Introduction
Ah, University! Work has now fully returned to interrupt all the lazing around and film-viewing I so enjoyed before; of course, studying a film module does mean there's a guaranteed one or two new films every week, and probably quite unusual ones too. "Hurrah" cry the statistics! "Ooh" cry... erm... anyone who likes more unusual choices...
I do feel a tad arty this week, actually. Of the six films listed below, two are French, one German, one Japanese, two are shorts, and five are between 77 and 94 years old! That's two weeks at the start of a University film module for you, eh!
Weeks Forty-One and Forty-Two
We begin with the two oldest of all those, both made 94 years ago! That's no guarantee of anything mind... well, except no spoken dialogue...
105) Fantomas: Juve Versus Fantomas (1913, Louis Feuillade, DVD) 4/5
Second installment of the early French film serial, adapted from a long-running series of pulp novels. Fantomas is a criminal adept at disguise and avoiding capture by police inspector Juve. It's full of crazy schemes and action set pieces, which means it's actually a great deal of fun, relatively fast-paced and densely plotted, exciting and deliberately amusing (though, as with anything this old, there are things to point and laugh at if you're so inclined). It also looks stunning for its age, with a stable and crisp picture, which incidentally makes great use of colour tinting (for example, turning from blue to yellow when someone switches on a light). It's not for everyone, but if you're interested in early cinema this is one of the most entertaining examples I've seen. As you may have guessed, we were shown this as part of my degree; off the back of it I've ordered the DVD of the full serial.
106) Traffic in Souls (1913, George Loane Tucker, VHS) 2/5
Silent movie (Universal's first feature-length release) about white slavery in America. You don't expect that from a 1913 film, eh? Of course, the issue is handled in a suitable way for the period: why the women are kidnapped is never alluded to (in reality it was for prostitution) and all the Bad Men are brought to justice. It's not all bad: in a surprising move for the time, the main villain is an apparently-respectable society gentleman who publicly campaigns against white slavery; by a similar token, the kidnappers are made up of women as well as men. The first half zips along an intricate multi-stranded narrative covering several groups of unrelated characters, but as they come together it begins to slow: what seems to be the climax takes half the film to play out its immediately-obvious events. It sadly ruins something that was initially rather promising.
107) Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion (1997, Hideaki Anno & Kazuya Tsurumaki, DVD) 3/5
Eight weeks and sixteen films later than I'd've liked, I can finally complete the Evangelion story! (For my review of the first film, check out week 34.) First off, don't even attempt this if you haven't seen all of the (excellent) TV series -- it won't even vaguelly make sense. Sadly, if you have seen the series, it's a disappointing climax. Promising a clearer ending than the original arty philosophical one, it winds up delivering something that's almost as bad. It's somewhat redeemed by what leads up to this final confusing half hour: some proper story, resolutions for some outstanding plot threads, and a few instances of decent action too. As a conclusion it's far from satisfying though. One can only hope the new four-film remake of the whole story (the first of which was recently released in Japan), which promises another fresh conclusion, can come up with something more comprehensible. I wouldn't count on it though.
108) Berlin: Symphony of a Great City (1927, Walter Ruttman, download) 2/5
German silent movie depicting a day in the 'life' of Berlin, part of the 'city symphony' genre that was popular around the 1920s. This makes it one of those films that is in some way important, but sadly it's still a bit, well, boring. Essentially it's a documentary showing many facets of city life and industry, though with no kind of narration and often edited in an artistic fashion (fast cutting and crazy angles to represent the chaos of a busy junction, for example). It has its moments (the opening train journey being the highlight for me) and I'm sure some would find the footage of '20s life fascinating, but it's the sort of thing that's just too dull for my tastes. For something similar which I enjoyed a bit more, try the Russian Man With a Movie Camera. (Berlin is available for legal download and streaming at Google Video.)
108a) A Propos de Nice (1930, Jean Vigo, download) 3/5
Short film about the French city of Nice, mixing documentary-style footage of people with shots of the architecture, as well as clearly staged scenes (a man getting sunburnt, for example). There's a certain playful edge to it all, not just with content such as a garish parade and crazy dancing, but with amusing tricks (again, the sunburning), camera tomfoolery (for example, moving it to follow the loops of arches at speed; or using slow motion and sped-up shots), and picking out shots of pedestrians apparently for their annoyance at being filmed. It's an interesting amalgamation, then: part art, part documentary, part sketch show. (Available for legal download and streaming at Google Video.)
108b) Skyscraper Symphony (1929, Robert Florey, download) 2/5
Another 'city symphony' film, this time a short one of skyscrapers in New York. It's probably hard to 'appreciate' this without getting a little pretentious; certainly, it's much more aimed at creating the feeling of a city, or a visual representation of it, or something like that, than it is with, say, showing pretty views of New York's buildings. That said, in between the meaningful mucking about, there are some fairly impressive sights to be seen. (Available with mildly dubious legality, and a live score by "experimental sound artists" Ampersand, on YouTube.)
