suburbancinematheque

2009-03-11T22:56:00.001-07:00

2008-12-13T20:54:00.001-08:00

The spy who came in from the cold. Dear god its fucking good. 5/5

2008-12-08T16:42:00.000-08:00

"I am the machine that reveals the world to you as only I alone am able to see it."

2008-11-26T20:26:00.000-08:00

Slumdog Millionaire. God damn Boyle. Kubrickian diversity comparisons abound in post film conversation.

4/5(could increase upon further viewings.)

2008-11-21T08:32:00.000-08:00

See it. Its great.

2008-11-13T09:21:00.001-08:00

rumor: Malick to make Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Ohhh shiiiit!

2008-10-24T19:12:00.001-07:00

"Nothing says date movie like a 3-D ride to hell."

Thanks My Bloody Valentine 3-D trailer.

2008-10-19T22:08:00.001-07:00

Scott's Body Of Lies is decent. My brother said it was like being punched in the face with terrorism. Its definitely gritty, the everyones morals get thrown out the window pretty quick which almost always makes for a good watch. Lies has Some decent dialogue throughout and a good performance from Crowe and an acceptable one from Dicaprio. I can see why it tanked though.

3/5

2008-10-17T21:28:00.000-07:00

Oliver Stone's W uses only one letter in its title. My review will only have one word. Shit.

1/5

p.s.

Thandie Newton as Condie is to razzies as Daniel Day as Plainview is to oscars.

2008-10-11T12:40:00.001-07:00

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2008-09-21T15:02:00.001-07:00

A poster almost as badass as the film.

2008-09-18T11:38:00.001-07:00

If you thought Citizen soldier was the epitome of awful then wait to you see Kid Rock's gutbuster "Warrior!"

I'm so glad this exists

2008-08-18T15:31:00.001-07:00

2008-08-15T16:32:00.000-07:00

Tony Takitani.

2008-08-13T17:39:00.000-07:00

I was given this flick by a friend who was moving. I looked up it up and read that many favorite creators of mine loved this film including Cormac McCarthy. So I watched it finally after pushing it aside for several months and I wished I had watched it sooner. . Its a great film simply about a man lost in the world caught between his new world and the world he left behind. The film is simple and at times stylish and always incisive.

5/5

2008-08-10T16:54:00.000-07:00

Todd Haynes Film I'm Not There is fucking AMAZING. Proof follows below.

5/5

2008-08-09T17:53:00.000-07:00

The trailer for original Inglorious Bastards is boring.

2008-08-05T19:14:00.001-07:00

2008-08-03T12:45:00.001-07:00

2008-08-01T23:54:00.000-07:00

http://www.brightcove.tv/title.jsp?title=1704077360

This looks like a goofy disaster.

2008-08-01T08:53:00.000-07:00

Neuromaner is being directed by the guy who made Torque. It also is rumored to star Hayden Christensen who blows. What the hell happened to the Cunningham version damnit. The poster is pretty cool though i'll give em credit.

Genius Party Beyond 2nd trailer! from Quiet Earth on Vimeo.

2008-07-27T18:34:00.001-07:00

SeeqPod - Playable Search

2008-07-26T19:59:00.000-07:00

Peter Bogdanovich's Targets. I thought the only great film Bogdanovich made was The Last Picture Show.I was wrong. Targets is a meta as hell film about the boogey men of yesteryear and the Norman Bates esque newschool monster. Midway through Boris Karloff owns you with a story about Death personified and a man he bumps into at the market. Just when you think Karloff is speaking(and looking) directly at you Bogdanovich shifts the shot and you are back into the world of the film. I can't imagine how unsettled people were watching this picture drive-in's back in the day. A great flick and a perfect last picture for Boris Karloff.

5/5

2008-07-24T19:06:00.000-07:00

Aronofsky to direct Robocop for release sometime in 2010.

via

Im into this

2008-07-24T13:00:00.000-07:00

2008-07-19T19:13:00.000-07:00

Kurosawa's Red Beard, a stylish fully developed tale of the ugliness of life and those who fight for the needs of others. Every decent man dreams of growing up and being just like Mifune in this movie. A must watch.

5/5

2008-07-17T12:26:00.000-07:00

http://www.empireonline.com/video/watchmen/

Watch it, watch it again. then clean yourself.

2008-07-15T15:27:00.001-07:00

I'm Left speechless.

2008-07-15T14:31:00.001-07:00

Things like this convince me I'm never going to see everything japan has to offer.

2008-06-30T08:52:00.001-07:00

New bond trailer is out, it is pleasing.

Here

2008-06-26T20:11:00.001-07:00

2008-06-18T10:52:00.000-07:00

Spore is gnarly

2008-06-17T19:16:00.000-07:00

da finch

2008-06-13T13:53:00.000-07:00

I've never really been a huge Fincher fan but, this trailer does it for me i'm not gonna lie.

Mania!

2008-06-09T15:23:00.001-07:00

Today was amazing as I discovered that the incredible Tatsuya Nakadai who performed his craft in countless classic films including Yojimbo / Sanjuro,Fires on the Plain,Sword of Doom,Ran,Kagemusha,Kwaidan,Hara Kiri, and a uncredited debut role in the Seven Samurai is going to be in DC at the National Gallery of art to screen a film of his directed by the great Kon Ichikawa(I am a Cat). Needless to say my ass is there with bells on.

link

New Gaspar Noe

2008-06-04T08:10:00.001-07:00

They Speak for themselves.

2008-06-03T21:57:00.001-07:00

Jesus Von Trier

Innaritu going and being a showoff

Cronenberg

Kitano-sama!

Zhang Yimou

Claude LeLouch(my favorite one)

Tarsem Singh's The Fall

2008-05-31T10:54:00.001-07:00

The first trailer I saw for this one did not instill much enthusiasm on my part, but I read a few good reviews and decided to give it a watch(the below posted trailer is great). We hit a fucking mysterious suburban traffic jam on the way to the theatre so I missed the first scene, but It didn't matter the film was awesome. Immediate comparison are going to be made to Pan's Labyrinth which is fair and I would put this film at nearly the same level. The Fall is a bit lighter in tone than Pan's Labyrinth but still going to be to heavy for some. The bizzare style of Singh is just a show-stopper, men are born from burnt trees there are human chandeliers and impossible rows of stairs and its all captured with a stylish and evocative camera(which is apparent from the first shot of the below posted trailer). Basically it boils down to the fact that Tarsem is a badass and you should see this movie post haste. Consider me impossibly excited and preemptively terrified for his version of the videogame condemned(his supposed next project).

5/5

The Good, The Bad and the Weird

2008-05-25T12:55:00.000-07:00

Recent Watchings

2008-05-21T15:10:00.000-07:00

Summer Palace by Lou Ye

4/5 . College life and romance in troubled china of the 80's . Filled with great Scorcese esque cinematography intense acting not to mention it was banned in and the director is not allowed to be

involved in film for 5 years. Sex scenes will probably make some people panic due to their frankness.

Speed Racer by the Wachowski's

3/5 I enjoyed it for its goofy and fun sensibilities. It felt like it was a labor of love for the Wachowski's.

An affront to taste and decency, lacking completely in geometry and theology.

2008-05-19T10:54:00.001-07:00

http://www.apple.com/trailers/disney/beverlyhillschihuahua/

Mid Shift Fourth/Fifth Night

2008-04-28T10:20:00.000-07:00

Some more John Wayne stuff I cant really remember. You can only take so much Wayne. I think it was Wings of eagles(3/5(got muddled at the end) and Wake of the Red Witch(2/5 he fights a giant squid like the thing in Ed Wood).

Fellini's 8 1/2 finally got snuck in. Its a delicious amount of fantasy and movie industry personalities makes for a great watch. Not to mention the killer stylish direction.

5/5

Once upon a time in America

Possibly Leone's best film, mainly due to the fact the our Protagonist is plainly a monster of a man. You can still respect him a little bit because he seems to live his life by some kind of code but god what an asshole. Almost shocking in its depiction of sex and violence which I'll have to give Leone some serious credit for.Its a damn tragedy we lost Leone so early cause he was really becoming something amazing.

