The Cloud-Capped Star

Returning to my first Ghatak after over 5 years, I was a little worried that it wouldn’t hold up as well as I remembered it.  If anything, it’s even better.  If Satyajit Ray is the virtuoso of Indian cinema, Ghatak is the maverick.  His films aren’t as polished or subtle as Ray’s, but he takes bold chances.  Most blatantly in the sound design, with startling (and often beautiful) use of music, ambient noise, reverb, and effects that are almost sci-fi.  Perhaps only Lynch is as distinctive in the employment of audio techniques.  Not all of Ghatak’s gambles pay off.  Take, for instance, his insistence on casting the goofy Bijon Bhattacharya in most of his films.  Bhattacharya’s performance here isn’t quite as damaging as his turn in The Golden Thread, but it’s easily the weakest aspect of the film.  However, the primary focus is on Nita (Supriya Choudhury), the girl whose family walks all over her, and resent her for it in the process.  As her brother chides her: “You’ll suffer.  Those who suffer, suffer forever.”  The family is a microcosm of Ghatak’s obsession, the damage caused by the Partition, commenting on those who exploit the weak, and those who let themselves be exploited.  It’s high melodrama, but like Sirk, is done so artfully and effectively that it’s a wonder to behold, with breathtaking images, unforgettable moments, and that idiosyncratic audio field.  Rating: Great

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The Passionate Friends

Although there are surface similarities to Brief Encounter — a David Lean film about infidelity with Trevor Howard as the other man — this is tonally a very different beast.  Far more soapy, as if someone took the previous movie and decided to “jazz it up” or something.  And yet, even though the action of the story is more melodramatic, Lean employs a subtle touch in the details.  There is an interesting use of small objects as totems of knowledge or some other symbolic purpose.  And it’s unusual how much of the film is told from the subjective viewpoint, in a dizzying series of flashbacks, fantasies and voiceover.  Late in the picture we start to get the sense of the unreliable narrator, and go to some dark places.  Claude Rains is unsurprisingly the standout in the cast.  Howard is fine too, but Ann Todd is not really up to the task.  Perhaps I’m unfairly making subconscious comparisons to Celia Johnson.  The music is rather tepid, but Guy Green’s photography is gorgeous.  Overall, I liked this about as much as Brief Encounter, but for very different reasons.  Rating: Good

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The Devil’s Backbone

Dull ghost story with half-hearted commentary on the Spanish Civil War.  The whole thing seems to exist to prop up a few nifty special effects and a vague sense of atmosphere.  I struggled to maintain interest… the characters are bland, the scares entirely absent (unless you have a weak stomach for mildly gory bits), the story feels slapped together from fragments of ideas.  There’s a reveal that I suppose is meant to be a surprise twist, but it’s pretty obvious from the first act.  It’s just really hard to care about what’s going on, and there’s not much going on anyway.  Carlos approaches the ghost and then gets scared and runs away.  Creepy Eli Roth-looking dude does something nasty.  Repeat, repeat, repeat.  While the craftsmanship is somewhat impressive, it’s an empty experience, free of passion, wisdom or thrills.  Rating: Poor

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Run for Cover

Not a terribly deep western, but a satisfying one that makes some decent social commentary.  Unfortunately, this is a VistaVision film, but the copy I saw was in Academy ratio.  So I can’t comment too much on the cinematography… I’ll just say I didn’t see anything there that hinted at greatness.  I’m not the world’s biggest Cagney fan, however I liked his performance here as a man of upstanding integrity.  This might also be the film’s biggest weakness, the protagonist is a little too perfect.  But he’s a hero that’s enjoyable to watch interact with those around him, especially those of lesser character.  The supporting roles by John Derek and Viveca Lindfors are unremarkable but solid.  The movie keeps things moving at a steady pace, maybe too steady but quite watchable.  There are a couple of interesting surprises as well.  There are certainly better westerns out there, but you could do a whole lot worse.  Rating: Good

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The Kid With a Bike

Cyril, a young boy of about 12, is abandoned by his deadbeat father in the care of some sort of group home.  He obsessively tries to reunite with his father, and in the process, falls into the hands of a surrogate mother… and a rather shady surrogate father.  The Dardennes aren’t straying much from their established style, but there’s no reason to.  Again, we have a highly effective look at people in emotional crisis and in the grips of moral dilemmas.  Throughout the film you’re questioning your reactions to things (boy, that Cyril seems like an awful little monster at first) or asking “What would I do?”  Again, the camerawork is immediate and unfettered by stylistic flourishes, putting you right inside the lives of these characters.  Again, the performances are so natural they feel almost documentary.  While I don’t think Thomas Doret is as powerful a young actor as Emilie Dequenne in Rosetta or other Dardenne leads, he does win you over after an unsympathetic start.  The movie deals with several parallel themes, the most prominent being one of finding love and acceptance where you can, but it doesn’t simply hammer on that one and leaves room for other avenues.  I’m not sure yet if I would put this among the best of the Dardennes, but it made a strong first impression.  Rating: Very Good