109) The Paleface (1948, Norman Z. McLeod, DVD) 4/5
Bob Hope and Jane Russell star in this Wild West comedy, in which Calamity Jane (Russell) has to stop a group of men smuggling rifles to the Indians. It's clearly designed as pure entertainment, mixing styles in a way no film would dare attempt today -- there's broad comedy, gunfights, horse chases and even a song or two! It works too. OK, so the direction may be a little flat and some of the comedy old fashioned... but it was made in the '40s and there's still a good number of laughs, so it seems churlish to complain.
Monday, 22 October 2007
Monday, 8 October 2007
Weeks 37-40
Introduction
This entry we move right from the start of September on into October -- under three months of the year left!
As I mentioned last time, my 8-day trip to New York has brought about the first multi-week entry in almost two months; couple that with moving in to a new place and all the associated sorting, plus having almost two weeks' worth of TV to catch up on (and that taking up most of my viewing time), plus starting my final year at University, and this is a four-weeker! Actually, it's pretty much a one-weekender -- I didn't watch a new film until Thursday 4th!
And so, following that 'accidental' almost-four-week break, I'm finally getting on with moving past the aim of 100 and into the grounds of "let's see how far I can get". This entry I make it to... well, read on and see for yourself!
Weeks Thirty-Seven to Forty
It's an all-action extravaganza this entry, with no less than four films with a distinctly violent centre. But don't think it's all the same, oh no no -- between them they cover several continents, even more countries, and spread out from the ancient past to the distant (or, at least, alternate) future, via the present day of course. There are spears, swords, guns and fists causing pain left, right and centre... and a few more unusual objects too. If you thought "action movie" meant endless bullets and slow motion... well, it does tend to involve at least one of those... but still, have a look and see that there is room for some variety!
We begin with what will likely be the first in an on/off series I like to call "Films From This Year That I Missed At The Cinema And Am Finally Seeing When They Hit DVD"... with one that's technically from 2006. But it didn't arrive over here until March 2007, so, y'know, still counts...
101) 300 (2006, Zack Snyder, DVD) 4/5
Highly stylised (and praised) adaptation of Frank Miller's graphic novel about the battle of Thermopylae. It's very much a Man's Film: long graphic battles, esteemed warrior values, mostly-naked women, heavy soundtrack... This doesn't mean it's without virtue: it looks stunning, and while the slow motion may be overused it creates some beautiful tableaus. There's even room for characterisation among the soldiers; these arcs may be familiar, but for once the filmmakers seem aware of that and keep such scenes to an appropriate, deftly handled minimum. The slight plot may be stretched a bit thin and the closing speech is sadly over-written, but 300 is nonetheless an enjoyable and surprisingly pretty minor epic.
102) Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children (2005, Tetsuya Nomura, DVD) 3/5
For those who don't know, this isn't the seventh Final Fantasy film -- it's the second; though it's not a sequel to the first; though it is a sequel, to the game Final Fantasy VII (which isn't related to the preceding six). Just to be confusing, eh? Advent Children is far from standalone then, but with the help of a DVD featurette and some concentration it's possible to have an idea what's going on. It almost doesn't matter anyway: the main point is clearly the action, which is pretty spectacular; if you can bear the dense, plot-heavy first half (which does also contain several good sequences), the second is non-stop action, only occasionally marred by overactive camerawork. From a technical standpoint the CG is endlessly impressive (don't expect it to be lifelike, just extremely good) and the freedom afforded by the format is well used. I don't know how satisfying fans would find this (I'm sure they've all seen it by now anyway), but for us lay-people, if you can ignore the plot (or put in some effort to follow it) and enjoy impressively executed fights and chases, there's definite enjoyment to be had.
103) Transporter 2 (2005, Louis Leterrier, DVD) 3/5
Sequel to 2002's low-key, disposable but fun actioner. The plot is almost senseless and thoroughly familiar from the likes of Man on Fire or M:i-2, but that doesn't matter: the action's the focus, and on that promise it mostly delivers. In spite of the odd bit of CG-aided silliness, or the lack of anything as inspired as the first film's oil fight, the fights are still a lot of fun; one involving a fire hose is especially well executed. There's also a good number of amusing moments (both intentional and not, it must be said). It may not quite reach the first movie's simple highs, but there's still enough to like. More films in the series wouldn't go amiss.