5/5

New Oshii

2008-04-26T14:00:00.000-07:00

On of my favorite directors is back with a new piece. Its looks decent, I hope for some spacey malickey moments ive come to love from Oshii.

Mid Shift Third Night

2008-04-26T13:59:00.000-07:00

The commancheros

John Wayne meh fest directed by Curtiz. 2/5

Broken Arrow

Decent but a bit wonky Jimmy Stewart helps the Apache Indians film.

3/5

Little Big Man

Hilaroius and occasionally sad forest gump of westerns starring a young ass Dustin Hoffman.

4/5

damn

2008-04-25T14:38:00.000-07:00

Jean luc Godard once interviewed John Ford for les caheirs du cinema...

Jean Luc Godard:"What brought you to Hollywood?"

John Ford:"A Train."

Mid Shift Second Night

2008-04-25T14:31:00.000-07:00

John Ford back to back action

First up is the undeniable classic The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. Jimmy Stewart, John Wayne, Lee Marvin and Vera Miles in a entertaining and intelligently composed western about legends and truth. SO GOD DAMN GOOD. UGHHH! "There is nothing to good for the man who shot liberty Valance" last line. Watch the damn flick

5/5

They Were Expendable was next with Wayne and Ward Bond and the girl from White Christmas Donna Reed. Its got a few decent scenes but its over long and muddled as hell in the middle. Probably the worst John Ford movie I've ever seen.

2/5

hopefully tonight I can sneak 8 1/2 in while the other guys arent looking. But I doubt it.

Mid Shift First Night

2008-04-24T11:43:00.001-07:00

1941- Steven Spielbergs WW2 paranoia comedy. It's Crap. It's a big budget explosion laden disaster with a joke success ration of about 1 in every 20. Makes for an annoyingly long and boring ride

2/5

White Heat - James Cagney as a cold blooded gangster with mommy issues. Lots of twists and turns and Cagney is fun to watch. Deserves the Departed treatment to really capitalize on some of the grit the story has but washes over.

4/5

2008-04-23T15:43:00.000-07:00

True Dat: !!!!!!!

Screw Superhero movies till the die. I think i'd rather watch a pg-13 teen slasher flick then another damn b-grade marvel comics flick. Not that I really saw many of them but about ten minutes of fantastic four 2 set me to a tiff for about 3 hours. Stick with your A-game and leave all this hulk bullshit in the gutter.

There Will Be Blood

2008-04-08T19:28:00.000-07:00

There will be Blood out on DVD today. Dont even try to call yourself a cinephile without it in your collection.

David Gordon Green's Snow Angels

2008-04-06T14:07:00.000-07:00

Snow Angel's is the new film from personal favorite David Gordon Green. I have to say that out of his films this is probably my least favorite All the real Girls being #1.

Snow Angels tells the story of 3 different couples Teens/20ish/50ish all of which sort of sentimentally play off each other. The film has a very organic feel (common to all DGG) that makes it very involving. The style of the film is a highlight filled with emotive music and matching slick camera angels.

The downside of the film is the odd feeling the ending causes. It feels somewhat out of place but there is no real reason to say why so. Also the acting by Kate beckinsale is ok at best and is quite underwhelming for such a dramatic part. All in all its still a good watch from one of the best young talents in american film.

3/5

theplaylist.blogspot.com

2008-04-05T12:35:00.000-07:00

This site is pretty hip. Check out this soundtracks made with certain directors in mind. I'm part way through the david gordon green list and a tear came to my eye once already.

http://theplaylist.blogspot.com/search/label/Playlist%20Soundtrack%20Series

A slight revelation

2008-04-01T15:54:00.000-07:00

Upon my recent rewatching of Amelie I realized that it is the reverse of a minimalist film. In pickpocket or l'enfant everything is so passive and and emotionless until the climax when all the passion pours out. Amelie is in your face constantly until the climax when all the overtly emotional music and cinematography dissapears and Amelie gets her make out on with no flash a all. It still functions the same way though, the films condition you to a particular style and then supplant them in the emotional climax throwing you for an emotional whirl.

New Kim Ki Duk

2008-03-25T13:35:00.000-07:00

Michael Haneke's Funny Games U.S.

2008-03-23T21:37:00.000-07:00

Funny Games is a shot for shot remakes of Haneke's 1997 original. The first destroyed me, the remake continues its rampage but I would say its basically the same. I read his thought behind remaking the film was that it's points was being lost in translation for western audiences(who he felt most needed to hear what he had to say). Judging from the theatre reaction people still just ending up confused, but us fuax d-grade suburban intellectuals will probably agree his not so subtleties are easier to grasp in our native tounge. His willingness to disrespect his audience is something to behold. The film is simply a trap for those who love tourture porn/slasher flicks. Haneke is judge and jury adn wants to punish us lowly sinners once he gets us in our seats. I'm not wild on torture porn and the only film in the genre I would champion is the original Texas chainsaw Massacre. The majority of the genre is dreck that really we could all do without.

My question is where does his condemnation start and end. Obviously the beforementioned films have little to no value beyond carnal entertainment and are basically for all purposes obscene, but does Haneke condemn something as masterful as say Hitchcock's Psycho or Cluzout's Diabolique? Neither Film makes some point about existence or tells a story that is going to change peoples lives to attempt and justify its use of the darkside of humanity they are simply brilliant thrillers. Can a masterwork be excludeded from the moral complications of its vile content?

Since most people (i'm somewhere in the middle) do not accept that these films are obscene or are ambivalent about it. What is the price we are paying for this sort of entertainment being accepted? From my experience I can't see any. One might argue America's impressive output of this sort of film could possibly go as far to explain some of our more aggressive tendencies but I'm certain that this sort of cult entertainment that the populus for the most part leaves behind upon graduating highschool(or dropping out) has not a damn thing to do with it(who the fuck knows why). I mean look at the Japanese, they make the most fucked up films in the highest quantity and they are about as dangerous as a wet kiss.I have come to no answers to any of the questions the film brings forth, but goddamn do I love this film for making my head run around in circles. Haneke is a mad genius.

5/5

Miwa Nishikawa's Yureru

2008-03-20T18:41:00.000-07:00

Yureru seems to combine elements of Capra's It's a wonderful life and law and order into one simple film with a killer ending. The film tells the story of a murder, a brother gone off to find himself in the city(and become a hipster) and brother left to stay at home and the gap that grows between them. The film features the trademark japanese understated approach, simple camera work with occasionally beautfiul compositions and a somber somewhat resigned tone. The powerful and ambigous ending really makes up for the films average first two acts. On a side note the film features a scene stolen from my boy infys film Growing Down

4/5

Neil Marshall's Doomsday

2008-03-14T22:27:00.000-07:00

Doomsday is a big dumb mashup of movies from the 80's that Neil Marshall loved. Since it wasnt screened for critics I was expecting an absolute disaster but it really isnt as bad as all that. If it had screened I would expect a tomatometer of about 20% which is about average for this sort of fair. It plays somewhat like a cinematic version of a Girl Talk song. Snippets of Mad Max, Escape from New York, and Alien with some sword and sorcery thrown in from way the fuck in left field for good measure. It has basically no focus, a ton of screaming and overbearing music but, somehow I still enjoyed it.

3/5

Jason Kohn's Manda Bala

2008-03-11T21:14:00.000-07:00

Manda Bala is an odd beast for sure, it's the kind of documentary that one of your friends will be certain that in fact is not a documentary. The film focuses on the state of modern brazil, which apparently is fucked up beyond belief(as if City of God didnt make brazil look rough enough). Kidnappers, paranoid wealthy businessmen, kidnapping victims, plastic surgeons who fix mutitlated kidnapping victims, frog farmers,oddball cops and possibly the most corrupt politician Ive ever seen populate this oddly comic film. The editing has an eye for humor that is top-notch leaving us in the scenes long enough to catch some hilarious bit of personality from the subject. At one point the interviewer asks a policeman who is displaying his massive gun collection "Can you buy a nuclear weapon in Sao Paolo?" to which he replies in seriousness "I've never tried to. But I'm pretty certain you can". The laughs dont last forever though because as I started to think the film is making a joke out of the troubles in Brazil the film hits you with some sobering footage from kidnapping ransom videos or the very real effects of political corruption on the people of Brazil. The director is quoted saying that he felt the film was a "Non-fiction robocop" which seems a pretty insane claim, but after watching the film its an accurate way of describing the situation. Manda Bala is handled with a wit and eye for minute comic detail which is a rare treat in documentary film makes for both an enjoyable and truly eye-opening experience.

