December 7, 2015 – December 13, 2015
Monday, December 7, 2015
1) Le Cercle Rouge (1970)
Why I watched: In Empire‘s list of the top 500 films.
Impression: Recently released from prison, Corey (Antoine Delon) meets escaped prisoner Vogel in the countryside as he avoids mafia hit men. Eventually, the pair meet Jansen (Yves Montand) an ex-cop fighting an alcoholic addiction. Armed with information Corey learned in prison, the trio plan a spectacular heist of an impenetrable jewelry store.
Jean-Pierre Melville is a master of silence, his characters let their actions speak for them, eschewing dialogue and explanation. In the riveting heist scene, this is a daring, original choice, but, in other areas, it hinders our ability to empathize and understand his characters.
I will remember the robbery scene as a paradigm of the genre, but the characters will fade from memory.
2 ½ stars.
2) The Abyss (1989)
Why I watched: In the top 1000 films according to IMDB.
Impression: The US government sends a Seal team to a private drilling facility (Deep Core) to determine the nature of an unidentified object thought to be a part of a Soviet plot which turns out to be a previously unknown intelligent life form.
The leader of the Seal group plans to use a nuclear explosive to destroy the threat, but the foreman of Deep Core, Bud Brigman (Ed Harris) thwarts his efforts, winning the respect of the alien life form hidden in the bottom of the sea.
This is decent film from James Cameron with some cool special effects. Unfortunately, there’s too much going on. In addition to the discovery of alien life in the ocean, there’s a love story between Bud and his estranged wife, Dr. Lindsey Brigman (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) and elements of a Cold War thriller. If the film were simpler, it would have been more effective.
2 ½ stars.
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
3) 12:08 East of Bucharest (2006)
Why I watched: Included in a list of the 1000 best reviewed films of the 21st century.
Impression: Mr. Jderscu, the owner of a local TV station and star of his own talk show, assembles a panel to discuss the events of December 22, 1989, when Romanian leader Nicolae Ceausecu was deposed. He’s interested in exploring what role the small town of Vaslui played in the event.
His panelists include alcoholic teacher Mr. Manescu and widower Mr. Piscoci. Manescu insists he was one of the first men to rise against Ceausecu, but all the witnesses who could confirm his activity have died.
The first half of the film establishes the character of the three men. The second half is presented as a live broadcast of Jderscu’s show.
The film explores the intersection of history and individuals. The minute details of history are footnotes in the textbooks, but to the people involved these events takes on grave importance. When the history of the world interferes or conflicts with our own personal history, we favor our own version, because it makes us feel important. It’s a vain, ultimately meaningless way of looking at the world, but rarely feels that way to the people involved.
4 stars.
4) Ramona (1910)
Why I watched: Trying to watch at least 15 films released in every year of the twentieth century.
Impression: Ramona is a member of a well-off family who falls in love with Alessandro, a Native-American ranch hand.
When her family finds out about their relationship, they force Alessandro to leave. Ramona abandons her family for their love, but the harsh conditions and economic plight of Native Americans proves too much.
Despite his reputation as a staunch opponent of minority rights, D.W. Griffith shows a real empathy for the plight of Native Americans. It’s too bad the film is boring.
1 star.
5) Exam (2009)
Why I watched: Jamie Porter’s Pick of the Week.
Impression: Eight applicants (four women and four men) arrive for a job interview, where they must first take an exam.
The exam is a well devised puzzle to determine how the applicants will respond to stressful situations. The CEO of the company is embedded as one of the participants and observes the applicants up close.
This is one of a number of films riffing off 12 Angry Men and Survivor. Strangers are forced to work together to solve a problem, but only one will be rewarded for their effort. The stakes, a nebulous but supposedly sought after job, aren’t high enough.
At least in the more recent incarnation, Circle (2015), lives were on the line. This was an okay effort, but the characters (nicknamed after their physical traits) never explained their motivations or what they were trying to do.