104) Miracles (1989, Jackie Chan, DVD) 3/5
I've always been a bit wary of Chan's films: he's renowned for using comedy in his action (to help break away from the frequently-applied "new Bruce Lee" label), which isn't really to my taste; but after we were shown an impressive clip from this in a lecture I felt I had to give it a go. It's 1930s Hong Kong and Chan accidentally becomes the head of a mafia-like gang. The film follows a "gang war" plot for about 40 minutes before abruptly changing tack to become an identity-based farce! It's all a bit messy and most of the genuinely funny bits are still in Chan's excellent action sequences, which are mind-bogglingly impressive feats of acrobatics and choreography. Of course, it's these that we've come for, and the film would benefit from less pointless farcing about, a shorter running time, and more evenly distributed action sequences. Enjoyable, but flawed.
This entry we move right from the start of September on into October -- under three months of the year left!
As I mentioned last time, my 8-day trip to New York has brought about the first multi-week entry in almost two months; couple that with moving in to a new place and all the associated sorting, plus having almost two weeks' worth of TV to catch up on (and that taking up most of my viewing time), plus starting my final year at University, and this is a four-weeker! Actually, it's pretty much a one-weekender -- I didn't watch a new film until Thursday 4th!
And so, following that 'accidental' almost-four-week break, I'm finally getting on with moving past the aim of 100 and into the grounds of "let's see how far I can get". This entry I make it to... well, read on and see for yourself!
Weeks Thirty-Seven to Forty
It's an all-action extravaganza this entry, with no less than four films with a distinctly violent centre. But don't think it's all the same, oh no no -- between them they cover several continents, even more countries, and spread out from the ancient past to the distant (or, at least, alternate) future, via the present day of course. There are spears, swords, guns and fists causing pain left, right and centre... and a few more unusual objects too. If you thought "action movie" meant endless bullets and slow motion... well, it does tend to involve at least one of those... but still, have a look and see that there is room for some variety!
We begin with what will likely be the first in an on/off series I like to call "Films From This Year That I Missed At The Cinema And Am Finally Seeing When They Hit DVD"... with one that's technically from 2006. But it didn't arrive over here until March 2007, so, y'know, still counts...
101) 300 (2006, Zack Snyder, DVD) 4/5
Highly stylised (and praised) adaptation of Frank Miller's graphic novel about the battle of Thermopylae. It's very much a Man's Film: long graphic battles, esteemed warrior values, mostly-naked women, heavy soundtrack... This doesn't mean it's without virtue: it looks stunning, and while the slow motion may be overused it creates some beautiful tableaus. There's even room for characterisation among the soldiers; these arcs may be familiar, but for once the filmmakers seem aware of that and keep such scenes to an appropriate, deftly handled minimum. The slight plot may be stretched a bit thin and the closing speech is sadly over-written, but 300 is nonetheless an enjoyable and surprisingly pretty minor epic.
102) Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children (2005, Tetsuya Nomura, DVD) 3/5
For those who don't know, this isn't the seventh Final Fantasy film -- it's the second; though it's not a sequel to the first; though it is a sequel, to the game Final Fantasy VII (which isn't related to the preceding six). Just to be confusing, eh? Advent Children is far from standalone then, but with the help of a DVD featurette and some concentration it's possible to have an idea what's going on. It almost doesn't matter anyway: the main point is clearly the action, which is pretty spectacular; if you can bear the dense, plot-heavy first half (which does also contain several good sequences), the second is non-stop action, only occasionally marred by overactive camerawork. From a technical standpoint the CG is endlessly impressive (don't expect it to be lifelike, just extremely good) and the freedom afforded by the format is well used. I don't know how satisfying fans would find this (I'm sure they've all seen it by now anyway), but for us lay-people, if you can ignore the plot (or put in some effort to follow it) and enjoy impressively executed fights and chases, there's definite enjoyment to be had.
103) Transporter 2 (2005, Louis Leterrier, DVD) 3/5
Sequel to 2002's low-key, disposable but fun actioner. The plot is almost senseless and thoroughly familiar from the likes of Man on Fire or M:i-2, but that doesn't matter: the action's the focus, and on that promise it mostly delivers. In spite of the odd bit of CG-aided silliness, or the lack of anything as inspired as the first film's oil fight, the fights are still a lot of fun; one involving a fire hose is especially well executed. There's also a good number of amusing moments (both intentional and not, it must be said). It may not quite reach the first movie's simple highs, but there's still enough to like. More films in the series wouldn't go amiss.
104) Miracles (1989, Jackie Chan, DVD) 3/5
I've always been a bit wary of Chan's films: he's renowned for using comedy in his action (to help break away from the frequently-applied "new Bruce Lee" label), which isn't really to my taste; but after we were shown an impressive clip from this in a lecture I felt I had to give it a go. It's 1930s Hong Kong and Chan accidentally becomes the head of a mafia-like gang. The film follows a "gang war" plot for about 40 minutes before abruptly changing tack to become an identity-based farce! It's all a bit messy and most of the genuinely funny bits are still in Chan's excellent action sequences, which are mind-bogglingly impressive feats of acrobatics and choreography. Of course, it's these that we've come for, and the film would benefit from less pointless farcing about, a shorter running time, and more evenly distributed action sequences. Enjoyable, but flawed.