4/5

Southern Comfort

2008-03-10T20:03:00.000-07:00

This trailer is to awesome not to share. Quoth the end sir.

Carl Theodor Dreyer's Vampyr

2008-03-07T09:05:00.000-08:00

Dreyer is a director I've been reading about for a long time but have yet to get around too, I would always look at his stuff my college library but never made him as my choice. So after reading another article by Paul Schrader where he exalts Dreyer I figured it was time to get a move on. So I watched Vampyr. In General its a bit of a mess. Its a bit hard to follow and is fairly light on exposition but whatever its a stylish masterwork. Dreyers smooth flowing camera really has to be beheld and will take you off guard. There are two particularly amazing scenes one in which the strange doctor comes to meet our intrepid hero face to face coming down a dim stairway which is short but sweet. The second is a long dream sequence where our the main character leaves his body for a macabre bit of hallucination captured immaculately.

5/5

Massive Attack video featuring one the killer scenes from Vampyr.

SHOTS: Kihachi Okamoto's The Sword of Doom.

2008-02-28T14:16:00.000-08:00

Kihachi Okamoto's samurai classic Sword of Doom has both a complete psychopathic murderer for a main character and also features stylish and evocative black and white cinematography.

The Sword of Doom is a stylish swordplay classic that features an incredible performance by Tatsuya Nakadai as well as some truly Iconic Imagery.

Two of the many amazing stonefaced shots of Tatsuya Nakadai.

The films shocking freeze frame conclusion will not fail to stir.

Catch Up

2008-02-27T09:17:00.000-08:00

Double Indemnity

Stylish as hell and filled with badass performances.

Pic is enough said.

5/5

The Signal

An offbeat horror mashup that succeeds more than it fails

3/5

Be Kind Rewind

Gondry is consistently going downhill but I still like him. If he keeps up his next movie will be a mess.

3/5

Lucky Number Slevin

2/5

Blah Blah Blah it reminded me of smokin aces in its attempts to be cool.

Talia Lugacy's Descent

2008-02-21T18:45:00.000-08:00

Talia Lugacy's Descent is basically a mess with an occasionally impressive performance from personal favorite Rosario Dawson. The film is an attempt at taking a commonly tale of female revenge and legitimizing it by attempting to place it in a more real world situation. In the end though cheesy genre tropes find there way back in and force to the film to be more of a schlocky shocker.

My first and biggest problem with the film was its failed attempts at creating a style, it felt like a sad imitation of influences biggest to my eyes was Gus Van Sants Elephant. If I have to watch another 9 minute dark night club dance scene in the next year I'm going to vomit. I think this is the kind of film that every cinephile secretly fears making.

The films supposed dramatic punch is definitely shocking but has no real impact. The films final attempt at poignancy feels undeveloped and amateurish(it reminds me of the Magnificent Seven's holding on to The Seven Samurai's "the farmers have won we have lost").

The only redeeming feature of this film is Rosario Dawson's occasionally impressive performance. Its a very raw and bare persona to take on and she does it with a severe intensity but only in a few scenes across the whole film. To director Lugacy's credit she captures Dawson in some impressively long close ups that a bit gut-wrenching to watch(in a good way).

A good way to look at this film is to remember that stupid ass change is Peter Parkers personality in Spiderman-3. Comb his hair to the side and give him a black suit and he is soooo saddd, this film is the same thing but with college rape/revenge.

As a side note: If this lame fucking guy with his fratish mop cut can get Rosario Dawson to go on dates with him jesus christ who can't.

2/5

George A Romero's Diary of the Dead

2008-02-16T21:50:00.000-08:00

Diary of the Dead is a return to form for legend Romero, gone is the cheesy mainstream feel of Land and back is the cheesy angsty feel of olde. Its shot docu style best I've seen so far and actually uses the camera mans filming as part of the story instead of just a storytelling method. Ends with a nihilistic bang that I dug hard.

4/5

Blood of Heroes

2008-02-16T12:32:00.000-08:00

It's a goddamn postapocalyptic inspirational sports film starring Rutger Hauer, Joan Chen, and a young D'nofrio. Nough said.

3/5

Paul Schrader's Hardcore/ Richard Fleischer's The Vikings

2008-02-15T08:57:00.000-08:00

Paul Schrader's Hardcore is George C. Scott as a old time religioney father searching for his daughter caught up in the LA porn underground. Its directed by Schrader therefore its got some really stylish scenes and tight characterizations. The high point for me was an enraged George C. Scott brawling with a lowlife through a thinly divided porn dungeon, smashing through walls all the way out onto the steep san francisco streets. Schrader lets the camera glide down the hills as Scott tosses this guy around screaming at him, it's fantastic. Schraders masterful camera movement is always a joy and George C. Scotts is always at the top of his game. A great piece of cinema.

4/5

The Vikings is a late 50's epic filled with some cheesyness(to many people looking up and yelling ODIIIINNNNNN!!!!!)but a decent story over all. Kirk Douglas and Tony Curtis are half brother vikings who both want to get with Janet Leigh the princess of wales etc etc vikings. The concluding fight scene high in a castle tower is classic, it shows how much shooting a cool place can make a decent scene and amazing one.

3/5

Joygasm

2008-02-14T07:13:00.000-08:00

JONNNNNESSSSSSSSSSS!

Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

2008-02-11T08:52:00.000-08:00

This film upon finishing the book and rewatching the film has inched itself closer to becoming one of my favorite films if not the tip top. It features some of the most awe inspiring cinematography and nothing short of stunning acting as well as the fact that it is one
of the most somber films I've ever seen(which I freaking love). Typically I love to share all of the films I really like with other people and enjoy that other people like them too. With this film though I could honestly give a rats ass if anyone else likes it.

Cornel Wilde's The Naked Prey

2008-01-31T17:22:00.000-08:00

I never would have thought a picture like this would have been released in 1966. If Mel Gibson didnt have this in mind when he made Apocalypto I'll eat my shoe. It's a story about a dude credited as the Man running from a tribe of african warriors he has pissed off .The first 15 minutes consist of about 2 minutes of travel 2 minutes of shooting elephants and then 11 minutes of every character being killed except for the main dude. He of course is then sent out with a short headstart to be chased by the warriors of a tribe he has run afoul of. There is about maybe 10 lines of english dialogue before the film is over and no subs for the stuff not in english(its not necessary though). Its main edge on Apocalypto is that it has a better sense of place then apocalypto did. The film features heavily features wildlife scenes that sort of act as transitions and show you the untamed nature of the films surroundings. Its a film far ahead of its time with its break neck pace and use of violence but keeps that old-timey dignity that has pretty much dissapeared from film today.

4/5

Yups

2008-01-31T12:48:00.001-08:00

Favorite Films: Hunter

2008-01-29T17:01:00.000-08:00

H. Parsons favorite film.

Mamoru Oshii's Avalon

2008-01-28T11:36:00.000-08:00

In a nutshell Oshii's movies are like genre Malick. They have a restrained pace while the camera glides smoothly through hazy orange cinematography with reflective narration and occasionally stuff blows up. As I said genre Malick. The plot centers around an online game that people play for a living similar to something like battlefield but you get paid. The main character Ash is a solo player who is all tough and famous etc etc blah blah blah. This sort of plot always sounds stupid to me but, I think he pulled it off by making the movie look so good and featuring his typical heady dialogs. The movie has some issues with cheese here and there and occasional nerdy "cool guy" shots that make me groan. The film is worth it for its occasionally great sequences of Ash wandering the city and some good cinematography.

3/5

Daily Watchings

2008-01-27T19:04:00.000-08:00

Richard Fleischer's the Narrow Margin. RKO noir that is only 70 minutes long but is good for a few thrills. Acting feels hammier than usual in a noir but its still has something going for it.

