterly destroys his faith in God. “I asked God to take me instead of him and he took us both” He informs his neighbor “He left me in his place. I’m a ****ing ghost.”

The neighbor is Mateo (Djimon Hounsou). A Nigerian artist who screams at his canvas as he paints his demons. Mateo isn’t as terrible as he seems though; he is a gentle and angelic giant of a man. It is the kindness of the girls that he finally finds some peace and the kindness in him that gives Johnny and Sarah some semblance of healing.

The children are the only ones to show any signs of reasonable coping skills. Ariel at times will become sad, but with the standard child resilience, bounces right back. She is a wonder and a joy to watch. Christy assumes the responsibility of giving strength to her family, evident in a particular scene when her father calls her to his knee and begins with, “Baby…” Christy quickly interrupts with, “Don’t you baby me. I’ve been carrying this family on my back for over a year now!” Christy, it seems, is able to cope better because she hasn’t lost her faith in God. She believes that her brother is in heaven watching over her and granting her wishes. It is a lovely sentiment.

In America is a true to life telling of grief and loss, but it also shows that through pain there is still hope, and maybe even joy. Considine, Morton, and Hounsou all deliver solid performances, but it is the sisters that are the real presence and the very soul of this beautiful film. The ending of the film is one of the most sincerely sweet and poignant I have ever seen. If there was any question whether I was going to give it three and half or four stars, that scene made my mind up for me. There will be times while watching this movie where you will laugh, and at there will be times when it may move you to tears, but regardless of either of those things, you will love this family.

Nice review of The Piano Teacher, Slay.

It is indeed a challenging film and I am sure a lot of people find it not only provocative but even offensive. I liked it very much and the film owns a lot of its greatness to Isabelle Huppert, one of the world's greatest actresses. As Brian said, she is phenomenal.

I have only seen this film once and it's been a while now, and I've got a feeling this is one of those films you should see more than one time to suck in everything there is in it. The film raises several questions. Why is she doing this to herself? Why is she letting the student treat her like that? What are the reasons? The relationship to her mother is really interesting too.

The humiliation theme makes me think a bit of Ingmar Bergman and I wouldn't be surprised if Michael Haneke's a fan of the old "Angst-master". But Bergman was always determinded to entertain and Haneke seems to have an almost sadistic relationship to his audience. But in the case of The Piano Teacher the strong scenes aren't there for the simple reason just to shock us, but I think to show us "Look! These are PEOPLE! LOOK, DAMNIT!!" . He's certainly not compromising and it is so refreshing to see a director who doesn't compromise. Most films are made to keep us comfortable in our seats when we have sat down in the theater and this one makes us twist and turn.

I have (I think) only seen one film by Haneke besides The Piano Teacher, the equally disturbing Funny Games. My first impression after having seen that film was that I was pissed off on Haneke. Then I understood that he probably had me just where he wanted me. I will not give away the story but it's about a couple of really sick guys who use families from a upper-middle class/upper class area for their "funny games". At the same time as the film feels like a furious attack on this clique of society it's a good depiction of pointless violence and terror. The film also plays with our expectations on films. Haneke makes us believe he is making another thriller with a point when there is no point at all.

A really interesting director.

Very nice review for In America. As you know, Kong is totally in love with this movie.

Kong just saw The Last Samurai and totally understands where you're coming from on this one. Personally, Kong enjoyed himself very much, but it certainly isn't the most original of films, and it had quite a few cornball moments, as well as cliches. Nevertheless, Kong found himself engrossed in it...

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Piddy,

I agree with your Bergman comment completely.

I'm curious about your take on the ending.



Kong,

Thanks for the positive comment. I liked Samurai as well, up to a point. There were just too many things that bugged me. I feel like I should give it another half star, but I also feel like I should stand by my original impression. Time has gone by since my viewing and that can sometimes cause regrettable forgiveness. For example, I watched A.I. again last night. When I saw it first run, I thought it was beautiful and Haley, well shucks...that kids better at acting than most adults, but it was awfully heavy handed and the never ending music got to me. I thought last night that maybe I was being to hard on it and would have sworn that I liked it more than I did to begin with. After viewing it I remembered all the things I felt the first time. I'd give it ***, but more for Osment and the look than anything else...aside that the story is very original.