Sunday, 9 September 2007
Week 36
Introduction
While I've managed to keep things to single-week entries for a fair while now, I suspect it'll be back to double-weekers for at least next week. I'm off to New York for 8 days, y'see (also explaining why this entry is ever so slightly earlier than usual), and my film watching is likely to be minimal. Though there's a cinema right near the apartment, so you never know. Maybe I'll finally see The Bourne Ultimatum...
By-the-by, those musings I mentioned back in Week 34 (about the IMDb Top 250) have completely gone from my mind. I have absolutely no idea what they were. And so now neither will you. Ho hum...
Week Thirty-Six
This week is an unusually short one. Normally I'd just carry it over into the next entry, but one very important thing stops me...
I've reached 100!
Hurrah! And, as predicted, I'm there well before the end of the year! In fact, there's only just shy of a third of it left, meaning that my average viewing has me hitting 145 by year's end. Quite a bit more than 100, clearly. Of course, the spacious summer weeks are now giving way to term time work, so quite how well that whole average thing will work out is another matter entirely.
But, for now -- 100! Whoo! And I specially picked a pretty momentous film to view in celebration of the achievement. In film terms, you'd struggle to find any more significant than... well, read on, and you'll see!
99) Starter For Ten (2006, Tom Vaughan, DVD) 2/5
A predictable British rom-com, enlivened only by a few good moments and performances, as well as the excellent '80s soundtrack. You'd assume the plot would focus on the characters' aim to win University Challenge, coupled with a woefully predictable romantic subplot; sadly, it turns out the woefully predictable romance is the main plot and the quiz only turns up now and then to lend some structure. The final contest is almost entirely devoid of tension thanks to this and the other conclusions hold no surprises. McAvoy is likable, though held back by Brian's near-unbearable ignorance about life. The best performances come from Benedict Cumberbatch and Rebecca Hall, both actors worth watching.
100) Citizen Kane (1941, Orson Welles, DVD) 5/5
Yes, that's right: I'm a film buff and I've never seen Citizen Kane. I think this is a good occasion to have saved it for though. But I digress -- what of the film itself; the film often voted Best Ever in countless polls? Certainly, a lot of its fame rests on its innovations -- the frequently ambitious camera work, the non-linear narrative, the multiple perspectives, the 'trick' beginnings, the dramatic lighting, the expansive sets... Not all of these are truly new (European art cinema and silent movies generally got to some first), but Welles can be credited for bringing some of it to the Hollywood mainstream; and even then, there's enough truly new to justify the praise. A lot of it may be commonplace now, or at least widely imitated, but viewed in light of the limitations of the time it is frequently breathtaking. It isn't just technically marvellous though: the story is moderately complex, telling and re-telling itself from various perspectives, framing recollections of Kane's life within a 'present day' quest to find the meaning behind his final words. The jumps demand the viewer's attention even today, the full story slowly coming together... even though it's almost all given to you in a 10-minute fake newsreel at the start! Welles' performance is exceptional, depicting Kane as he grows from a young reckless newspaper editor into an aged recluse. He's aided by effective make-up (looking remarkably like Welles himself would later in life), but its his performance from under it that shows the real differences. There's a lot more to be said about Kane (much of it already has, of course), and you don't need me to tell you that if you're a film fan this is required viewing. But even if you're a 'Normal Person' I'd recommend it; I can't guarantee you'll like it, but you might well be surprised.
While I've managed to keep things to single-week entries for a fair while now, I suspect it'll be back to double-weekers for at least next week. I'm off to New York for 8 days, y'see (also explaining why this entry is ever so slightly earlier than usual), and my film watching is likely to be minimal. Though there's a cinema right near the apartment, so you never know. Maybe I'll finally see The Bourne Ultimatum...
By-the-by, those musings I mentioned back in Week 34 (about the IMDb Top 250) have completely gone from my mind. I have absolutely no idea what they were. And so now neither will you. Ho hum...
Week Thirty-Six
This week is an unusually short one. Normally I'd just carry it over into the next entry, but one very important thing stops me...
I've reached 100!
Hurrah! And, as predicted, I'm there well before the end of the year! In fact, there's only just shy of a third of it left, meaning that my average viewing has me hitting 145 by year's end. Quite a bit more than 100, clearly. Of course, the spacious summer weeks are now giving way to term time work, so quite how well that whole average thing will work out is another matter entirely.
But, for now -- 100! Whoo! And I specially picked a pretty momentous film to view in celebration of the achievement. In film terms, you'd struggle to find any more significant than... well, read on, and you'll see!