3 stars.
6) Silver Lode (1954)
Why I watched: Included in the book 1001 Moves You Must See Before You Die.
Impression: Dan Ballard is about to marry Rose Evans (Lizabeth Scott), when Marshal Fred McCarty arrives to arrest Ballard for murdering his brother.
Everyone in town knows Ballard, and they initially believe him, but the supposed authority of Marshal McCarty forces them to question their opinions. Ballard must prove his innocence to the town people and expose McCarty as a scoundrel and liar.
It’s a veiled indictment of McCarthyism and the frustration of having to defend yourself from attacks of strangers, an insightful look at the way opinions are shaped by others, and the danger this poses.
3 ½ stars.
7) Far from Vietnam (1967)
Why I watched: MUBI’s film of the day.
Impression: A hodgepodge of directors, including Agnes Varda, Jean-Luc Godard, Alain Resnais, and Chris Marker combine to make a documentary about the protests and anger of the Vietnam War.
The first half of the film is an anti-war polemic, explaining the political, moral, and humanitarian reasons against the conflict.
The second half is a look at the protests in America during the closing years of the 1960s. I’ve never seen a film so effectively capture the chaos, passion, and uncertainty of demonstrations. The filmmakers interview people opposed and in favor of the war and let them articulate their position, but most of the time it devolves into a shouting match.
This phenomenal film encapsulates the era well. Fifty years later, it serves as a stark reminder of how little has changed in the last half-century, how many of our political arguments are fundamentally unmoved.
3 ½ stars.
8) The Battle of China (1944)
Why I watched: Part 6 of Frank Capra’s series of films about WWII, all of which were inducted into the National Film Registry.
Impression: Of the six films I’ve seen in the series so far, this is by the most informative and contains the finest exploration of how Japan intended to conquer China, and the beginning section includes a fascinating, truncated history of China.
Prior to WWII, China was better seen as a confederation of smaller entities than a unified whole. Japan intended to attack these different factions of the Chinese mainland, and in the confusion consolidate their position.
Having seen this, I have a better understanding of the Sino-Japanese war.
3 stars.
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
9) Phoenix (2014)
Why I watched: The National Board of Review named this one of the best foreign films of 2015.
Impression: Holocaust survivor Nelly Lenz (Nina Hoss) undergoes reconstructive surgery because of a bullet wound and returns to Berlin with her friend, Lene, to discover she has inherited a large sum of money.
Her friend wants to claim the money and move to Palestine, but Nelly insists on finding her husband Johnny first, despite Lene’s warnings Johnny may have betrayed her to the Nazis.
When she finds him at a nightclub, Johnny doesn’t recognize Nelly, but sees enough resemblance to suggest she pose as his presumed deceased wife to claim her inheritance.
Desiring to learn the truth of his involvement in her imprisonment, Nelly pretends to impersonate herself to gain access to Johnny.
This is a powerful and poignant film about how people respond to danger, the limits of love and trust, and the risk of placing faith in others. The final scene, when pianist Johnny accompanies the women he thinks is impersonating his wife in a cabaret number is heartbreaking. This film manages to do something increasingly rare, mine the wreckage of the Holocaust and find something original to say.
4 1/2 stars.
10) Heaven and Earth Magic (1962)
Why I watched: Included in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die.
Impression: This silent, bizarre short film by avant-garde filmmaker Harry Everett Smith features animated cut out characters on a journey to heaven and back to earth. At least that’s what the description says. I’m not sure I would have arrived at this description on my own. At any rate, it was an utter waste of my time.
½ star.
11) The Unchanging Sea (1910)
Why I watched: I’m attempting to watch at least 15 movies released every year in the twentieth century.
Impression: A family is torn apart when a father is lost at sea. He loses his memory and wanders aimlessly for a long time, until the familiarity of the sea causes his memory to return and he rushes home to reunite with his now adult daughter (Mary Pickford).
