This is one of those great stories of someone overcoming great personal hardship and triumphing. It is also one of those terrible films that reminds us of how bad people can be. It is about the "Stolen Generation" where Australia of the 1930's was running a policy of integration to absorb half-caste aboriginals back into white society by breeding them out.
The cast are extremely young and none of them from an acting background, however the director did his work and found three very talented girls. I see that only one of them has acted since, but still it's early days.
Like in Walkabout the story is tragic and simple. We are allowed to enjoy the expansive vistas of the outback, and brood over the facts we've been presented without distraction of a thrill a minute plot. I would not say the pace was leisurely or idle, just not all wham-bam.
Like in THX-1138, the chase of the escapees is limited by budgetary concerns. There is a national policy to enforce, but only so many dollars to enforce it with. I guess this illustrates how people get stuck in the bureaucratic machinery without thinking about the what or why they are doing.
Overall I liked the film. The making of documentary is worth taking a look see at also.
And Brannagh is not insufferably egotistical in this.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Friday, September 24, 2010
Inception
I don’t want to say I’ve seen it before, but…
After the first nested dream I was reminded of two films I’d seen, “The Lathe of Heaven” made by PBS (WNET) based on the Ursula K Le Guin novel, and “Lathe of Heaven” made by A&E (yes I did used to have Cable).
The other film that I went in with a prejudiced expectation of seeing was “Paprika” by Satoshi Kon, but that was not too heavily referenced, the dreams in Inception sticking closer to reality, like in “Abre los Ojos”, a flaw in Vanilla sky was allowing less subtle surrealism into the dreams at times, giving hints which deny the Spanish originals sharp twist at the end.
The recurring dead wife motif was definitely reminiscent of “Solyaris” (Tarkovsky, ’71), but Mal and Ariadne were both facets of “Annie Cartwright” from the UK version of “Life On Mars”.
So Jim Phelps takes the IMF on a dream diving escapade. Technobable, a couple of neat ideas and what have we got, licence to have an action flick where we can get away with zero G in a hotel and trains ploughing through a monsoon soaked LA. Oh American spell checkers always hate the UK spelling of plowing.
I did not think “12 Monkeys” at all, but now, rethinking through the airport scene I am wondering if that was a tribute to that film, or more especially “La Jetée” which 12 monkeys is derived from.
So were you please or disappointed that it had the exact same ending as Solyaris? I almost expected it to start raining in the house. There was another film where the hero escaped into a coma state, no not “One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest”, but I can’t place it for now.
Hans Zimmer soundtrack was pretty good. FX excellent. “photography” was lush, the Paris sequences especially.
Pete Postlethwait and Leo in a film together again. Ellen Page all (more) grown up.
After the first nested dream I was reminded of two films I’d seen, “The Lathe of Heaven” made by PBS (WNET) based on the Ursula K Le Guin novel, and “Lathe of Heaven” made by A&E (yes I did used to have Cable).
The other film that I went in with a prejudiced expectation of seeing was “Paprika” by Satoshi Kon, but that was not too heavily referenced, the dreams in Inception sticking closer to reality, like in “Abre los Ojos”, a flaw in Vanilla sky was allowing less subtle surrealism into the dreams at times, giving hints which deny the Spanish originals sharp twist at the end.
The recurring dead wife motif was definitely reminiscent of “Solyaris” (Tarkovsky, ’71), but Mal and Ariadne were both facets of “Annie Cartwright” from the UK version of “Life On Mars”.
So Jim Phelps takes the IMF on a dream diving escapade. Technobable, a couple of neat ideas and what have we got, licence to have an action flick where we can get away with zero G in a hotel and trains ploughing through a monsoon soaked LA. Oh American spell checkers always hate the UK spelling of plowing.
I did not think “12 Monkeys” at all, but now, rethinking through the airport scene I am wondering if that was a tribute to that film, or more especially “La Jetée” which 12 monkeys is derived from.
So were you please or disappointed that it had the exact same ending as Solyaris? I almost expected it to start raining in the house. There was another film where the hero escaped into a coma state, no not “One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest”, but I can’t place it for now.
Hans Zimmer soundtrack was pretty good. FX excellent. “photography” was lush, the Paris sequences especially.
Pete Postlethwait and Leo in a film together again. Ellen Page all (more) grown up.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
The White Bus
aka Red, White and Zero
Sixties surrealist portrait of industrial Britain, and its context in a post-Empire, dying Commonwealth world. The principle story being told by a bus tour of an industrial Northern town, which is shown in contrast to violent center of commerce, London.