3/5

Kevin Macdonalds Last King of Scotland is a decent film with a virtuoso performance by Forrest Whitaker. The film works well in highlighting Whitakers chops but has a plasticy feel that doesnt work well for high drama imho.

3/5

Bruce Evan's Dexter-esque serial killer film. Muddled by a cheesy attempt at woo-esque style and some lame acting by Dane Cook and Demi Moore but, still not ruined. A good performance by Kevin Costner and the novelty of following a serial killer make it enjoyable.

3/5

Olivier Dahan's La vie en Rose aka La Mome

2008-01-26T19:52:00.000-08:00

Marion Cotillard is amazing as french singer and collector of tragedies Edith Piaf. I was expecting basically a film where 1. Marion Cotillard is amazing and 2 the rest of the movie is so so. I was wrong for sure as the creative editing and stylish direction keep what could be a pot boiler totally fresh. I suppose I should expect the french to take a music biopic and go to town with it. Note the amazing tracking shots and one particularly long and amazing tracking shot at the beginning of the 3rd act. I still haven't seen Ray or Walk the Line but I really doubt they hold a candle to this film.

4/5

Slyggy Sly's Rambo

2008-01-26T03:27:00.000-08:00

Violence! Jesus? Violence! Jesus?? VIOLENCE VIOLENCE GORE GORE GORE VIOLENCE! jesus?

Rambo in a nutshell

3/5

Julian Schnabel's The diving bell and the Butterfly

2008-01-25T12:32:00.001-08:00

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is a film which vibrant style exudes life in every scene. The amount of passion for life this film packs is just amazing. At the end of the first act the film jerked a few tears out of my general direction as it vibrantly express Jean-Dominque Bauby's attempts to make something in possibly the worst situation imaginable. At times I would say its hard to watch but, I would say that it is very rewarding and worth viewing if your a human being.

5/5

My Oscar Picks

2008-01-22T17:20:00.001-08:00

Best Picture

Atonement ok. Juno really?Michael Clayton havent seen it. No Country for Old Men of course There Will Be Blood duh!

Im hoping for There will be Blood, Expecting Attonement but will be dissapointed if Michael Clayton wins (until i see it to change my mind).

Best Actor

As far as I'm concerned only Daniel Day-Lewis is nominated so only he can win.

Best Supporting

Casey Affleck In Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (He is amazing), Javier Bardem in No Country for Old Men he is also amazing, Hal Holbrook in Into the Wild(didnt see it), Phillip Seymour Hoffman(the your a swell guy but not gonna win nod), Tom Wilkinson in Michael Clayton(No opinion).

Hoping for Casey Affleck, Expecting Javier Bardem, dissapointed by anyone else.

Actress

Cate Blanchett in Elizabeth:The Golden Age(not gonna happen), Julie Christie in Away From Here(no idea),Marion Cotillard in La Vie en Rose(havent seen it), Laura Linney in The savages(havent seen it either), Ellen Page in Juno(the swell job but you aint gonna win category).

Hoping for I guess Marion Cotillard cause I want her to get more famous, Expecting Marion Cotillard because she took the globe, dissapointed by Cate Blanchett cause that movie looked lame.

Supporting Actress

Cate Blanchett in I'm not there(looked great but i missed it), Ruby Dee in American Gangster(color me suprised), Saoirse Ronan in Atonement(an obvious choice), Amy Ryan in Gone Baby Gone(the underdog, not as overt as Saoirse but still good), Tilda Swinton in Michael Clayton(still no opinions of Clayton).

Hoping for Amy Ryan cause I still have a crush on her from the wire. Expecting Saoirse Ronan because she was fantastic, dissapointed by Ruby Dee becasue I wasnt moved at all.

Director

PTA - There will Be Blood(My choice hands down)

Ethan and Joel - No Country(B.A. but not PTA)

Tony Gilroy - MC(no opinion)

Jason Reitman - Juno(swell job but you aint gonna win)

Julian Schnabel - Diving Bell and the Butterfly(ask me tommorow)

Hoping PTA, expecting PTA, dissapointed by Tony Gilroy because I can see this winning and pissing me off cause its not PTA.

Cinematography

The assassination of Jesse James(It earns the nod in about 2 minutes of screen time), Atonement(same as Jesse James), The Diving bell and the butterfly(i heard amazing things but, ask me tommorow), No Country for Old Men(what you expect of the brothers coen), There Will Be Blood(Beautiful and filled with intensity but not as overt in a good way)

Hoping for Jesse James because I'll champion this film till I'm dead and fuck everyone else, Expecting No Country For Old Men cause I see the academy picking it disappointed by nothing cause this category does it for me this year.

The rest of the categories I either dont care about or cant formulate an opinion on or in the case of best original score piss me the hell of because Nick Cave and Warren Ellis were not nominated. Oh yeah and in the case of best original song who gives a fuck?

Ohhh no's Playa.

2008-01-22T16:46:00.000-08:00

Matt Reeve's Cloverfield

2008-01-17T22:47:00.001-08:00

Cloverfield is really about as good as the trailers lead you to believe. It's a monster/disaster film from a first person perspective that joyfully exploits its gimmick. It does not have the most original or in depth plot but it serves its purpose and we as an audience can color ourselves thrilled.

There is a short lead in of about 20 minutes that is fairly generic and then the film goes into full on panic mode. The CG is effective and at times downright cool looking. The amount of monster in the films is actually quite small but it works for the overall feel of the film. The film balances between the main monster battle and the central characters odyssey like journey throughout the city. I wouldn't go as far to call the film scary but, I would definitely say its intense.

Comparisons to Blair Witch will probably run through many heads. The filming is not as jarring or as spontaneous as Blair Witch and has a much more calculated feel while still somewhat maintaining the amateur look. It is my guess that Cloverfield will probably cause less motion sickness than Blair witch and in turn alienate a few less viewers.

Monster films have had a nice little resurgence lately with The Host and now Cloverfield. Basically if you actually wanted the Emmerich Godzilla to be good, this was the film you were looking for.

3/5 "Its pretty good."

Shorts

2007-09-11T22:32:00.000-07:00

Viewing Up to 9/11

2007-09-11T11:44:00.000-07:00

Tsai Ming Liangs brooding drama about displaced lonely people. Its slow but somewhat infectious. Towards the end it has a few great scenes. But as a whole I was not destroyed.

3/5

Nimrod(Kontroll) Antal's hitchcockian thriller. Generic but well executed. Surprisingly toned down for a movie about people forced into a snuff film. A few good moments and an interesting look make it watchable but forgettable. Honestly say I expected much more out of Antal.

2/5

Kinji Fukasaku gangster pic. Not as wild as usual. Maudlin as hell in parts, but still has some charm. Low on the Fukasaku canon.

3/5

Its a bugs bunny cartoon starring Clive Owen, Paul Giamatti and a horde of dead nameless thugs. Id say its about 50/50 with hit/miss jokes. Some cool action, some to crazy. But in the end its a fun experience.

3/5

On my plate

2007-09-05T19:14:00.000-07:00

I'm working on my own spin on this piece of awesome.

9/5 Viewings.

2007-09-05T18:56:00.000-07:00

David Mackenzie's Young Adam was fairly bashed when it came out a few years ago. Im at a lost to why, its a very intriguing and complex character study. Joe (Ewan Mcgregor) works on a small shipping boat with Les (the awesome Peter Mullan) and his wife Ella(Tilda Swinton) and their young son. One day Joe and Les find a nearly naked woman floating in the river and they drag her ashore. An intense well plotted sexual drama ensues. Mcgregor's character is a complicated sort of man that we slowly fill in the blanks about. The revealing bits of character are well spaced and fit nicely into the Hana-bi like structure of the film.Save for one misfire scene in my opinion it is a good bit of underrated film making.

4/5

Kinji Fukasaku's youth drama is a decent but in the end underwhelming. It features his trademark wildman editing and maniacally frenetic camera work. The plot follows a bunch of blue collar youth and their quest to buy a dump truck in order to "make it". There's fighting death and a rather wild sex montage. Beyond the wild style the film really never takes off.

2/5

Stepping up my game.