99) Starter For Ten (2006, Tom Vaughan, DVD) 2/5
A predictable British rom-com, enlivened only by a few good moments and performances, as well as the excellent '80s soundtrack. You'd assume the plot would focus on the characters' aim to win University Challenge, coupled with a woefully predictable romantic subplot; sadly, it turns out the woefully predictable romance is the main plot and the quiz only turns up now and then to lend some structure. The final contest is almost entirely devoid of tension thanks to this and the other conclusions hold no surprises. McAvoy is likable, though held back by Brian's near-unbearable ignorance about life. The best performances come from Benedict Cumberbatch and Rebecca Hall, both actors worth watching.
100) Citizen Kane (1941, Orson Welles, DVD) 5/5
Yes, that's right: I'm a film buff and I've never seen Citizen Kane. I think this is a good occasion to have saved it for though. But I digress -- what of the film itself; the film often voted Best Ever in countless polls? Certainly, a lot of its fame rests on its innovations -- the frequently ambitious camera work, the non-linear narrative, the multiple perspectives, the 'trick' beginnings, the dramatic lighting, the expansive sets... Not all of these are truly new (European art cinema and silent movies generally got to some first), but Welles can be credited for bringing some of it to the Hollywood mainstream; and even then, there's enough truly new to justify the praise. A lot of it may be commonplace now, or at least widely imitated, but viewed in light of the limitations of the time it is frequently breathtaking. It isn't just technically marvellous though: the story is moderately complex, telling and re-telling itself from various perspectives, framing recollections of Kane's life within a 'present day' quest to find the meaning behind his final words. The jumps demand the viewer's attention even today, the full story slowly coming together... even though it's almost all given to you in a 10-minute fake newsreel at the start! Welles' performance is exceptional, depicting Kane as he grows from a young reckless newspaper editor into an aged recluse. He's aided by effective make-up (looking remarkably like Welles himself would later in life), but its his performance from under it that shows the real differences. There's a lot more to be said about Kane (much of it already has, of course), and you don't need me to tell you that if you're a film fan this is required viewing. But even if you're a 'Normal Person' I'd recommend it; I can't guarantee you'll like it, but you might well be surprised.
Tuesday, 4 September 2007
Week 35
Introduction
As you may remember from last week, this is technically Week 34 Days 5-7 and Week 35; and I bet no one would've remembered if I hadn't said! For a 10-day week I haven't watched a great deal of films, though (as explained last week) there have been reasons. Nonetheless, the four I have watched leave me only two short of the long awaited number 100!
Week Thirty-Five
But that's for next week. So, here are those four films, each from a different decade, across almost 60 years no less!
95) Before Sunrise (1995, Richard Linklater, DVD) 4/5
Two 20-somethings meet on a train from Budapest to Paris, get off in Vienna and spend the night there until one of them has to fly out in the morning. A simple premise, though you may wonder how it sustains 95 minutes. The answer is, very well. Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy make for a likable couple and it's no chore to spend so long with, essentially, just them chatting to each other. Some of the attempts at philosophising may wear thin (Delpy especially seems more adept in the lighter parts), but the funny and romantic sections do work beautifully. Bittersweet in all the right ways. Probably best watched while still fairly young.
96) Before Sunset (2005, Richard Linklater, DVD) 4/5
Nine years on, Jesse and Celine meet again in Paris... It's as simple a premise as Sunrise, and in many ways is very similar: it's essentially two people talking, laughing and philosophising. It's an odd sort of sequel -- it doesn't just take the same characters into a new story, or directly continue the original. These are the same people, but they're older and changed. It's very reflective; it's almost about the first film, from a different perspective. You also don't miss a thing -- its in real time from beginning to end, showing us every second the characters spend together. Personally I didn't think it was as good as Sunrise -- it's not as funny and it sadly closes off some of the original's beautiful ambiguities. Part of the problem may be that I'm close to the character's ages in the first film but a good decade out here (though, I hasten to add, that's not solely it). In the end, it works quite nicely as a companion piece, but (perhaps) not as a film in its own right.
97) A Study in Scarlet (1983, Ian Mackenzie & Alex Nicholas, DVD) 2/5
Peter O'Toole is again the voice of the famous sleuth in this disappointing animated adaptation of the first Sherlock Holmes mystery. The adaptation is faithful to the original novel's structure (sadly, as its a somewhat bizarre one, and ripe for a more interesting interpretation), but loses any elements pertaining to Holmes and Watson's first meeting. The animation seems more basic than the other entry in this particular series that I've seen, and O'Toole's performance is flatter; the rest of the cast don't fair any better. The story itself isn't a bad one, but after being pleasantly surprised by The Sign of Four I just found this to be disappointing.
98) Great Expectations (1946, David Lean, DVD) 4/5
Classic adaptation of the acclaimed novel. While my experience of Dickens is woefully limited to screen adaptations, this is one of my lesser favourites; the first act and elements of the climax are wonderfully Gothic (and here beautifully directed to that effect), but it seems to lack the depth or importance of works such as Bleak House, Oliver Twist or A Christmas Carol. Though, aside from the dully straightforward middle, there's little to dislike about the adaptation. John Mills is too old to convince as a 20-year-old Pip, but his performance is good and he's ably supported. However, the main highlights are undoubtedly all in Lean's brilliant direction.