Based on a poem by Charles Kinglsey, this short from D.W. Griffith is the beginning of a good idea, but it’s not developed.
1 star.
12) Seymour: An Introduction (2015)
Why I watched: On many best of 2015 lists from a variety of critics.
Impression: The tale of Seymour Bernstein is inspirational, and a little sad. He was a world-class pianist, but the stress of performance was more than he could handle.
Instead of abandoning his love, he turned to music education, realizing he could contribute without being the center of attention. His passion for music and his knowledge of his craft is amazing. It was delightful watching him explain to students why and how they should play a piece, how to read between the lines and understand what the composer intended.
His theories about the necessity of understanding composition in order to play well are insightful and reveal a man who has thought long and well about his craft. This warm, compassionate film was an obvious labor of love for director Ethan Hawke and it shows.
3 ½ stars.
13) The Night of the Iguana (1964)
Why I watched: Grayson Hall was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Impression: Reverend Dr. T. Lawrence Shannon (Richard Burton) is forced to leave his congregation because of an inappropriate relationship. Two years later, Shannon works for a tour group in Mexico.
While escorting a group of Baptist school teachers to a Mexican resort, he must deal with their self-righteous leader Judith Fellowes (Grayson Hall), her promiscuous niece Charlotte Goodall (Sue Lyon), the bawdy owner of a hotel Maxine Faulk (Ava Gardner), and Hannah Jelkes (Deborah Kerr) a fellow tenant at the hotel traveling with her elderly grandfather.
Based on a Tennessee Williams play, this is not as dynamic as some of the films based on his work, but it’s just as claustrophobic and piercing. Shannon is a good man, whose vices and foibles prevent him from doing good things. In a poignant reversal, the spinster Jelkes ministers to Shannon, offering wise counsel and sympathy.
Hall is delightful as the puritanical Fellowes who takes joy in punishing Shannon for his indiscretions, and Gardner is obviously having a great time playing the free-flowing Faulk. Lyon attempts to replicate her earlier performance as Lolita in Stankley Kubrick’s classic film, but unfortunately comes across as desperate. Kerr is, as always, excellent. Burton’s performance, vacillating between stoic depression and wild-eyed mania, is easily the weakest performance of the film.
Eliza Kazan was adept at translating Williams’s unique vision of sexual frustration in mid twentieth century America to the silver screen. John Huston is a capable director and does an admirable job in this film, but it fails to reach the heights of the Kazan / Williams partnership in A Streetcar Named Desire or Baby Doll.
3 stars.
14) Entrapment (1999)
Why I watched: Earned over $200 million at the box office.
Impression: Robert “Mac” MacDougal is an aging thief. Virginia “Gin” Baker (Catherine Zeta-Jones), a reformed thief working for an insurance director, is tasked with entrapping Mac. Ving Rhames is a either a criminal mastermind or an FBI agent.With a backdrop of double crosses and insinuations of double crosses, Mac and Gin develop feelings for each other which may or may not be genuine.
The final heist for a ridiculous 8 billion dollars, makes Dr. Evil’s insane request seems reasonable.
Zeta-Jones and Connery have nice chemistry and this came at the peak of Connery’s old man sexiness, but this movie is not good.
2 stars.
15) War Comes to America (1945)
Why I watched: The last film in Frank Capra’s documentary series about World War II, all of which were inducted into the National Film Registry.
Impression: The earlier segments of the series were more informative, but the archival footage of FDR and various US senators debating US entry into the war was pretty cool.
It’s chilling to think how many people lost their lives unnecessarily because of our indecisiveness.
2 stars.
Thursday, December 10, 2015
16) The Dream (1911)
Why I watched: Trying to watch at least 15 movies released every year of the twentieth century.
Impression: A philandering man comes home late, fights with his wife, falls asleep, and has a guilty dream. When he wakes up, he begs for forgiveness.
This is a slight film directed by D.W. Griffith, starring Mary Pickford.