2007-09-04T18:41:00.000-07:00

Got that 5 out at a time netflix now.

know these films.

There will be blood.

My Blueberry nights.

Ploy(When the song changes the movie looks amazing, its some kind of cruel joke before)

Breath

Be kind rewind.

To many movies to little time

2007-09-03T13:11:00.000-07:00

James Mangolds star studded western. Man code is in full effect here with a great story and fully realized characters. A western in the traditional sense. Mostly lackluster action scenes(the end is decent) are the films only real weak point.

4/5

Steven Spielbergs Empire of the Sun. A young Christian Bale struggling to live in Japan occupied china. Interesting story, big ass production value that impressed me several times. Doesnt quite come together as well as it could.

3/5

Katsuhiro Ishii's remake of fanny and alexander(which I havent seen) an amazing heartfelt oddball comedy. Features one of my favorite scenes and characters ever. This film couldnt have made me any happier.

5/5

Aki Kaurismaki's offbeat comedy with a dog like heartfelt main character. Slow but infectious you will be sad when bad things happen to our main character.

4/5

A true life drama by John Sayles features great acting by a host of famous and soon to be famous actors and a young Bonnie Prince Billy. Great Cinematography and a powerful story. Great Picture.

5/5

Sogo Ishii is crazy, very cool filming of people sprinting like mad. 3 stories vary in quality, 3rd is the coolest. Runs only 60 minutes. Decent.

3/5

James wan shoots people they go boom. Stupid and ham fisted but entertaining.

3/5

Some jackass who will never direct again's War. Stupid as hell, shitty action scenes and a dialogue about how much Devon Aoki wants a salad. Worst movie ive seen since RE apocalypse.

1/5

Martin Scorsese's Raging Bull

2007-08-17T13:49:00.000-07:00

Raging bull is one of those films that gets mind boggling praise. Afi's #4 film of all time, Entertainments Weekly's #5, Premieres 5th greatest performance of all time(for Bobby D). Its about as good as films get.

Raging bull tells the story of New York boxer Jake La Motta. Jake prides himself on his ability to take vicious beatings in the ring and keep standing. Its a biopic of a violent muddled man played to near perfection

From its opening shot you know what you are getting into. De Niro boxes the air in slow motion while a sad bit of music plays. Its a brilliant shot that at first makes us see La Motta's ability as a boxer, but after a while it causes a sad and almost defeated feeling. The film is powerfully violent. Its not like Rocky, boxing isn't fun in this film, its ugly. But the real credit to the film is that some how, some way this brute of a man is sympathetic. Across the board the performances are amazing, they feel spur of the moment, so painfully genuine from Pesci and De Niro's brotherly talks to Cathy Moriarty's tortured wife the film hits hard.

Raging Bull never glorifies in anyway the life of Jake La Motta or of boxing in general, its dead serious and its honest in a way rarely seen.

5/5 "A Classic"

Lars Von Trier's Breaking the Waves

2007-08-16T18:01:00.000-07:00

Breaking the waves is a film that really just feels inspired. Von Trier and company craft painfully realized characters that we ride along the highs and lows with.

The story is simple and powerful. Bess a young woman in a draconian Christian society marries a slightly worldly man named Jan. Jan works on an offshore Oil derrick and Bess can't deal with his absence. Disaster strikes and life spirals out of control.

The film is staged in such a manor that it feels painfully real. The lighting is never overt or theatrical but simply true to life (which makes sense for Mr Dogme95). The performance by Emily Watson is so real and filled with life it gives every moment of elation or depression a truly painful weight. Not to mention Stellan Skarsgard continues his fantastic screen presence, his calm to Bess's innocent excitability makes for brilliant chemistry.

It's not a ridicolous as Dancer in the Dark but when the film gets heavy its real heavy. It can be hard to watch and its not for everybody. But its powerful story and underplayed yet stylish feel not to mention a career making performance by Emily Watson make for a great film.

"Bess I'm so sorry"

5/5

Catching Up

2007-01-14T09:56:00.000-08:00

Ive seen so many films lately I really haven't had the time to write anything down. So here is a bunch of short reviews to get these out of my system.

Rian Johnson's Brick. Noir in a highschool setting. Works pretty well but I think it was limited by its own gimickry. Enjoyed it.

3/5

Todd Fields Little Children. It's good. It's got some very amazing scenes, It's got a few scenes that didn't quite work. Not Oscar caliber in my opinion.

4/5

Shohei Imamura's Warm Water Under a Red Bridge. It's a bizarre Film even on Imamura's standards. Good film that attempts to make you care for a bunch of interestingly bizarre characters.

4/5

Tom Tykwer's Perfume. I thought this movie looked cool from its trailers but I wasn't biting with anticipation. After seeing the film I cant wait for the DVD to be released. The surprise film of the season for me. One sentence summary, It sort of Amelie meets Silence of the lambs.

5/5

Guillermo Del Toro's Fantasy War Tragedy. A little bit to hyped in my opinion(I was expecting something that was going to have a ridiculous impact on me) but still a fantastic film. Wildly impressive visuals and a moving story line. Cant wait for his next.

5/5

Gen Sekiguchi's whacked out Japanese Magnolia. Bought It cause I like Tadanobu Asano. Crazy visuals and wacky stupid plot. Didn't work for me.

2/5

Benoit Jacquot's Godard like film about a bourgeoisie caught up in a life of crime. Similar Plot to what could be a Godard film but 1/10th the passion(but thats still more than some).

3/5

Kinji Fukasaku's Street Mobster

2007-01-08T22:27:00.000-08:00

I'm a sucker for really innovative films. Kinji Fukasaku's 70's yakuza pictures are some of the earliest films to feature a high speed documentary style visual feel. These films shooting style is so far ahead of its time that it's just now becoming more mainstream. Films like Saving Private Ryan, Narc, United 93 all owe something to these old flicks.

Street Mobster is the tale of a young thug named Isamu Okita(Bunta Sugiwara) who is a hot head with who refuses to bow to anyone... ever. As you can imagine in the world of the street thugs and Yakuza big wigs this can cause quite a bit of drama. Its a tale of rags to riches filled with money, dames and violent uprising.

The star of this and all of the Fukasaku Yakuza films is the wild visual style. Angles are so dutch that the camera man might be suspended from a cable or something. We chase down our criminals at such high speeds with so many well timed cuts that it really gets your blood flowing. Every action scene has quick dramatic impact, gun shots, stab wounds all happen so quickly that they are quick shocking and effective.

While the style is something to write home about the rest leaves something to be desired. While this film is easier to understand than Fukasaku's byzantine Yakuza Papers series, It lacks that films sheer number of amazing scenes and memorable characters. The main character of this film borders between cool and annoying punk almost unbearably(part of this is because he is the main character of the Yakuza Papers where his amazingly cool). The story to the film seems to lack any real weight as we watch it, it has developed characters hell we even see a the main character as a baby, but it just doesn't seem to have any gusto. Also Some character motivations are very muddy. Especially those of Okita's bizarre girlfriend who will be nearly tortured and for some reason always come conveniently crawling back when the plot needs it.

While this isn't a particularly good film, it is a very cool one. If you haven't been exposed to Fukasaku's violent and stylish Yakuza world I'd say to start with The Yakuza Papers (There are five films in the first series), then go on to watch the magnificent Graveyard of Honor. This film has enough style and one particularly good scene to warrant a viewing for hardcore fans, but for others its not required viewing at all.

3/5 "Its got some style, but not much else."

Pedro Almodovar's Volver

2007-01-08T22:04:00.000-08:00

Pedro Almodovar is one of my favorite filmmakers working today. He has such a passion in his films that very few can hold a candle too. Volver is a great film filled with humor, drama, and plenty of twists.

Volver is a complex noir like story that is difficult to give justice to in a few sentences. The film revolves around the beautiful Raimunda(Penelope Cruz) and her complex past and present. It's a film with murder, sex, ghosts, and a grand helping of great humor. This is the kind of film where you want to go into it not really understanding what its about. Just trust me.

The first and most striking thing about this movie is the fantastic performance by Penelope Cruz. She is at once extremely likable, intensely beautiful, and very confrontational. Its interesting how well Cruz and Almodovar work together to highlight one another. His stylish passionate and intimate direction gives much to the character. She flows from being a powerful woman in control to a scenes of powerful vulnerability very naturally.