It was a while since I saw it, as I said, and I'm kind of in a hurry now too. But I think one of the reasons, and one of the most simple ones too, is that she deals with stress and failure by punishing herself or humiliating herself. It's kind of a relief for her. But I know that there is more to it than that, and I'll be back to this discussion tonight. And I really should see this film again soon....

PETER PAN ***½



Wendy Darling (Rachel Hurd-Wood) is a beautiful young girl who is discomfited to learn that her Aunt Millicent (Lynn Redgrave) wants her to put away childish things and start on the path towards womanhood. When the handsome young rouge Peter Pan (Jeremy Sumpter) awakes her during the night and asks her to come to Neverland with him, where there is no fear of ever having to grow up, she readily agrees. This begins the seemingly all too familiar tale of Peter Pan, though that is also where the familiarity ends.

This version of Peter Pan, directed by P.J. Hogan, stays much more faithful to the book written by J.M. Barrie, and proves that most of us have never seen the real story of Peter Pan before. The Disney version, which most of us have associated as a faithful rendition, took away the darker elements of the tale and made it more kid friendly. Doing it that way took much of the power away from Barrie’s vision and left it saccharine and flat. Hogan decided that he wanted to bring that power to light and offer us a more bold and daring story that is not only eye candy, but thought provoking as well.

During the last few years, filmmakers have brought us an assortment of true to life movies about pre-teens and teen-agers. In doing so, we are reminded of how much more mature their emotions are than we think. Wendy falls in love with Peter and would give herself to him utterly if she knew that he loved her back. Unfortunately, the magic that keeps Peter eternally young also keeps him from having these more mature feelings. He’s stuck with boyish feelings, and before the arrival of Wendy, never noticed that he was missing out on anything. This creates a sadness within the film that never truly goes away, and which has never been shown to us before.

Another more daring approach to the film is how Captain Hook (Jason Isaacs who also plays Wendy’s father) is portrayed. In the Disney version, Captain Hook, is just nasty. There is no depth to his character, no explaining why he is the way he is. Now, however, we see a deeper insight into his motivations. It’s more than just blind hate that fuels Hook. He seems infatuated with Peter and Wendy. He feels forlorn and lonely, especially when Peter focuses on Wendy instead of him. He is envious of Peter’s youth and vitality and seeks to destroy what he lacks within himself. There are times in the movie where the viewer can almost relate with him and almost feel pity for his loneliness. But in the end, he is also just plain nasty.

There are many things about this movie that I liked. The kids, who star as Peter and Wendy, are two of the loveliest kids to ever grace the silver screen, and they can also act quite well. Tinkerbell (Ludivine Sagnier) acts more like an evil imp than a fairy. Disney she is not, engaging and cute she is. Isaacs really proves that he is an exceptional actor by giving us such a fresh outlook on the man called Hook. The special effects are scrumptious to look at and I never felt that any of it was over the top, or filler for the lack of good story telling. There are a number of scenes that had me laughing as well, especially when Smee (Richard Briers), Hook’s First Mate, is involved.

Peter Pan is a movie that works well for kids and adults alike, making it a perfect film for the family to see together. It is beautiful, exciting, funny and at times sad, but most of all…it’s the real Peter Pan.

Thanks for the Peter Pan review, Brian! I was looking forward to taking my daughter to this film this weekend but the review in our local paper blasted it for the poor child acting! After reading your review, my faith the film has been restored! I'll let you know what I think after I've seen it.

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A local critic in Portland blasted Jeremy Sumpter's performance as well. The thing is, the kid has a mild lisp, so it sounds like he's not speaking well, but it is just the way he sounds. It's the same thing Shwarzenegger went through often with his accent. I thought he did pretty good, I could easily feel what he felt.