1 star.
17) Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (1965)
Why I watched: Included in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die.
Impression: Three go-go dancers leave work and go on a violent spree in the desert. They run a man and his girlfriend off the road, kill him, and kidnap her. At a gas station, they learn a wheel-chair bound old man has a secret stash of money, which leads to more senseless violence.
Director Russ Meyer has become a byword for B movie sensibility. His cheaply made films with lesser wattage stars were provocative and pushed the boundaries of acceptable representations of sex and violence onscreen. But what’s provocative in 1965, may not be as titillating 50 years later. This is certainly true of this film. It’s a little boring and humdrum, except for the odd charisma of Tura Satana who reminds me of future WWE wrestler Chyna.
The dialogue is crisp and occasionally funny, but the movie sorta drags.
2 1/2 stars.
18) Hold Me While I’m Naked (1966)
Why I watched: Included in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die.
Impression: A lonely director gets jealous when he films a love scene. This is the kind of low-budget independent film some people love and most people hate. It feels like the kind of “film” your artsy cousin made with his dad’s camcorder. You were impressed because he was 12, but you knew he’d either have to improve tremendously or find a real job. George Kuchar did neither. He got to do what he loved for his profession, but that doesn’t mean his films were very good.
1/2 star.
19) Pickup on South Street (1953)
Why I watched: Included in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die.
Impression: When Skip McCoy (Richard Widmark) steals Candy’s (Jean Peters) wallet, he accidentally steals top-secret information from her communist boyfriend Joey.
Despite their deteriorating relationship, Candy had agreed to deliver a package for Joey, unaware it contained secret spy material.
Skip wants to use the material to turn a profit, while US authorities and the Soviet spies will use any means necessary to retrieve the information.
Thelma Ritter is excellent as a world-weary informant who tries to protect Skip.
The weak link of the film is the forced romantic attachment between Skip and Candy. I understand its purpose. It creates a connection between Skip and Candy, giving them a reason to interact beyond the chance encounter at the beginning of the film, but it reeks of studio mandated interference and doesn’t feel organic.
Samuel Fuller is derided as a B movie director, but his films are always well made and interesting, often transcending their genre limitations. This anti-communist movie manages to make a larger point of deconstructing unbridled and unchecked patriotism. The film is less interested in taking sides than showing how both sides are willing to overlook moral and ethical obligations to achieve their goals.
3 stars.
20) The Strange Case of Angelica (2010)
Why I watched: MUBI’s film of the day.
Impression: Jewish photographer Isaac is hired by a local wealthy family to photograph their recently deceased daughter Angelica as she lays in repose. When he views her lifeless body through his camera, Angelica smiles and opens her eyes.
Although no one else can see her, Isaac is frequently visited by Angelica’s ghost. The pair often fly through the air enjoying each other’s company.
Filmmaker Manoel de Oliveira died in 2015 at the mature age of 106. This film. released after his 100th birthday, is an amazing achievement. The ghost scenes, among the first Oliveira shot digitally, are reminiscent of the early days of cinema from Méliès or Chomon.
This is a nice, sweet film about finding love in unexpected places.
3 stars.
Friday, December 11, 2015
21) The Miser’s Heart (1911)
Why I watched: Trying to watch at least 15 movies released in every year of the twentieth century.
Impression: Thieves try to steal the contents of a safe from an elderly man. In order to coerce him into opening the safe, they threaten the life of a little girl who lives in his building.
Fortunately, a vagrant sees little Kathy hanging out the window and convinces a skeptical police force to rescue her.
Donald Crisp is a policeman and Lionel Barrymore is one of the thieves which makes the film a little cooler for film buffs.
The scenes with Kathy hanging out the window are pretty intense, but other than that it’s a little boring.
1 star.
22) Tampopo (1985)
Why I watched: Included in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die.