The best thing about this film and every other Almodovar film is the amazing script. Almodovar is a fantastic director don't get me wrong, but with a script this good even the worst chump of a director would have a hard time messing it up. The film has such an odd feeling of humorous tragedy that it is at once disarming and refreshing. We don't know exactly how to feel in every scene. In one scene in particular (which I wont describe as to refrain from spoilers) some members of the audience where cackling with laughter while others looked across the row in confusion. It was interesting to see how some people took the scene as drama and some as comedy. I'm not sure who was right, but both of them were having a good time.

Even though I just said it was the script that made this film(which it was) Almodovar's direction is still fantastic. As usual his films have a visual vibrancy on par with other intensely visual directors like Wong Kar Wai or Steven Soderbergh. Beyond colorful lighting its obvious that Almodovar is just having fun making the film. There is a sort of child like glee to the way Almodovar captures some specific scenes which I don't want to ruin, but lets just say it involves some spilled blood!

Almodovar is a great filmmaker. This is another great movie to add to his already amazing body of work. Its a humorous and playful noir film told with a passion seldom seen. Not to be missed by those with a pulse.

5/5 "He's Back again."

Robert Altman's Mccabe and Mrs Miller

2007-01-05T07:56:00.000-08:00

So I have been waiting for this film on Netflix for probably two months. It sat there at #1 with a short wait for quite a while building up some anticipation on my part. Well I finally got my chance to watch it and it was honestly worth the wait. McCabe and Mrs Miller is an offbeat western that manages to involve just about all the highlights of storytelling, comedy, drama, romance, action.

McCabe is a gambling man who comes to the small town of Presbyterian church to start a new whorehouse/bar. After he gets things off the ground the straightforward and smart Mrs Miller comes to town and offers to help him with the business as the madame and a partner. McCabe is a little goofy and dumb while Mrs Miller talks fast and thinks faster, but romance slowly builds up between the two none the less.

In the past I have enjoyed Altman(I've seen Mash and Nashville) but have not found a film of his to really latch on to. So finally with this one I have something to fawn over. In most ways its just another western, but it really stands apart by making significantly different and way more developed characters than usual. Warren Beaty as McCabe is a sort of likeable oaf who sucks at math and mutters to himself "I got poetry in me!" while arguing with himself about Mrs Miller. Now Mrs Miller on the other hand is very smart and always in control. My favorite little bit of character from her was the way she just shoveled food into her mouth with complete disregard for what would be 'lady-like' when she first meets McCabe.

My favorite bit about this film was that it completely played with your expectations. In the western the hero is always in control and tough, he never makes mistakes, and he kills the bad guys when it has to be done. The whores are whores. They aren't smart, they don't have ambitions except maybe to find a good man to wisk them away. But this film just does the opposite of that in almost every way and its a very interesting and it functions as a refreshing take on the western. Its quite interesting how it comes full circle too.

I'd say its a must watch for fans of character studies, and for fans of westerns. It felt like this film foreshadowed Deadwood in many ways both in plot and style. Its a great American film from one of the great American auteurs that shouldn't be missed.

5/5 "Great Characters make a Great Film."

Fabrice Du Welz's Calvaire

2006-12-31T11:13:00.000-08:00

Calvaire is a mix of comedy and horror that falls flat on both accounts. Its nearly impossible to make a horror comedy be successful on both fronts(you have to pick one and focus) and this film is another example of that.

The film tells the story of Marc Stevens(Laurent Lucas) a young singer who tours around to old folks homes and other venues of that sort. As he is driving along to a Christmas eve concert his car breaks down in the middle of nowhere. He ends up staying at a rundown Inn that has a strange old operator. In the morning he wakes up to see his car being worked on by the old man. A horror movie ensues.

There was only one thing I liked about this film and that was the stylish manner the film was captured in. The film has a unique visual look and an interesting use of color(not exactly what the poster looks like but kinda like that). There is one particular shot at the climax of the film that was so impressive I actually had to stop and rewind and enjoy it again. Unfortunately there were not enough moments like this to save this film for me.

The main issue with this film is that its trying to be funny(albeit in a ridiculously offbeat way) as well as being scary at the same time. There is a scene in the middle of the film where a bunch of zombie looking country people start dancing in a bar. They dance like they have rigormortis while one of them bangs on a piano. I was dumbfounded by this scene because I had no idea why it was in the film. It definitely was not scary, and if it was supposed to be funny I could not really tell. The confusion that it left me with made me feel that it was just bad.

This film has a typical horror film setup done slightly above average which I'll give them credit for. But the interesting atmosphere slowly deteriorates as we have scene after scene not used to full potential. I kept waiting for something thrilling to happen in this film but every time something happened I was left underwhelmed. Save for a few very cool shots, this film is a dud.

2/5 "A bad mix of offbeat comedy and old school horror"

Shohei Imamura double feature, The Pornographers and Dr Akagi.

2006-12-28T13:55:00.000-08:00

I have recently gotten into Imamura's stuff and I'm really falling in love with this guys movies. Describing accurately would be tough, but I'm starting to think of him as a less wacky(but still pretty crazy) and more introspective Jean Pierre Jeunet. I watched two of his films recently that are both great. The Pornographers(1966) is new wave era Imamura while Dr Akagi(1998) shows a much more restrained, but still deliciously offbeat Imamura.

I'll start with the Pornographers since it came first. It tells the story of Mr Ogata, and he is as you would guess a Pornographer. He takes special orders from rich clients and shoots films specifically to their requirements, he sells aphrodisiacs and he even does a little pimping on the side. But beyond all this he is a surprisingly nice guy and what does he use his money for? To support the family of a plump widow he has rented a room from(and fallen in love with). Obviously pornography and family life aren't going to work well together and thats what this film is all about.

This is not for those who can't handle heavy sexuality in films. While the scenes are not explicitly captured by todays standards the content would still shock audiences no problem, one scene in particular with a blank faced school girl and an old man will not fail to make you cringe I promise.

This film moves at a slow deliberate pace as we follow Mr Ogata in his family and business life. The film banks of the fact that you will care about Ogata. I'll venture to say that most people will. He is a man who thinks he serves a useful if even benevolent purpose in society. Whether on that point he is right or not doesn't really matter because this guy is obviously not out to hurt anyone though he may be confused. He is the kind of pimp and pornographer who inquires to how one of his girls baby is doing. He isn't some street criminal he's a pretty swell dude. Deftly Imamura uses Ogata's story to raise questions of sexual morality, and gender relations. At one point Ogata says the relationship is "Complex yet Vague". Yeah its that kind of movie.

Another good thing about the film is the pure style it is shot with. It has that playful new wave Japaneses style where the angle of the camera is not from some textbook. Shots are framed down from the ceiling as we watch our characters in beds and barber chairs. One shot is framed fully horizontally as we watch Ogata peep on a young girl changing clothes. Its interesting to see Imamura shoot like this because he became so minimalistic in his later films(e.g. Eel).

There is much to like about this but it has one major problem. The narrative plays with time quite often and it becomes very confusing. We jump to flashbacks several times and they are not always clear to be flashbacks. There were a few scenes were I was left scratching my head wondering exactly which characters I was watching.

Overall its a film that is stylish and hip. Its content is so far ahead of its time that I believe its still relevant and quite shocking today. Its style is hard to not enjoy and it looks to have made an impression on Kubrick when he made Eyes Wide Shut.

4/5 "A little Confusing But still great!"

With Dr Akagi I'd say its not as good of a film as the Pornographers but it is a more enjoyable one. It tells the story of Akagi Fuu(Akira Emoto) a local doctor in a small town in WW2 Japan. He is known as Dr Liver to all the residents as he almost constantly diagnosis's his patients with hepatitis. Everyone in the town seems to like him, but all describe him as a Quack because of his obsession with hepatitis. The plot thickens when Akagi takes a young prostitute Sonoko into his service(Kumiko Aso) in effort to stop her from selling herself. A Drunk local Buddhist priest, a old surgeon friend of Akagi who happens to be addicted to morphine, and the kind proprietor of a local brothel round out the cast.

