Weeks 15-18

Introduction

After a glut of movies during the middle of the holiday things have slowed down a tad again. I say "a tad" -- you can see how much by the sheer volume of weeks included in this entry and the relatively sparse number of films! (To be technical, the average-films-per-week in this entry is 1.75, compared to 2.72 overall and 6 (yes, 6!) last time.)

Nonetheless, things are progressing, and overall I'm still on track to make it well past the 100 mark. That's from the overall average mind, not from the one for this period. From that I'll make it to about 90. Maybe I should worry... except that summer movie season is on the way! Plenty of new films there. Plus all the ones I've recently missed out on DVD.

Well, that sure is shiny.


Weeks Fifteen to Eighteen

In which I break my self-imposed rule about the length of reviews to witter on about Hidden for double the time. I also didn't watch a single new film in week sixteen (Three Colours Red fell right at the end of week fifteen, Hidden a little way into week seventeen!) And I've nearly hit the halfway point, a third of the way through the year. Oh my!

For anyone who may be trying to keep track, this period covers nearly all of April -- from the 9th to the 30th, in fact -- plus pretty much the first week of May (up to the 6th). That's basically a month. Well well well...


42) Three Colours Red (1994, Krzysztof Kieslowski, DVD) 5/5
The final film in the trilogy takes on the theme of fraternité/brotherhood, in a relatively obvious way: Irene Jacob befriends a lonesome old man who spies on his neighbour's telephone calls. There's much more to it than that, all on broadly the same theme, but I'm sure to say too much would be to ruin what is an excellent film. Best of all, in my mind, is the intriguing and oddly satisfying conclusion to the trilogy as a whole. I'm sure it's not for everyone, but I still recommend it.

43) Hidden (2005, Michael Haneke, DVD) 4/5
Empire's 15th best film of 2006 is very European. How so, you may ask. Well, firstly, it is French (and its original title is Caché, by the by); but it certainly feels it: it takes a very good concept/plot for a thriller and then stretches it out a little thin, with a notably slow pace, and a concentration on the dramatic impact on characters rather than plot movements. Not necessarily bad things, and it walks a fine line somewhere between them working and them failing (that is to say, it's not wholly successful). There's an irritating apparent lack of resolution, though reading one theory in an online review has suggested maybe I missed (or misinterpreted) it. The performances also deserve mention -- as with everything else they teeter between excellent (mostly) and a bit unbelievable (see: the rather muted 'arguments', or the unusual order of reactions to the son going missing). Some also might argue the direction is flat, with many long shots and relatively few cuts. You could argue this reflects the theme/plot, but on the other hand it is somewhat symptomatic of some areas of European cinema.

44) Casanova (2005, Lasse Hallstrom, DVD) 2/5
As expected, this film pales in comparison to the Russell T Davies-scripted, David Tennant-starring BBC production from the same year. Where that version is witty, clever, entertaining and actually does something with the characters, this film is silly, predictable and only occasionally graced with an amusing moment. Heath Ledger isn't in the same league as Tennant as Casanova-in-his-prime, and obviously few could compare to Peter O'Toole as old Casanova (in the BBC one, that is). Basically: avoid this, but be sure to see the BBC one.

45) Garden State (2004, Zach Braff, DVD) 4/5
Zach Braff of Scrubs fame writes, directs and stars in this coming-of-age-style comedy-drama, his first feature as writer and director. While it's not devoid of predictable elements there are some good scenes and performances along the way, as well as a few laughs (only a handful of them in any way marred by the trailer). It's probably the directing that really stands out, so it'll be interesting to see what his next film (2008's Open Hearts) is like.

46) Breathless (1960, Jean-Luc Godard, download) 4/5
Or A Bout de Souffle, Godard's first and most famous film; part of the beginning of the Nouvelle Vague, a French movement defining a particular youth culture at the time. OK, loose history lesson over. This is definitely what most people would call an 'arthouse' film, though is decidedly less so than the one other Godard film I've seen (1959's Vivre Sa Vie, which goes by various translated titles); this might be down to it drawing inspiration from American movies, most obviously those starring Humphrey Bogart. Undoubtedly not for everyone, but an obvious must for anyone with an interest in art / international cinema.

47) Bonnie and Clyde (1967, Arthur Penn, download) 4/5
"You've heard the story of Jesse James, of how he lived and died; If you're still in need of something to read, here's the story of Bonnie and Clyde". Bonnie and Clyde is a significant film for several reasons, but I'm not going to give another film history lesson! It brings together several well-executed elements to create a compelling whole -- good performances, showcased in at least one key scene for every actor; merging Hollywood feature and New Wave influences; themes of media influence, Robin Hood-esque antiheroism, what family is, and no doubt several more; plus a few exciting action sequences just to round things out.

48) Stormbreaker (2006, Geoffrey Sax, DVD) 4/5
An adaptation of the first in Anthony Horowitz's bestselling series of Alex Rider novels. It does a good job of translating the book, aided by an extensive cast of recognisable Brits (and some Yanks) and some entertaining action sequences. It occasionally lets itself down in its choices of which bits to adapt and which to leave out, especially in the third act -- some of the best action sequences are swapped for lesser ones (quad bikes for a horse in central London? Maybe a good idea on paper, but it doesn't work), and the climax isn't as fulfilling as the apparent one that happens just before it. Not a bad effort, especially for kids.