Impression: A pair of truck drivers wind up at the home of Tampopo, who owns a restaurant specializing in ramen noodles. Sadly, her noodles are not very good. The drivers, Gun and Goro, agree to help her perfect her recipe.
There’s a prominent side story about a gangster and his girlfriend who like to use food during their lovemaking.
Occasionally very funny, this film explores the intimate connections between food and the world around us, but there are stretches which fall flat.
3 stars.
23) Metallica: Some Kind of Monster (2004)
Why I watched: Included in a list of the 1000 best reviewed films of the 21st century.
Impression: Documentarians Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky turned their attention to heavy metal rock band Metallica. During the course of the film, lead singer James Hetfield enters rehab, bassist Jason Newsted leaves the group, and their management team suggests the group enter therapy to better understand each other.
The highlights include a meeting between former Metallica member and Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine and drummer Lars Ulrich, and Ulrich’s legal battle against Napster and the personal toll it took on him.
The film goes a long way to deglamorizing the rock industry and documenting the hard work required to maintain a rock band’s image. Sadly, the movie isn’t as consistently engaging or entertaining as I expected.
2 1/2 stars.
24) What Shall We Do With Our Old? (1911)
Why I watched: Trying to watch at least 15 films released every year of the twentieth century.
Impression: D.W. Griffith turns his attention to the plight of the elderly in early twentieth century. It’s not nearly as in-depth as it could be, and there are long stretches where the lack of intertitles is annoying.
Leo McCarey would do a better job in the similarly themed Make Way for Tomorrow, and a recent episode of Master of None addresses generational issues much more succinctly.
1 star.
25) Dark Days (2000)
Why I watched: Included in a list of the 1000 best reviewed films of the 21st century.
Impression: Marc Singer documents the impromptu community of New York City homeless that lived in the Freedom Tunnel, an abandoned Amtrak tunnel. At one point in the mid 1990s, over one hundred people lived in the expansive network of tunnels.
During filming, Amtrak announced plans to reopen the tracks, effectively evicting the inhabitants. Singer worked with the Coalition for the Homeless to find housing and the film ends with one of them lying in his own bed for the first time.
2 1/2 stars.
26) War Work (2015)
Why I Watched: MUBI’s film of the day.
Impression: Michael Nyman’s silent film juxtaposes the poetry of World War I with imagery of the war’s death and destruction. Created to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the war, it’s a poignant film, but there are better films which accomplish the same task.
1 ½ stars.
Saturday, December 12, 2015
27) Le Pont du Nord (1981)
Why I watched: MUBI’s film of the day.
Impression: After several chance meetings on the streets of Paris, Marie and Baptiste team up to decipher an ancient map of the city. Recently released from jail, Marie is paranoid and claustrophobic, while the younger Baptiste is impish and energetic.
Marie and Baptiste are played by mother and daughter Bulle and Pascale Ogier. Knowing this brings an added dimension to the film and gives their interplay hidden meaning.
There is no real plot in the film, it plays as a series of vignettes as Marie and Baptiste explore their conspiracy theories and interpret the pseudo-mystical map.
It’s playful and enchanting, but the end it was too meandering and pointless to capture my attention.
2 ½ stars.
28) Riley’s First Date?
Why I watched: I loved Inside Out and this was included as an extra on the DVD.
Impression: The boy we met at the end of Inside Out takes Riley roller skating. Her parents were unaware a boy was coming and freak out. This short proves how pliable the technique of visualizing the inner mind of a character can be, exploring the discrepancy between what we think and what we allow others to see.
Plus it proves how forward thinking and revolutionary Herman’s Head was.
3 ½ stars.
29) Creed (2015)
Why I watched: I’ve seen all the Rocky films, I love Michael B. Jordan, and Sylvester Stallone was nominated for a Golden Globe
Impression: The original Rocky feels like an independent film. The sequel take on more of a studio film feel. The third film (with Mr. T and Hulk Hogan) feels like a typical franchise film. The fourth film, which many say is the series epoch, audaciously has Rocky win the Cold War by proxy.