As you may remember from last week, this is technically Week 34 Days 5-7 and Week 35; and I bet no one would've remembered if I hadn't said! For a 10-day week I haven't watched a great deal of films, though (as explained last week) there have been reasons. Nonetheless, the four I have watched leave me only two short of the long awaited number 100!
Week Thirty-Five
But that's for next week. So, here are those four films, each from a different decade, across almost 60 years no less!
95) Before Sunrise (1995, Richard Linklater, DVD) 4/5
Two 20-somethings meet on a train from Budapest to Paris, get off in Vienna and spend the night there until one of them has to fly out in the morning. A simple premise, though you may wonder how it sustains 95 minutes. The answer is, very well. Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy make for a likable couple and it's no chore to spend so long with, essentially, just them chatting to each other. Some of the attempts at philosophising may wear thin (Delpy especially seems more adept in the lighter parts), but the funny and romantic sections do work beautifully. Bittersweet in all the right ways. Probably best watched while still fairly young.
96) Before Sunset (2005, Richard Linklater, DVD) 4/5
Nine years on, Jesse and Celine meet again in Paris... It's as simple a premise as Sunrise, and in many ways is very similar: it's essentially two people talking, laughing and philosophising. It's an odd sort of sequel -- it doesn't just take the same characters into a new story, or directly continue the original. These are the same people, but they're older and changed. It's very reflective; it's almost about the first film, from a different perspective. You also don't miss a thing -- its in real time from beginning to end, showing us every second the characters spend together. Personally I didn't think it was as good as Sunrise -- it's not as funny and it sadly closes off some of the original's beautiful ambiguities. Part of the problem may be that I'm close to the character's ages in the first film but a good decade out here (though, I hasten to add, that's not solely it). In the end, it works quite nicely as a companion piece, but (perhaps) not as a film in its own right.
97) A Study in Scarlet (1983, Ian Mackenzie & Alex Nicholas, DVD) 2/5
Peter O'Toole is again the voice of the famous sleuth in this disappointing animated adaptation of the first Sherlock Holmes mystery. The adaptation is faithful to the original novel's structure (sadly, as its a somewhat bizarre one, and ripe for a more interesting interpretation), but loses any elements pertaining to Holmes and Watson's first meeting. The animation seems more basic than the other entry in this particular series that I've seen, and O'Toole's performance is flatter; the rest of the cast don't fair any better. The story itself isn't a bad one, but after being pleasantly surprised by The Sign of Four I just found this to be disappointing.
98) Great Expectations (1946, David Lean, DVD) 4/5
Classic adaptation of the acclaimed novel. While my experience of Dickens is woefully limited to screen adaptations, this is one of my lesser favourites; the first act and elements of the climax are wonderfully Gothic (and here beautifully directed to that effect), but it seems to lack the depth or importance of works such as Bleak House, Oliver Twist or A Christmas Carol. Though, aside from the dully straightforward middle, there's little to dislike about the adaptation. John Mills is too old to convince as a 20-year-old Pip, but his performance is good and he's ably supported. However, the main highlights are undoubtedly all in Lean's brilliant direction.
Thursday, 23 August 2007
Week 34
Introduction
This was going to be the first double-week entry in a fair while, the main reason being that I'm going away for the best part of a week very shortly, probably without internet to post an entry. But then I watched a fair few films at the start of this week and decided to just do an earlier entry instead! So this may be called Week 34, but it's actually Week 34 Days 1-4, and the next entry will just silently include Week 34 Days 5-7 (if I even watch anything then). I'm sure no one will mind but me!
If I do get the net working during my away-time, you may be lucky enough to see the first stand-alone editorial here. I've been musing on the IMDb Top 250 and may put some of those thoughts down...
Week Thirty-Four
Several over-long reviews this week -- I appear to be losing my self control on that front. They'll have multiple paragraphs before long, you mark my words!
Something I've also just noticed is that across five reviews I've used four different scores. Considering I've so far this year only seen one film deserving of the lowest score, that's quite a spread. Just a shame the scores nicely rise only to fall right back at the end, eh.
91) Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death & Rebirth (1997, Hideaki Anno, Masayuki & Tsurumaki Kazuya, DVD) 2/5
The genesis of this film is a long story (at least, longer than I'd like for this review!) The anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion ends with bizarre theme-centric episodes that fail to conclude the story; a film was produced to re-tell the end from a story-centric position and/or to provide an alternate ending (depending who you believe). This is not that film, but something that was released a bit before that. The first 69 minutes (titled Death) are an intriguing reorganisation/summary of the series in a somewhat impressionistic way, including a few new scenes. It's either quite clever or just a jumble. The final 27 minutes (titled Rebirth) are an all new continuation of the story. There are answers, revelations, some great sequences, and a great cliffhanger! Unfortunately this is also the start of the concluding film, which ultimately renders this as just one thing: a fan-only curio. Its main value, in my opinion, is the neat cliffhanger, which makes for a tantalising ending (instead of the first act plot point it must be in the next film). If you're curious about Evangelion and think a filmic summary sounds a good idea, don't watch! Get hold of the series, it's worth the time. (I'll undoubtedly share my thoughts on the conclusion, The End of Evangelion, as soon as Play.com get it back in stock!)
