L’heure d’été (Summer Hours)

I have mixed feelings concerning people who get too precious about art, and it appears Assayas does as well.  At least, his position here is hard to nail down.  The characters have differing attitudes about art and objects, their monetary value, their sentimental value, and their utility.  Assayas makes neither villain nor hero out of any of them… except perhaps a loving fondness for the housekeeper, apparently the only person in the entire film not coming from a position of wealth and privilege.  The vase she takes as a keepsake is entirely for reasons of emotional attachment, she has no clue (or reason to believe) that it is a “valuable” work of art.  And despite the complex presentation of varied attitudes, I think this is the heart of the movie — that art’s primarily value is its human value.  I also found a lot of heart in the film’s coda, a lively tribute to the youth who bring a new selection of attitudes, some of whom will no doubt become artists themselves, whose vitality imbues art and objects with meaning.  At least, I hope that was the intent.  As I said, it’s not entirely clear what Assayas is getting at, but it’s a beautiful and intriguing work nonetheless.  Rating: 8

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The Brothers Rico

A former mob accountant gets sucked back in when his brothers are in danger.  It’s a solid thriller, with a good performance by Richard Conte and a thick air of paranoia and tension.  It didn’t really impress me much, though.  It’s certainly not a bad film at all, I even enjoyed it… it just doesn’t have that certain something.  Rating: 7

IMDb

Human Desire

The best of Fritz Lang’s American output, a psychologically dense tale of lust, rage, jealousy, domestic abuse, sexual violence… and murder.  Two of my favorites, Broderick Crawford and Gloria Grahame, expertly weave a relationship fraught with misery.  Grahame is especially wonderful, bringing a rich emotional complexity to a character that could easily be played as a one-note manipulator.  Glenn Ford is fine as well, playing a somewhat damaged veteran caught in the middle.  The film packs a number of surprises and subverts some noir conventions (and perhaps even the production code).  Add on a mostly good score and some stark photography, and you’ve got a thoughtful, bleak portrait of frustration and desperation.  Rating: 9

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Pushover

10 years after the fact, Fred MacMurray returns to familiar Double Indemnity territory: guy gets seduced into committing the very crime he’s supposed to investigate.  But the similarities are actually rather slight, and this doesn’t feel entirely like a rehash.  Kim Novak is a more romantic, less femme fatale-ish character than Stanwyck, for one thing.  There’s a heavy voyeurism vibe going on that’s very interesting.  Richard Quine’s direction is not terribly inventive, but it’s solid, and the story is quite well-plotted with a lot of tension as MacMurray and Novak’s scheme unravels.  For the average joe this is probably a weak film, but for a noir fan it does the trick.  The leads are both strong, with good supporting performances by E.G. Marshall, Dorothy Malone and Philip Carey.  The photography is a little flat at times, but some scenes really shine, especially towards the end.  Lousy music, though.  Rating: 8

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David Cross: Bigger and Blackerer

The set starts out with a pair of lame bits: when Cross is introduced, a little kid comes out dressed and acting like him.  Then the real Cross comes out and it goes into a bit where he deals with someone doing his own sign language comedy routine next to the stage.  Fortunately after that it become a regular stand-up show.  I appreciate some experimentation, but neither attempt was that exciting.  On a lot of his previous shows, Cross seems unprepared, which can result in some great off-the-cuff riffs, but also an uncomfortable amount of stammering and gags that go nowhere.  Here his set is much tighter, and the results are for the most part very funny.  You can expect the usual discussion of politics and religion, but he doesn’t overdo it.  The excised portions in the bonus features are well worth checking out.  Rating: 7

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Hitori musuko (The Only Son)

Ozu’s first talkie sets the stage for his postwar career: the somber parent/child drama, his particular style of using music, those unmistakably Ozu transitions, the buried emotions, the big moments we never see.  If you like later Ozu, you’ll probably like this.  The only major difference is that it’s somewhat more overtly political, with its clear commentary on the economic state of the nation and its impact on the family.  There are a couple of very moving moments, and overall I enjoyed it about as much as I’ve enjoyed the rest of his work.  It’s funny, almost every time I watch an Ozu film, it’s like I’m just teetering on the edge of becoming a huge fanatic.  I really don’t know why I’m quite there yet (maybe the repetitive nature of his filmography, but I do see and appreciate the subtle differences).  It’s going to happen someday though, I feel it.  Rating: 8

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Stray Dog (rewatch)

This is a very good movie, but despite some wonderfully artful cinematography, doesn’t belong among the top shelf Kurosawas.  If only the rest of the film matched the psychological depth or narrative tension of the final half hour.  Even disregarding the unbearably long black market montage, the film feels slow and low-key.  I can’t help comparing it to the second half of High and Low, which not only features more compelling police work, but also a much darker and intense look at the seedy underworld.  There are certainly some interesting themes being developed regarding postwar conditions, but they’re never really developed to satisfaction.  I don’t mean to come down too hard on it… there’s some terrific moments (Hirumi trying on her dress) and good performances from Mifune and Shimura (although the rookie/veteran motif is a tad overcooked) and expert framing and composition.  But after three viewings, it still doesn’t scream “greatness” and it isn’t getting any better.  I’ve gotten everything I’m going to get out of it, another DVD for the eBay stack.  Rating: 8

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Holiday (rewatch)

Sure, it’s pretty contrived, and the film too easily divides its characters between the free spirits and the blue bloods… but it’s such an enjoyable delight.  Grant and Hepburn are both the height of charm, and Edward Everett Horton and Jean Dixon are wonderful too.  Classic Hollywood at its most endearing, I just adore watching it.  Rating: 9

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Üç maymun (Three Monkeys)

No, it’s not a prequel to Twelve Monkeys.  When a politician gets involved in a hit-and-run accident, his chauffeur agrees to take the rap for it… which cascades into a series of consequences for his family, already haunted by a previous loss.  Like the other Ceylan films I’ve seen, it’s done very well with a style that appeals to me, but seems to lack something.  It’s an interesting story with interesting moments and interesting choices… but I can’t help but feel a little “meh” about the whole thing.  I don’t know what Ceylan is driving at, and I’m not sure he knows either.  I still like it, I just don’t love it.  I guess Ceylan is going to be one of those kinds of directors for me.  Rating: 7

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Nightfall

I dunno why, but whenever I watch a noir, I think of a category for it.  This belongs to the “clearing his name” subgenre, like The Wrong Man and Kansas City Confidential.  There’s a few noteworthy elements.  As in Out of the Past, Tourneur uses a flashback structure to reveal the story, but this time he fragments it a lot more, often leaving the viewer guessing why the characters are in their situations.  This is the first movie I’ve seen with Aldo Ray, and he has a certain quality to him, kind of a teddy bear toughness.  And there’s a wonderfully grisly death at the end.  Other than that, it’s not too special but it’s plotted well and there are a few moments of stimulating photography.  Anne Bancroft is lovely, but doesn’t seem like a particularly good fit for this role.  Rating: 7

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