In the fifth film, the series takes a dramatic turn. Rocky is retired, but finds passion in training another fighter.
The sixth film, Rocky Balboa focuses more on Rocky’s relationship with his son and coming to terms with his legacy.
This, the seventh films in the Rockyverse, follows Apollo Creed’s son, Adonis (Michael B. Jordan) as he finds his way and makes a name for himself. It’s full of sly references to previous films, but wisely forgoes the over their tendency for over the top excess. Case in point:
Stallone has morphed from the young up and comer to the embodiment of Mickey, the role Burgess Meredith played in the original film. Stallone is excellent in the introspective role, there are moments of genuine pathos in his performance. The weight of the previous films and his four decade long relationship with American movie audiences serve as a stark reminder: all heroes will fade and die.
Director Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan previously worked together on Fruitvale Station, a powerful exploration of race relations in 21st century America. This film ensures both will have a voice in Hollywood for some time. Coogler’s instincts are solid; he knows when to go for a joke, when to remind viewers of the previous films without feeling derivative. The fight scenes are well-done.
I’ve loved Jordan since his heartbreaking work as Wallace in The Wire, although it’s difficult to reconcile my memory of that character with his work here. His career is still ascendant, but he seems destined to be a Hollywood mainstay.
This is how you reinvent and re-energize a 40-year-old franchise.
3 ½ stars.
30) Four Falls of Buffalo (2015)
Why I watched: Part of ESPN’s 30 for 30 series.
Impression: Beginning with the 1990 season, the Buffalo Bills won four straight AFC Championships and went to four straight Super Bowls. Sadly, they lost each game, to the Giants, the Redskins, the Cowboys, and the Cowboys a second time. Their inability to win the big game became a national punch line. This documentary chronicles their amazing streak and gives it some perspective.
It’s fun history lesson, and reminds us judging a team based on their performance in a single game is unfair. Plus it has copious amounts of Buffalo native (and Bills superfan) Tim Russert.
3 stars.
31) xXx (20002)
Why I watched: One of the highest grossing films of all time.
Impression: Extreme sports professional Xander Cage (Vin Diesel) is recruited by the NSA to bring down a Russian terrorist group. Vin Diesel is charismatic, and I liked Samuel L. Jackson as the NSA agent who recruits him, but the movie is too uneven with too many plot twists and not enough character development.
2 stars.
32) Thicker than Water (2015)
Why I watched: A part of ESPN’s 30 for 30 Shorts.
Impression: Just before the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, diver Greg Louganis was diagnosed with HIV, but kept his diagnosis a secret.
During the Olympics, he slipped and hit his head on the diving board. He recovered from the incident and went on to win two gold at the games.
Louganis’s decision to hide his condition was controversial then and remains so, but the filmmakers were not interested in anything but a hagiographic treatment of Louganis.
1 ½ stars.
Sunday, December 13, 2015
33) Danny Collins (2015)
Why I watched: Al Pacino was nominated for a Golden Globe for his performance in the film.
Impression: Aging rocker Danny Collins (Al Pacino) finds an undelivered letter John Lennon sent him years earlier. Inspired by his idol, Collins reconnects with his estranged son Tom (Bobby Cannavale).
We’ve seen this film before, absent father making good on his commitment as he nears the end of his life. However, Pacino is excellent and his performance is an insightful look at what fame and expectation can do to someone.
The film is quirky in just the right places and features excellent performances from Annette Bening, Bobby Cannavale, Jennifer Garner, Christopher Plummer, and Melissa Benoist.
It’s not groundbreaking and doesn’t have anything particularly original to say, but it’s a pleasant variation on an old theme, and a great vehicle for Pacino and an opportunity for him to explore his own fading star.
3 ½ stars.
Best movie I saw this week: Phoenix (2014)
Worst movie I saw this week: Heaven and Earth Magic (1962)