In typical Imamura style this film is a character study of Dr Akagi and his obsession with finding a cure for hepatitis. This film has such an odd sense of humor it really is quite interesting. There is a memorable part where each other characters actually go temporarily insane. Sometimes the scenes are funny other times its tragic. The main question in this film is whether or not Dr Akagi is a nut or not, and that makes the film quite interesting. He seems like the quack everyone calls him as he sprints all around town in his white suit, but bits start showing up here and their that leads us to the truth.

The best thing to talk about in this film is the fantastic performance of Akira Emoto who plays Dr Akagi. The guy is just so dorky and lovable sprinting around in his bright white suit with a goofy expression on his face. But when it gets serious Akagi always gets to business and does everything he can for his patients. Its an endearing character and a great portrayal of obsession.

I would have given this film 5 stars I enjoyed it so much but its got a few lame problems. The opening scene features some atrocious and forced sounding English language dialogue which gave me a very bad first impression. Also the film features some horrendously crappy special effects, very rarely do they actually work. Thank god they make up only a small portion of the film.

Dr Akagi is a film filled with odd and endearing characters and some quite bizarre humor. Save for some bad effects its a joy to watch. For lovers of black comedy it shouldnt be missed.

4/5 "Imamura is hip what can i say"

Alfonso Cuaron's Children of Men

2006-12-26T12:40:00.000-08:00

I finally saw Cuaron's Children of Men last night and wow is it good. Its arguably the best dystopia film ever made. It might be a struggle for many people to find, but seriously this Is a film not to be missed.

Based on the Novel by author P.D. James(Which supposedly Cuaron had not read when making the film) tells the story of a world destroyed because women have suddenly become infertile. Theo(Clive Owen) a downtrodden ex-activist agrees to help a group of terrorists escort a young girl Kee(Claire-Hope Ashitey) to the fabled saviors of mankind the human project.

The first and most striking of this films qualities is its incredible cinematography. Cuaron has always had great visuals(Y tu mama tambien) , but seriously in this film its just off the charts. This film has the best use of the long shot I have seen since Scorsese's Goodfellas. Plenty of directors use the long shot and its almost always cool, but this time it also gives an added layer of tension as we watch dramatic and sometimes shocking events unfold in real time.

Beyond the visuals(which many people will latch on too) the film is made with such a beautifully restrained manner. The vision of the future is definitive and descriptive but never even thinks of approaching something that would feel like fantasy. Bad CG effects never rear there ugly head and nothing is ever so elaborate to detract from the story at hand but it is also true to the Sci Fi genre. The characterizations which could have come off cliche never reach that plateau. The best example is the clearly going to be redemptive character of Clive Owen. As he drinks and smokes and generally looks like a bum you can feel the epiphanic 'there is something worth fighting' for scene coming. But it never does, instead this film lets lets the change come about naturally, and never becomes cliche.

Cuaron is fighting to be a modern day Kubrick with all of his genre hopping, and with Children of Men he takes another step in that direction. This is the kind of film that everyone is going to want to get Oscars but won't. This film is a masterpiece of stylish and poignant direction that should not be missed by anyone.

5/5 "A new watermark for dystopia films"

Zhang Yimou's Curse ot the Golden Flower

2006-12-24T11:10:00.000-08:00

Zhang Yimou's is back yet again with another extravagant martial arts film. Hero was the idealistic film, House of Flying daggers was the romance film, and Curse of the Golden Flower is the tragedy. It moves slowly at first which will turn off many viewers, but if you can handle it the thrilling climax will not let you down.

This is a hard film to just quickly summarize as the narrative is told in such labyrinthine fashion. This film is mainly a tale of doomed lovers and betrayal surrounding a sickly empress(Gong Li) and a wise, ruthless emperor emperor(Chow Yun Fat).

The first thing to really talk about in the film is the great acting. Yimou finally reunites with his best leading lady for the first time since Shanghai Triad over 10 years ago. As usual when these two work together the results are stunning. Gong Li is always great so I was actually more impressed by the performance of Chow Yun Fat as the emperor. He plays it with such a calm demeanor that when his emotions run high they are impossible to ignore.

The film is made in that cast of thousands epic style of old Hollywood and its quite impressive. There is basically nothing in the film that is not gorgeous to look at, from the elaborate costumes to the rainbow colored wall decor. The number of extras in a some scenes have to rank at least around 500(I tend to exaggerate everything so im aiming low this time).

My main issue with the film is its use of violence and action. The film has some very large epic troop confrontations that the scale is so large it just is really to much. Not to mention the fact that much of the cg in these giant battles is just crap. This film tells a story that is very character specific and intricate but with these gigantic Lord of the Rings like battles it pulls the focus away from the personal struggles within the film.

While I think the battle scenes were too much this is still a very good film. It has fantastic acting and a powerful complicated plot. It fits in nicely in Yimou's body of work as a interesting mix of his old works and his new.

4/5 "Tragic, and Beautiful" trailer here

Sylverster Stallone's Rocky Balboa

2006-12-20T21:19:00.000-08:00

This sort of film experience is definitely a rare one. Everyone loves Rocky so much that the excitement level in the theater was off the charts. When the closing credits rolled a guy a few rows down from me actually put his fists up in the air and started bouncing down the steps out the theater just like Rocky. It's easy to infer from that last statement that Rocky Balboa is a crowd pleaser and a great movie.

In this installment Rocky has grown old, he now spends his days running a restaurant in his hometown where he reminisces about his boxing days for the pleasure of his guests. Adrian has passed away sometime before the events of the film and Rock is still having a hard time getting over it. His son can't get out of his father's shadow and its causing him to resent his father's success. Oh yeah and Pauly is still around being his grouchy self. I'll leave some for you to see, but eventually on television ESPN does a 'what if' bout between Rocky and the current young buck champ Mason 'the line' Dixon. Well guess what Rocky wins and this gets people a talking, and lucky for us it eventually gets Rock back in the ring.

On the level, I loved this film. It is by no means a perfect film as it has some heavy flaws. The whole first acted is held back by a sort of mopey melodramatic undercurrent. Its never bad to a cringe worthy level but it does seem to get real close to crossing the line a few times. In particular this film is basically filled with didactic speeches that sometimes come off a little to forceful and not quite genuine to the story. When we get to big fight its a great scene, but it has this over the top montage effect for about 8 rounds that really seems to glaze over the fight instead of highlight the big moments.

Now that I've gotten those gripes out of my system its time for some unadulterated gushing. First off this film is really quite funny. It uses the humor to keep the pace of the film up and never let it get boring, but it never feels like humor for humor's sake, its just the characters being their likable selves. It's almost like we get to start the whole Rocky story over again. The film feels like a new beginning we are watching Rocky back in that underdog situation which made us all love him. Stallone is great in the movie. He plays the film with all the charisma that made him famous in the first place.

I'm glad that Rocky went out with this film and not the horrid Rocky V. Even with my qualms its still a film I loved and would recommend to anyone with a beating heart.When Rocky gets into the gym with Duke and we hear his goose bump inducing pep talk, when that training montage with the classic music starts a rolling you know what this film is all about. I have a theory when it comes to Rocky films(and a few other types). There are people who love Rocky films, and there are people who haven't seen enough Rocky films yet. If your in the first category get your ass to the theater, if your in the second get your ass to the video store, and then get your ass to the theater.

5/5 "A great last fight for a great film franchise."

Trailer here

Zhang Yimou's Ju Dou

2006-12-20T09:50:00.000-08:00

Zhang Yimou's Jou Dou is a powerful drama of forbidden love and heartbreaking tragedy. Par for the course for Zhang Yimou whose credits also includes other powerful films like Raise the Red Lantern and To Live.

The story centers around a young woman named Ju Dou played by the Beautiful and tragic Gong Li. She is sold into a marriage with an impotent and brutal Dye mill owner much her senior. He takes his impotency out on her by beating her every night leaving her with cuts and bruises. When she seems to lose heart she finds herself in a romance with the brutal dyers younger much kinder nephew.