A couple of things that struck me with this film were the balance of composition in the shots and the Mayors monologues. Compositions such as the tour party going up an elevator chute into a factory, or some lovely color shots in a steel mill. The mix of black and white and color scenes is reminiscent of "if...", but here it looks more deliberate.
The director, Lindsay Anderson, also directed one of my favourite movies, "if...", studying Britain in microcosm through examining a public school.
This film has a playful sense of humor, which makes its pretentiousness tolerable. It's more watchable than the likes of Jonathan Millers "Alice in Wonderland".
It's a curiosity, and I think I'll rewatch it to see what else I can get out of it. Not one I'd recommend, except to film students and the curious.
Sixties surrealist portrait of industrial Britain, and its context in a post-Empire, dying Commonwealth world. The principle story being told by a bus tour of an industrial Northern town, which is shown in contrast to violent center of commerce, London.
A couple of things that struck me with this film were the balance of composition in the shots and the Mayors monologues. Compositions such as the tour party going up an elevator chute into a factory, or some lovely color shots in a steel mill. The mix of black and white and color scenes is reminiscent of "if...", but here it looks more deliberate.
The director, Lindsay Anderson, also directed one of my favourite movies, "if...", studying Britain in microcosm through examining a public school.
This film has a playful sense of humor, which makes its pretentiousness tolerable. It's more watchable than the likes of Jonathan Millers "Alice in Wonderland".
It's a curiosity, and I think I'll rewatch it to see what else I can get out of it. Not one I'd recommend, except to film students and the curious.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Five directors to look out for.
- Micheal Mann
- Alfred Hitchcock
- Danny Boyle
- Fritz Lang
- Luc Besson
These are names you will often see listed here. Make a careful note of them, they are good.
Micheal Mann is a contemporary American director. His hallmarks are wide screens, attention to detail, contemplative pacing. The films he's made that you will have heard of are "Heat", "Last of the Mohicans" and "Miami Vice". Though most of his work is epic crime fiction, he also does biopics like "Ali" and "The Insider.
Alfred Hitchcock is one of Britain's most famous movie directors. He is credited with a lot of revolutionary filming techniques. Despite his strength of character, he has still bowed to the wishes of Hollywood, even before moving to the US for the middle period of his career. Films such as "The Lodger" had the ending re-filmed for the American audience as it would just not do for the hero to get lynched unjustly. Likewise there are two versions of "Strangers on a Train" as it would never do to insult a priest in an American movie.
Danny Boyle shot to stardom with "Shallow Grave" then a year or two later to super-stardom with "Trainspotting". He also brought Robert Carlyle to the small screen in "Hamish Macbeth", started the "28 Days" franchise, and then in atonement for his whole success deal made the excellent TV movie "Vacuuming Completely Nude in Paradise", staring Timothy Spall as an obnoxious vacuum cleaner sales man.
Fritz Lang had three interesting phases to his career, the first in a Germany struggling to reinvent itself between the wars, Hollywood in the 40's and 50's and then a return to Germany in the 60's. His outstanding innovative work comes out of his early German career where he worked with Thea Von Harbou, she provided the stories for many of his early films. Though "Metropolis" is a undoubted classic, the strongest of his films is "M".
Luc Besson first came to my attention in the early 80's with his film "Le Dernier Combat". His films are full of anti heros, the most famous two being "La Femme Nikita" and "Leon, The Professional". His other outstanding films include "Angel-A", again a romance set in the crime world of Paris. In more recent years Besson is spending more time writing than directing. Some of his works have benefited from this arrangement, for example the "Transporter" franchise has his hallmark writing, but the fight choreography and action direction benefit from Corey Yuens experience in Hong Kong action flick.
Amelie
This was a rewatch for me. A very cute French comedy romance.
Amelie is a loner, and a dreamer. Then she comes across a hidden treasure, and decides to reunite it with its original owner. When this is a success she decides to fix a few other peoples problems, but tends not to fix her own.
A good chunk of the film is in Amelie's imagination, so there is some pleasing subtle CGI to add reality to the dreams. The colours are beautiful, even if a little over saturated at times. Every frame is beautifully composed, well balanced and filled. A visual treat, but it's not all glossy eye candy, the story holds together, a magical love story that you forget is all too good to be true.
The only other Jean-Pierre Jeunet film I've seen is the equally fantastical, but much darker, "City of Lost Children". The films have some comparable stylistic elements, such as a great reluctance to move away from wide angle lenses. Both depart from reality, but seem to keep you grounded at the same time. City of Lost Children is dark and ugly whereas Amelie is light and loving.
If you have to have a surreal romance, then Montmatre is the place.