92) The Cat's Meow (2001, Peter Bogdanovich, DVD) 3/5
Possibly-true 'murder mystery' set in 1920s Hollywood. As with the similar Gosford Park, the point lies less in plot and more in characterisation -- there are some good performances, especially from Eddie Izzard, Joanna Lumley and Edward Herrmann, though Kirsten Dunst seems a bit flat in comparison. The era's style suits her though, and the whole period is beautifully evoked; for my money the prettiest scenes are the black & white bookends. Sadly the similarity to Gosford Park is the film's main shortcoming: once realised, it's clear that Cat's Meow doesn't have the same subtle complexity in its story or performances. In its own right, though, there's much to like.
93) Letters From Iwo Jima (2006, Clint Eastwood, DVD) 4/5
Companion to Flags of Our Fathers (widely considered the better of the two), showing the same battle from the Japanese perspective. Letters focuses on the human angle, getting to know the characters as they prepare for battle (the Americans don't arrive for almost an hour) and through flashbacks. The action sequences and cinematography owe a lot to Saving Private Ryan -- desaturation is becoming a war film cliche; that said, it works here, fitting the bland sandy environment and emphasising bursts of colour from blood and flames. The film aims to humanise 'The Enemy' but only succeeds in showing that there were some good people in a society of old-fashioned ideas; the obsession with pointless suicide over genuine use of men may be true, but still seems savage and unpractical (probably more a flaw of the real military attitude than of the film, then). No character who follows this is a good guy; likable ones survive or are Westernised. The Americans we see are a mix too (one shoots captured soldiers for no reason, for example), but this feels like a hollow attempt to depict the filmmakers' countrymen equally rather than genuinely aiding the concept of the Japanese as good guys. A mixed film then, the value of which lies not in presenting a view of war, humanity or Japanese culture, but in providing a view (or, indeed, half a view) of this one particular battle. (I'll undoubtedly share my thoughts on the first half of this pair when LoveFilm decide to send it to me.)
93a) Gone With the Wind (1939, Victor Fleming, DVD) 5/5
I thought I'd seen Gone With the Wind but, watching it again, it's clear I hadn't properly. This is partly because I first saw it on TV, in two halves, a week apart, each starting at 1AM. I just about managed to follow the story, in between drifting off for whole chunks. Another reason is the quality of the restored print on the DVD: it looks stunning, every frame is beautiful; it's a shame no films look like this today. The performances are uniformly excellent, especially (of course) Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable; though special mention must be made of the fantastic Oscar-winning Hattie McDaniel as Mammy (the first African American to be nominated for and win an Oscar, and deservedly so). The direction is brilliant, displaying styles you think weren't invented for another 20 years; all of the design work is gorgeous; and the story is epic and expertly told, moving across genres (romance, war, melodrama, comedy) with ease. It's easy to see why this is the most popular film ever made. First time round I just thought it was very good; now it's firmly one of my favourites.
94) The Black Dahlia (2006, Brian De Palma, DVD) 2/5
Noir-wannabe, adapted from the James Ellroy novel based on a real, unsolved case. That case is far from the focus here; from the start the apparently-central crime is anything but, meaning the biggest let-down is that events barely follows the eponymous story. It's one of many problems in a film that tries hard to be a proper noir but fails in almost every respect: performances (most of which wind up flat), corny dialogue, plot, pretty-but-vacant direction, and even voice-over narration. I haven't read the novel, but apparently it's a poor adaptation too. What you want is a '40s-style thriller; what you get is a weak '40s-set character drama.
This was going to be the first double-week entry in a fair while, the main reason being that I'm going away for the best part of a week very shortly, probably without internet to post an entry. But then I watched a fair few films at the start of this week and decided to just do an earlier entry instead! So this may be called Week 34, but it's actually Week 34 Days 1-4, and the next entry will just silently include Week 34 Days 5-7 (if I even watch anything then). I'm sure no one will mind but me!
If I do get the net working during my away-time, you may be lucky enough to see the first stand-alone editorial here. I've been musing on the IMDb Top 250 and may put some of those thoughts down...
Week Thirty-Four
Several over-long reviews this week -- I appear to be losing my self control on that front. They'll have multiple paragraphs before long, you mark my words!
