Innocence

Girls’ schools make good settings for mysterious goings-on (see Suspiria, Picnic at Hanging Rock) and the goings-on here are certainly mysterious.  There’s a lot left unexplained… most of it is blatantly metaphorical, but it’s not always obvious what the metaphor represents.  A thought-provoking work, beautifully shot with a lovely score and a talented batch of young actresses.  I’m glad I got my copy working, because I look forward to future viewings, and hopefully more from Hadzihalilovic (who apparently edited I Stand Alone).  Rating: 9

IMDb

Possession

The film is intense, but only because the actors are completely overdoing it and the cameraman has some form of ADD. The performances are histrionic to the point of utter laughability (Is that the point? is this a comedy?). Also, anything “Lovecraftian” almost always seems more silly than disquieting, and this is no exception. Add on some paper-thin metaphors/symbolism, and the film feels like a parody of itself.  Rating: 4

IMDb

French Cancan

A lively, whimsical tribute to show business from Renoir, a fictionalized telling of the opening of the Moulin Rouge.  Jean Gabin is his usual winning self as the devil-may-care producer, and I thought Maria Félix was great as the star with a jealous streak.  One of the smaller roles, Philippe Clay as Casimir, was quite delightful too.  I still don’t like Renoir’s sense of color, and I wouldn’t ever watch this again, but it was fun.  Rating: 7

IMDb

Larmar och gör sig till (In the Presence of a Clown)

I’m having horrible luck with my downloaded movies lately.  I forgot to convert Caché to NTSC, and Match Factory Girl is yet another one that got cut off before the ending.  I’m fiddling with my software to try to get things working again, but in the meantime it’ll be a while before I can watch most of the “on deck” films right now.

This one worked, however (except for no sound in the left speaker, which I don’t think was my fault).  It’s an excellent film that deserves a proper DVD release.  Bergman’s work is frequently autobiographical, but here he’s quite blatantly self-referential (which may turn you off, if you’re against that kind of thing).  There’s a paper lantern prop from Scenes from a Marriage that makes a prominent appearance (and it shows up again in Saraband).  A projector hissing to life recalls the opening of Persona.  Also, the main character tells Death (who appears here as a clown named, perhaps a bit too cleverly, Rigmor) “in my youth, I saw you dance” which I take to be a reference to Seventh Seal.  The film covers a lot of ground, mostly typical Bergman themes: the looming threat of mortality, strained relationships, “justified rage,” and the creative impulse as a form of madness.  In a rather brilliant manner, he manages to express his joy for both film and theater, and even gives us a loving tribute to Schubert.  The acting is superb across the board, and if the cinematography isn’t quite as remarkable as Nykvist’s work, at least we get some lovely candle lighting.  Rating: 9

IMDb

Detour

Not the greatest of noirs, the voice-over is especially bad.  But extremely tight storytelling and a devilish performance by Ann Savage (ooh, you just can’t wait to see her get what’s coming to her!) make it worthwhile.  The DVD presentation of this movie is horrible, though.  Damage all over the place.  Rating: 7

IMDb

Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles

After a pair of highly successful martial arts flicks, Zhang Yimou returns to his roots: simple comic dramas along the lines of Not One Less and To Live.  He’s not breaking any new ground here, but it’s a fine piece, touching on connectedness and fatherhood and cultural barriers.  Great acting all around, and the photography of rural China is lovely.  The guy who gets stuck with the interpreter job is really funny, I’m sure I’ve seen him in something else before (probably another Zhang Yimou film).  The film does tug on the heartstrings a little too hard at times.  Rating: 8

IMDb

Manhattan (rewatch)

Oh hell.  I hate feeling conflicted like this.  Manhattan has a hell of a lot going for it.  The cinematography by Gordon Willis is magnificent, Allen and Keaton are both great, there’s a lot of funny lines, and the insights about relationships and maturity and everything are meaningful.  But… man, the whole Mariel Hemingway thing is just creepy.  Are we supposed to approve of his desire to be with an adolescent?  Or are we supposed to feel a little bit sorry for him?  I guess a case could be made for the latter, but I don’t think so.  Especially in light of what would occur later in Allen’s personal life.  Good movie, but kind of unsettling in ways that it shouldn’t be.  Rating: 8

IMDb

Szerelem (Love)

I don’t remember why I wanted to watch this, I think I saw an ad for it in Sight & Sound.  My first Hungarian movie… and it’s a pretty good one!  A woman’s husband is arrested for political reasons, and she endeavors to hide the fact from her mother-in-law.  All the while, the government makes things more and more difficult for her.  It has the austerity of a Bergman picture, but with light doses of humor.  What really makes this unique is the use of quick flashes of memory and imagination, these momentary glimpses through the mind’s eye.  Quite a good watch.  Rating: 8

IMDb

Kairo (Pulse)

I thought this was quite a bit better than the typical J-horror flick.  The incomprehensibilty associated with the genre was not as bad as it usually is, I feel like I’ve got a pretty good grasp on what happened.  I liked the end-of-the-world business too, that was a fresh twist on the standard fare.  I also appreciated the themes of isolation and loneliness.  It was a little on the slow side, and there weren’t as many as jumpy-scary parts as, say, Ju-On, but otherwise I approve.  Rating: 8

IMDb

O Brother, Where Art Thou? (rewatch)

I thought I’d watch it once more and get rid of it, but it’s a keeper.  One of the Coens’ best, a glorious mix of depression-era folk songs, Homer’s Odyssey, and Preston Sturges-style comedy.  It’s jam-packed with plot development, with one “tight spot” after another.  Clooney shows a remarkable ability to handle comedy, the music is enthralling, and Deakins’s tempered cinematography is beautiful.  One very minor qualm: the movie feels like it should end right after the political rally, but everything in that last 15 minutes is great too, and absolutely necessary.  Just kinda gives the ending an odd rhythm.  Rating: 9

IMDb