Amelie is a loner, and a dreamer. Then she comes across a hidden treasure, and decides to reunite it with its original owner. When this is a success she decides to fix a few other peoples problems, but tends not to fix her own.
A good chunk of the film is in Amelie's imagination, so there is some pleasing subtle CGI to add reality to the dreams. The colours are beautiful, even if a little over saturated at times. Every frame is beautifully composed, well balanced and filled. A visual treat, but it's not all glossy eye candy, the story holds together, a magical love story that you forget is all too good to be true.
The only other Jean-Pierre Jeunet film I've seen is the equally fantastical, but much darker, "City of Lost Children". The films have some comparable stylistic elements, such as a great reluctance to move away from wide angle lenses. Both depart from reality, but seem to keep you grounded at the same time. City of Lost Children is dark and ugly whereas Amelie is light and loving.
If you have to have a surreal romance, then Montmatre is the place.
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
This rather dark Swedish thriller is very engaging and, despite a few brutal scenes, a rewarding watch.
The film starts out looking like a regular Grisham courtroom drama, and they we get introduced to a Goth hacker private investigator. Don't worry, they don't throw caution to the wind at this point, what we see is the coming together of a dysfunctional duet who made it successfully through three novels and now three films (the second and third have not made DVD in the US yet).
The location is beautiful, rural Sweden. I wonder if there is any other type. Still, beautifully snow dusted landscape, nice architecture, and overall a placid backdrop of a film which turns into a psycho thriller of the level of say Manhunter. I must admit there are some scenes that seem to be there only to put our heroine through hell, but they are probably valid as they show who she is before we see this quiet girl suddenly kicking butt.
I am quite looking forward to the other two films, which, though filmed for TV, due to the success of this first were also released big screen in Sweden.
All through the film Micheal Nyquist, the actor who took the lead role, was reminiscent of a cross between John Nettleton and Daniel Craig. I was not too surprised that the role has gone to Daniel Craig for the US remake.
Dark but entertaining manhunt with a reasonable twist at the end.
The film starts out looking like a regular Grisham courtroom drama, and they we get introduced to a Goth hacker private investigator. Don't worry, they don't throw caution to the wind at this point, what we see is the coming together of a dysfunctional duet who made it successfully through three novels and now three films (the second and third have not made DVD in the US yet).
The location is beautiful, rural Sweden. I wonder if there is any other type. Still, beautifully snow dusted landscape, nice architecture, and overall a placid backdrop of a film which turns into a psycho thriller of the level of say Manhunter. I must admit there are some scenes that seem to be there only to put our heroine through hell, but they are probably valid as they show who she is before we see this quiet girl suddenly kicking butt.
I am quite looking forward to the other two films, which, though filmed for TV, due to the success of this first were also released big screen in Sweden.
All through the film Micheal Nyquist, the actor who took the lead role, was reminiscent of a cross between John Nettleton and Daniel Craig. I was not too surprised that the role has gone to Daniel Craig for the US remake.
Dark but entertaining manhunt with a reasonable twist at the end.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Welcome Back Mr McDonald
What can I say about this amusing little farce? Well, it's funnier first time around when you don't know what to expect, so I'll just give a brief summary.
A housewife has won a contest to write a radio script. The show is produced, and everything is fine through rehearsals. This is where we join the action. From here on in it's a comedy of errors, the producer yielding at every turn to the divas of the cast, causing numerous re-write and almost costing the original writer her marriage.
Worth a looksee, but not top of the list material.
6/10
A housewife has won a contest to write a radio script. The show is produced, and everything is fine through rehearsals. This is where we join the action. From here on in it's a comedy of errors, the producer yielding at every turn to the divas of the cast, causing numerous re-write and almost costing the original writer her marriage.
Worth a looksee, but not top of the list material.
6/10
Heat
Well, this is that film that made history for being the first time De Niro and Pacino appeared together.
First thing to remember when going into this film is that it's Michael Mann in the directors chair, though to the initiated that will become obvious in the first few scenes. Mann, long time writer of crime stories, with scripts for Vega$, Starsky and Hutch and Miami Vice to his credit, seems to be very learned in the ways of the villain. The level of technical detail, like in Thief (aka Violent Streets) is impressive to watch, none of it seems like techno-babble. The film starts with tooling up with a job.
Mann loves a wide film format. He will often place characters at opposite sides of the screen with a neutral background between them. I even wonder at times if he feels confident shooting in daylight as so many of his best scenes are beautifully shot night sequences.
So Mann, a great director, and now in a position where he gets the best talent to put on screen too.