Something I've also just noticed is that across five reviews I've used four different scores. Considering I've so far this year only seen one film deserving of the lowest score, that's quite a spread. Just a shame the scores nicely rise only to fall right back at the end, eh.
91) Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death & Rebirth (1997, Hideaki Anno, Masayuki & Tsurumaki Kazuya, DVD) 2/5
The genesis of this film is a long story (at least, longer than I'd like for this review!) The anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion ends with bizarre theme-centric episodes that fail to conclude the story; a film was produced to re-tell the end from a story-centric position and/or to provide an alternate ending (depending who you believe). This is not that film, but something that was released a bit before that. The first 69 minutes (titled Death) are an intriguing reorganisation/summary of the series in a somewhat impressionistic way, including a few new scenes. It's either quite clever or just a jumble. The final 27 minutes (titled Rebirth) are an all new continuation of the story. There are answers, revelations, some great sequences, and a great cliffhanger! Unfortunately this is also the start of the concluding film, which ultimately renders this as just one thing: a fan-only curio. Its main value, in my opinion, is the neat cliffhanger, which makes for a tantalising ending (instead of the first act plot point it must be in the next film). If you're curious about Evangelion and think a filmic summary sounds a good idea, don't watch! Get hold of the series, it's worth the time. (I'll undoubtedly share my thoughts on the conclusion, The End of Evangelion, as soon as Play.com get it back in stock!)
92) The Cat's Meow (2001, Peter Bogdanovich, DVD) 3/5
Possibly-true 'murder mystery' set in 1920s Hollywood. As with the similar Gosford Park, the point lies less in plot and more in characterisation -- there are some good performances, especially from Eddie Izzard, Joanna Lumley and Edward Herrmann, though Kirsten Dunst seems a bit flat in comparison. The era's style suits her though, and the whole period is beautifully evoked; for my money the prettiest scenes are the black & white bookends. Sadly the similarity to Gosford Park is the film's main shortcoming: once realised, it's clear that Cat's Meow doesn't have the same subtle complexity in its story or performances. In its own right, though, there's much to like.
93) Letters From Iwo Jima (2006, Clint Eastwood, DVD) 4/5
Companion to Flags of Our Fathers (widely considered the better of the two), showing the same battle from the Japanese perspective. Letters focuses on the human angle, getting to know the characters as they prepare for battle (the Americans don't arrive for almost an hour) and through flashbacks. The action sequences and cinematography owe a lot to Saving Private Ryan -- desaturation is becoming a war film cliche; that said, it works here, fitting the bland sandy environment and emphasising bursts of colour from blood and flames. The film aims to humanise 'The Enemy' but only succeeds in showing that there were some good people in a society of old-fashioned ideas; the obsession with pointless suicide over genuine use of men may be true, but still seems savage and unpractical (probably more a flaw of the real military attitude than of the film, then). No character who follows this is a good guy; likable ones survive or are Westernised. The Americans we see are a mix too (one shoots captured soldiers for no reason, for example), but this feels like a hollow attempt to depict the filmmakers' countrymen equally rather than genuinely aiding the concept of the Japanese as good guys. A mixed film then, the value of which lies not in presenting a view of war, humanity or Japanese culture, but in providing a view (or, indeed, half a view) of this one particular battle. (I'll undoubtedly share my thoughts on the first half of this pair when LoveFilm decide to send it to me.)
93a) Gone With the Wind (1939, Victor Fleming, DVD) 5/5
I thought I'd seen Gone With the Wind but, watching it again, it's clear I hadn't properly. This is partly because I first saw it on TV, in two halves, a week apart, each starting at 1AM. I just about managed to follow the story, in between drifting off for whole chunks. Another reason is the quality of the restored print on the DVD: it looks stunning, every frame is beautiful; it's a shame no films look like this today. The performances are uniformly excellent, especially (of course) Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable; though special mention must be made of the fantastic Oscar-winning Hattie McDaniel as Mammy (the first African American to be nominated for and win an Oscar, and deservedly so). The direction is brilliant, displaying styles you think weren't invented for another 20 years; all of the design work is gorgeous; and the story is epic and expertly told, moving across genres (romance, war, melodrama, comedy) with ease. It's easy to see why this is the most popular film ever made. First time round I just thought it was very good; now it's firmly one of my favourites.
94) The Black Dahlia (2006, Brian De Palma, DVD) 2/5
Noir-wannabe, adapted from the James Ellroy novel based on a real, unsolved case. That case is far from the focus here; from the start the apparently-central crime is anything but, meaning the biggest let-down is that events barely follows the eponymous story. It's one of many problems in a film that tries hard to be a proper noir but fails in almost every respect: performances (most of which wind up flat), corny dialogue, plot, pretty-but-vacant direction, and even voice-over narration. I haven't read the novel, but apparently it's a poor adaptation too. What you want is a '40s-style thriller; what you get is a weak '40s-set character drama.
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