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The Flavor of Green Tea Over Rice

Another sensitive Ozu film about family.  In this one, a somewhat upper-class woman resents her more simple, middle-class husband (by arranged marriage), while also encouraging her niece to go to arranged marriage meetings.  As always with Ozu, I found an awful lot to like about this movie, but I wasn’t quite enamored enough to gush over it.  Most of the core cast is superb, although it’s not Ozu’s usual team (Setsuko Hara is nowhere to be seen, although Chishu Ryu and Chikage Awashima have minor roles).  Michiyo Kogure might be a little too nasty, but I have to say it’s kind of refreshing to see a less restrained character in an Ozu film.  Perhaps the film wraps up too nicely and neatly, going too obviously for a touching moment, but I wouldn’t say it’s entirely unwarranted.  At any rate, I enjoyed the film with its insights and gentle humor.  Rating: Very Good

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The Dawn Patrol

The troubles facing a World War I British flying squadron with a high casualty rate.  It’s a somewhat conventional war movie that’s a little rough around the edges as an early talkie, but wins you over with strong character work, especially from the leads Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Richard Barthelmess and Neil Hamilton.  Although the film could use some scoring to enhance the experience (there’s only a bit of diegetic music from the phonograph), there are two fantastic action sequences with stunning aerial photography and stunts, particularly the raid on the German camp.  The handing over of power (and guilt) to a new commanding officer is an interesting device that I don’t think I’ve seen explored in another film, at least not quite the same way.  There are some flaws: a few poor performances and an over-reliance on clunky exposition (it makes me groan whenever I see someone on the phone repeating everything in question form: “What’s that you say? We’ve got to take the bridge!?”).  Although Only Angels Have Wings is not a wartime film, I think it’s a slightly better look at the camaraderie and the stakes among flyboys, largely thanks to the high-powered cast.  But that doesn’t mean this one isn’t worthwhile, it definitely has some rewards.  Rating: Good

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Oh…Rosalinda!

Powell & Pressburger take Strauss’ “Die Fledermaus” and update it.  I’m not familiar with the original work, but from what I can tell most of the plot points remain intact.  The updating comes in the form of bringing it to postwar “Four Power” Vienna (like The Third Man) with some light commentary on the occupation.  My problem with opera is quite similar to my problem with Shakespeare.  The story is being advanced in a manner I find difficult to comprehend.  Sometimes it’s alright, but whenever there’s a large chorus singing, it all sounds like mush to me.  And some of the ladies go into that ridiculously high register where all words turn into “aaaaaaEEEEEEeEeEeEeee!!!”  Still, when I couldn’t make out the words I managed to get most of it from context, and the movie is fun musical comedy.  The farce is well-constructed and the performances are very enjoyable (including Michael Redgrave being far more flamboyant than I would have ever imagined him).  It’s not brilliant, it’s not stunning, it doesn’t stick with you, but it’s a good little romp with some nice tunes.  Rating: Good

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The Immigrant

Have I mentioned that I don’t like Chaplin very much?  Have I perhaps mentioned it a number of times?  I haven’t really liked him in anything except The Circus and parts of Modern Times.  Keaton’s lovable underdog appeals to me much more than the sometimes stupid, sometimes crazy, sometimes downright douchey tramp.  I just don’t root for this character, but in smaller doses like this, he’s a little more tolerable.  The gags here aren’t great, but they’re not bad.  Most of the boat stuff didn’t do much for me, but the entire restaurant scene is actually quite enjoyable.  I’m still not going to seek out any more Chaplin, but it’s nice to know that his shorts might be better for me than his features.  Rating: Good

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Irma la Douce

Wilder reunites Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine, perhaps an attempt to bring back the magic of The Apartment.  A failed attempt.  The film is an unfunny, tedious drag.  Most of Wilder’s comedies run relatively long, but it’s a lot more painful when the gags don’t hit their mark.  Compare this to Some Like It Hot: both center around an elaborate and rather unbelievable deception, but SLIH works because it’s actually funny.  Here, the lame slapstick and repetition of the same dumb jokes (if you didn’t know the movie was going to end with “but that’s another story” then you weren’t paying attention the first dozen times it was said) wears thin and gives the viewer time to think about how flimsy the whole setup is.  Lemmon’s character is a clueless knucklehead, and MacLaine (although adorable as always) just looks bored.  Interestingly, the film is adapted from a stage musical, but Wilder chose to cut all the songs.  Perhaps they might have lent the project some much-needed charm, or perhaps they would have just made it feel even longer.  And perhaps I’m taking it too seriously, but the quaint portrayal of prostitution is a bit objectionable (and besides, MacLaine would do the “hooker with a heart of gold” thing a lot better in Sweet Charity).  Now don’t get me wrong: there are some good moments.  I’m already struggling to remember them, but there were definitely a few things that brought a smile to my face (some of the references are pretty clever).  The overall experience, however, is a slog — the worst I’ve seen from Wilder so far.  Rating: Poor

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