Dame Sobh (Day Break)

In Iran, a murderer’s fate is decided by the victim’s family.  They can forgive him and let him carry out a prison sentence, or they can execute him.  This movie (based on true events) explores what happens when the family repeatedly fails to show up.  It’s a pretty good film… the plot and themes are actually very Bressonian, although the style is completely different.  In fact, stylistically it’s rather jumbled — a hybrid of documentary, semi-documentary, and dramatic styles.  It works well enough, though.  It might have been a little better with some of Bresson’s restraint.  Goofy sidenote: the guy who plays the murderer looks remarkably like Kevin Pollak… I half expected him to start cracking jokes.  Also, Iranian prison looks surprisingly comfy and laid-back.  Rating: 8

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Millennium Actress

This was a great concept: blending memories of the private life and career life of an actress, within the framework of a documentary being shot in the present day.  The way it toys with characters and chronology is quite clever, as are the homages to Kurosawa, Mizoguchi (and probably others).  Unfortunately, the execution leaves much to be desired.  The two comic relief guys were really annoying, with all those exaggerated reactions so typical of anime.  They were like a cross between the guys in Hidden Fortress and the perpetually stoned spaceship pilots from Heavy Metal.  The animation was stiff and the acting was poor.  And to be blunt, most of it was kinda boring.  The whole time I was thinking how much better it would be in live action.  Some of the transitions might have been tricky, but the right director could pull it off.  Rating: 5

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Stalker

I seem to enjoy each Tarkovsky more than the previous one I’ve seen.  Which is either a fluke, or I’m going to totally adore Nostalghia when I get around to it.  Stalker is amazingly dense, a rich and thoughtful work of philosophy and religion.  It will take repeated viewings for me to mine all of the meaning out of it, I’m certain that I’ve only scratched the surface.  Also, the photography and use of locations is truly stunning.  Rating: 9

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Blind Beast

Strained analogy time!  This is like Cronenberg and Miike teaming up to direct Psycho meets In the Realm of the Senses.  Quite intense (but not terribly graphic) for 1969.  It covers a lot of themes: artistic obsession, sexual power plays, Oedipal relationships, and sadomasochism.  Its handling of these topics is a bit simplistic, but what it lacks in depth it makes up for in freakiness.  Michio’s studio features some of the most delightfully bizarro set design I’ve ever seen.  Rating: 8

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Hana-bi (Fireworks)

Rather similar to Sonatine, another Kitano film.  Brutal violence combined with quiet beauty and gentle humor.  Like I said, I’m a bit inarticulate today, so I’ll just say I liked it, but it didn’t grab me like Sonatine did.  Rating: 8

IMDb

Ju Dou

Short comments today because I’m getting kind of bored with movies again.  I’ve been really restless lately.  Ju-Dou is another perfectly watchable Zhang Yimou film, but not one of his best.  The most interesting part was the architecture of the dyeing house and how it pertained to the story: separating the characters from each other, providing hiding places and spying venues, and playing a key role in murder and attempted murder.  The story itself wasn’t that compelling and it developed predictably according to a fairly standard melodrama formula.  The cinematography appeared to be stunning, but it’s hard to say because the DVD looked like ass.  Rating: 7

IMDb

Funny Ha Ha

So, like, this movie has, you know… um, I don’t know, like… dialogue that really, um… annoys you, I guess?  Yes, no?  Kind of like, um, well I don’t know.  Like I guess what I’m saying is everyone’s so, um, noncommital, you know?  I don’t know.  No, no.  I’m sorry.  It’s okay.  No, I don’t know.  Yeah, so… it’s like you want to strangle every character until they, like, bleed from their eyeballs?  And it’s like… okay, wow, you totally captured that post-college slacker thing, but like, you know, big deal?  I guess, I don’t know.  I, like, don’t think Bujalski can hold a candle to Cassavetes, who he’s clearly imitating.  I guess, maybe?  Oh god, this movie sucked.  Rating: 4

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The Honeymoon Killers

Lurid, sleazy, trashy and campy.  But also pretty gripping and well done despite the low budget.  Highly recommended for John Waters fans.  Rating: 7

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The Tunnel

A Hollywood-style (the main protagonist even bears a strong resemblance to Bruce Willis) film about a crew of people helping their loved ones escape East Germany by tunneling under the Berlin Wall.  It’s cobbled together piecemeal from various true stories, and undoubtedly some extra details were added for dramatic effect, but even if the end result isn’t 100% accurate, it’s still a damned entertaining movie.  The story trucks along beautifully and keeps you glued to your seat.  It may not break the mold as far as escape flicks go, but it’s loaded with suspense, action, and intrigue.  Rating: 8

IMDb

Modern Romance (rewatch)

Not really as amusing as I remembered it, which seems to be pretty common for comedies I haven’t watched in a long time.  There were a scattered few howlingly funny lines, and it’s always somewhat entertaining to watch Albert Brooks do his neurotic shtick, but like most of his films (save Lost in America) it never rises very far above average.  Rating: 7

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