Heat is one of those films where the director gets a do-over; like Lucas getting studio budget to remake his student film "THX-1138 4EB", or Hitchcock remaking "The Man Who Knew Too Much". This time the original was only a few years earlier in the form of a made for TV "LA Takedown". Both versions have their merits. The pacing is more lively in the 90 minute TV movie, as opposed to the more leisurely 2hr50 min of the cinema version, but Heat has more spit and polish which is undeniable.
Basic story? Indefatigable cop, Pacino, is hunting down a very proficient thief, De Niro. The two heroes are out and out terse phrased Italian American tough guys. Every line of dialogue they deliver seems aggressive, irks me somewhat. Still the characters grow more from the body language and plot. De Niro's team are padded out with a psycho loser who messes up the first heist we see, and later, the same guy rats them out to a crime boss they've stolen from. It's only when De Niro lets something get personal that we see his world become unraveled. This compliments Mann's earlier "Thief" where James Caan's safe cracker loses it all when he inadvertently signs up with a crime boss, and again lets a personal life come in his way.
Heat is possibly one of the best Mann films, alongside "Last of the Mohicans". Collateral may have more of an edge with Hitchcock like twists, and "Ali" is probably my favorite of his films.
8/10
My previous comments at MovieNerds. And comparing to Rififi.
First thing to remember when going into this film is that it's Michael Mann in the directors chair, though to the initiated that will become obvious in the first few scenes. Mann, long time writer of crime stories, with scripts for Vega$, Starsky and Hutch and Miami Vice to his credit, seems to be very learned in the ways of the villain. The level of technical detail, like in Thief (aka Violent Streets) is impressive to watch, none of it seems like techno-babble. The film starts with tooling up with a job.
Mann loves a wide film format. He will often place characters at opposite sides of the screen with a neutral background between them. I even wonder at times if he feels confident shooting in daylight as so many of his best scenes are beautifully shot night sequences.
So Mann, a great director, and now in a position where he gets the best talent to put on screen too.
Heat is one of those films where the director gets a do-over; like Lucas getting studio budget to remake his student film "THX-1138 4EB", or Hitchcock remaking "The Man Who Knew Too Much". This time the original was only a few years earlier in the form of a made for TV "LA Takedown". Both versions have their merits. The pacing is more lively in the 90 minute TV movie, as opposed to the more leisurely 2hr50 min of the cinema version, but Heat has more spit and polish which is undeniable.
Basic story? Indefatigable cop, Pacino, is hunting down a very proficient thief, De Niro. The two heroes are out and out terse phrased Italian American tough guys. Every line of dialogue they deliver seems aggressive, irks me somewhat. Still the characters grow more from the body language and plot. De Niro's team are padded out with a psycho loser who messes up the first heist we see, and later, the same guy rats them out to a crime boss they've stolen from. It's only when De Niro lets something get personal that we see his world become unraveled. This compliments Mann's earlier "Thief" where James Caan's safe cracker loses it all when he inadvertently signs up with a crime boss, and again lets a personal life come in his way.
Heat is possibly one of the best Mann films, alongside "Last of the Mohicans". Collateral may have more of an edge with Hitchcock like twists, and "Ali" is probably my favorite of his films.
8/10
My previous comments at MovieNerds. And comparing to Rififi.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
M
"M" is possibly one of the finest Fritz Lang movies ever made. Lang, like Hitchcock, had a very strong vision of how he wanted his film to be, and how to get it. The attention to detail pays off in an incredible finished product. It's a shame that after his escape to America he ran into trouble for making pro-British films. His entire Hollywood era films seem to lack the essential feel of his earlier European films. Anyway "M" was one of his, and Peter Lorres, last German films.
The film is set against the backdrop of Germany in a depression era, a credible snapshot of the time. The foreground story is twofold, it's a man hunt film with a murderer on the loose, the police's ineptness bringing the thieves guild into the chase, the second layer is an exposition of morality and amorality, a look at a psychologically disturbed killer with a compulsion to kill.
This film has all the classic elements of noir in its presentation, moody atmospheric lighting, crime bosses, chases, brawls, raids. This film also is early sound, and Lang plays with what sounds he chooses to include to build the scenes.
I believe this film is the first of several where Otto Wernicke appears as Inspctor Lohmann, the Lohmann character being in three Mabuse films.
The film is set against the backdrop of Germany in a depression era, a credible snapshot of the time. The foreground story is twofold, it's a man hunt film with a murderer on the loose, the police's ineptness bringing the thieves guild into the chase, the second layer is an exposition of morality and amorality, a look at a psychologically disturbed killer with a compulsion to kill.
This film has all the classic elements of noir in its presentation, moody atmospheric lighting, crime bosses, chases, brawls, raids. This film also is early sound, and Lang plays with what sounds he chooses to include to build the scenes.