First thing to focus on is the great acting from Gong Li. When Gong Li is in a romantic roll she seems to always make each scene so believable. Every little nuzzle and gesture adds to a level of endearment and involvement that is rare in film. She portrays enough passion on screen for both herself and her counterpart.

Everything in this film is brought to a slow boil before finally it spills over. Every thread of the plot is brought about from beginning to end in a complete arc. Nothing is ever rushed or thrown in which helps the film avoid cheap melodrama cliches. The romance builds slowly but genuinely which leads to a more emotive experience. By the time tragedy strikes I loved the love our main characters so much that it really hits hard.

My issue with this film is an odd one as it is not with the film itself but the only DVD you can watch it on. You can tell its a gorgeous film filled with soft hues and generally great cinematography. Unfortunately the only DVD release you can get in the US is of terrible quality. Colors which on the screen should have been vibrant and powerful seem washed out and dull. To give you a good comparison go buy a 1$ DVD of some old horror movie like Dementia 13 and see how crappy that film looks, then you'll have an idea. Where is the Criterion collection when you need them?

Zhang Yimou is arguably the world's great living director of tragedy. Ju Dou is just another point in that direction for me.

5/5 "Great Film, Find another way to see it than this horrid DVD"

Robert Bresson's PickPocket

2006-12-18T09:25:00.000-08:00

Bresson's Pickpocket is the kind of film that sinks into your subconscious and gives you a strange love for the characters. Bresson never lets us know the characters on anything but the most intimate level. We only see characters as they see themselves, there are no false fronts or outward persona's everyone is acting as if they are alone all the time. This technique at first seems to repulse you from the characters but as it progresses you become thoroughly endeared.

Pickpocket tells the story of Michel(Martin La Salle) a young Raskolnikov like character and his forays into the world of pick pocketing. Right away Michel steals money from an Rich woman at the horse races and is caught by the police. Michel ignores the help of his mother, his friend Jacques and the beautiful Jeanne in favor of continuing to pickpocket.

Pickpockets plot is not what stands it apart from other films. You could expect this sort of story to be handled in a typical crime film style but all genre conventions are completely subverted in this film. No action is ever exaggerated for dramatic effect, when Michel is arrested in the beginning he is simply grabbed by two men and we fade into the police station where he is promptly released. There is no struggle all of which would regularly be thrilling is just skipped. Now despite this I still think the film is very entertaining. Watching Michel lift the pocket of a man on a subway as he narrates "My heart is pounding" you will be likely to find yourself in a similar situation. The minimalistic approach to shooting the films makes the pickpocket scenes that much more thrilling and real.

The acting functions on an almost disturbing level in this film. I'm not positive but I think a single person never cracks the beginnings of a smile. All the actors were untrained, unknowns that Bresson hand picked. Each character seems always to be staring off into space deep in thought and then they come back to reality to deliver some short line of dialogue. Even the common narration is used so sparingly that it has the feeling of actually character thoughts as opposed to exposition for the viewer.

Bresson uses every usual cinema go-to like a trump card in this film. If it is known to evoke feelings in the viewer he deliberately leaves it out. Bresson does this not to torture the viewer in any way, but so that when he does use them they highlight the screen in a most piercing way.

5/5 "A Minimalistic Masterpiece"

Stefen Fangmeier's Eragon

2006-12-16T13:51:00.000-08:00

This movie is a steaming heap of crap. Well more accurately its an ice cold heap of crap. Its a soulless retelling of Star Wars filled with all the things that makes Star Wars lame and none of what makes it cool. It features a nice assortment of bad lines and terrible acting to keep all mst3k fans happy.

If you want to know the plot to this film please use the following steps.

1. Remember Star Wars.
2. Replace Jedi with Dragon Riders.
3. Rinse, Repeat.

It really is that bad. The empire kills Uncle Owen, Eragon goes off with Obi Wan Kenobi to learn to be a Jedi. He meets up with the resistance and so on.

The main issue with this film beyond all the plot issues is that the director along with the cast seemed like the only put enough effort into the film to get a paycheck. Its obvious to make comparisons to Lord of the Rings with this film but these films aren't in the same league. Lord of the Rings was made with such passion and love for the material it nearly bleed right off the screen. This film is just about the opposite of it. The directing is non-existent, its as if the entire film was made by a computer. Any good scene is made with just enough life to get it on the screen but never to make it shine in any sort of way.

Another big issue with the film is its atrocious dialogue. An easy comparison is to the later Star Wars films. Yeah it sucks on a level like that. Robert Carlyle as Darth Vader is the stand out crap performance of the film. The incredibly stupid dialogue doesn't help him out much, but seriously I didn't think he had a performance this hammy in him. Jeremy Irons makes the best of his part and I actually liked his character(The wise old teacher will always be cool). Which went on to make the film more depressing cause it really did not have to be this bad.

Seriously watch Lord of the Rings or Conan the Barbarian(a guilty pleasure of mine) or anything before you waste your time on this piece of crap. It wont sate your hunger for good fantasy(if you have one) it will just simply make it that much worse.

1/5 "Lifeless Garbage"

Fred Barzyk and David R. Loxton's Lathe of Heaven.

2006-12-13T15:11:00.000-08:00

Its hard to adapt a good book faithfully. They did a decent job on this one. . Unfortunately the bad outweighs the good on this heavily dated version of a sci-fi classic.

Lathe of Heaven tells the tale of the unfortunate George Orr(Bruce Davidson). George has a unique ability, when he dreams the dream becomes reality. Scared of what his dreams might do George takes illegal amounts of drugs and has an overdose. In order to avoid any serious punishment he goes to 'voluntary therapy' with Dr. Haber(Kevin Conway). Dr. Haber eventually catches on to George's abilities and tries to use them to better mankind. It doesn't work out very well.

The film preserves the novels pondering nature. We see the comparisons to the nearly apathetic George Orr and the overwhelmingly benevolent Dr. Haber. George just tries to go with the flow, while Dr. Haber attempts to control everything. It's a film about the consequences of trying to fix complex problems with simple solutions.

The bad with this particular film lies simply in its production. It has some laughably bad aliens and spaceships and the like. Its shot in the style of films like Alphaville or Code 46 in that they dont really do much to make things look like the future. It works in this film too but not to the level of the aforementioned titles. It does feel like the future but I cant help but say it feels like a cheap future. Not to mention a space invasion scene(that should have just been cut) comprised entirely of stock footage of planes taking off and missiles being launched.

Don't get me wrong. I think you can make something great with no money at all. Its been done(Versus, Texas Chainsaw Massacre). The problem with this film is that it was trying to do things above its means. Unfortunately these shortcoming eventually outweigh what the film has going for it.

2/5 "To much bad, not enough good."

Mel Gibson's Apocalypto

2006-12-12T13:24:00.000-08:00

Think The Running Man crossed with a dose of Mayan History, and thats Apocalypto. It is simply a well developed action film that happens to features elaborate sets and costumes. It makes it for a unique add to the canon of historical epics.

The plot is very basic. Jaguar Paw(Rudy Youngblood) is a hunter in a peaceful rural village. He has a young son named Turtles Run and his beautiful wife has another baby in the oven. Life is idyllic for Jaguar Paw until a group of soldiers from the city choose his village for sacrifice. What follows is a violent tale of survival that also functions as a spectacle of sorts.

The film has its main action captured in that trademark Mel Gibson style. Slow motion is as always his weapon of choice, and in this film is used extremely well. When we watch Jaguar Paw sprinting away from a gigantic jaguar(the animal) the slow motion enhances the thrills considerably. I wont go into to much detail, but slow motion comes into play in one of the most memorable showdown scenes I've seen in a long while.

The best part of this film is simply the elongated scene in the Mayan City. The sheer amount of visual information thrown at you is amazing. When I left the theater I talked it with my moviemates and there were things that they saw that I missed and vice versa. The scene has so many elaborate costumes and constructions it is nearly impossible not to be struck with the grandeur of it all.

While I liked this film immensely, I feel that it is not quite a masterpiece. It in parts has some schlocky cg effects and for the simple nature of the story it seems to just run a little to long. All and all it is a unique film experience that for action fans shouldn't be missed.

4/5 "A violent and emotional action yarn."