I believe this film is the first of several where Otto Wernicke appears as Inspctor Lohmann, the Lohmann character being in three Mabuse films.
Whisper Of The Heart
Studio Ghibli, with Miyazaki listed in the writing credits, you know this is going to be a quality film.
This is not an out and out Miyazaki film. It has all the hallmarks of Ghibli, a coming of age story, a hint of magic, Disney sponsored dubbing, painstaking attention to detail in the set dressing. Lets start with that last point, like a Raymond Briggs picture book, the attention to detail, filling each room with a great reality. You could almost take any indoor shot and see exactly what it's like in a house in Japan. A great document of the way life is lived. The film is full of rich visuals end to end.
Now onto the story. Sure, there's no dragons or trolls in this one, it's story may be reminiscent of an "after school special", but this has credible people, not a polished Nickleodeon Beverly Hills kid falling for someone from the wrong side of the tracks and saying no to tobacco. The heroine is a high school bookworm, starting to become a writer. While reading she finds all the books she is reading have been read by a boy at the school, and she starts feeling a connection with him and builds up a romantic ideal, which is soon shattered. I won't say more, but it's an optimistic journey, and a hopeful ending.
As always we watched the Japanese audio with translation sub titles, as opposed to using the closed caption/hearing impaired subtitles which follow the audio of the dub. Disney are doing great dubs on Miyazaki films, but they do alter phrases both to suit US modes of speech and to get better lip syncing.
This is not an out and out Miyazaki film. It has all the hallmarks of Ghibli, a coming of age story, a hint of magic, Disney sponsored dubbing, painstaking attention to detail in the set dressing. Lets start with that last point, like a Raymond Briggs picture book, the attention to detail, filling each room with a great reality. You could almost take any indoor shot and see exactly what it's like in a house in Japan. A great document of the way life is lived. The film is full of rich visuals end to end.
Now onto the story. Sure, there's no dragons or trolls in this one, it's story may be reminiscent of an "after school special", but this has credible people, not a polished Nickleodeon Beverly Hills kid falling for someone from the wrong side of the tracks and saying no to tobacco. The heroine is a high school bookworm, starting to become a writer. While reading she finds all the books she is reading have been read by a boy at the school, and she starts feeling a connection with him and builds up a romantic ideal, which is soon shattered. I won't say more, but it's an optimistic journey, and a hopeful ending.
As always we watched the Japanese audio with translation sub titles, as opposed to using the closed caption/hearing impaired subtitles which follow the audio of the dub. Disney are doing great dubs on Miyazaki films, but they do alter phrases both to suit US modes of speech and to get better lip syncing.
Breakfast Of Champions
Since I think Kurt Vonnegut Jr. is a great writer, Cats Cradle, Galapagos, A Man With No Country, etc. I decided that I really ought to watch some film adaptations of his books.
One of his meandering examinations of humans was "Breakfast of Champions", about a business man who was at the end of his rope, and a failed SF author who the business man mistakes for his creator.
The film manages to catch much the spirit of the book, even though it is a little heavy handed at times. Bruce Willis gets to be the protagonist, this time the world is against him, and he has to go head to head with it, but this time he's not a tough NY cop with a big gun, rippling biceps and a vest, he's just the sort of guy you'd expect to be buying favors from the mayor, and looks like he may be wearing a toupee.
Overall a fun, if garish, look at consumerism, celebrity worship, legitimized drug abuse/depression and middle American ideals,
Not for the feint of heart, not everyone can take Nick Nolte in drag.
One of his meandering examinations of humans was "Breakfast of Champions", about a business man who was at the end of his rope, and a failed SF author who the business man mistakes for his creator.
The film manages to catch much the spirit of the book, even though it is a little heavy handed at times. Bruce Willis gets to be the protagonist, this time the world is against him, and he has to go head to head with it, but this time he's not a tough NY cop with a big gun, rippling biceps and a vest, he's just the sort of guy you'd expect to be buying favors from the mayor, and looks like he may be wearing a toupee.
Overall a fun, if garish, look at consumerism, celebrity worship, legitimized drug abuse/depression and middle American ideals,
Not for the feint of heart, not everyone can take Nick Nolte in drag.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Yet another movie blog?
Yes, another movie blog. See my boss was lampooning me at work the other day, claiming I had a questionable taste in films, because I'd just been watching "Whisper of the Heart", which in a disposable description could be termed an anime chick flick. Then I mentioned seeing the bonus disk for "M" by Fritz Lang, which he labeled as morbid, then on learning of the kinder-murder aspect of that film others added in "morbid, need psychological evaluation" etc.
So here I am, defending my taste in movies with the intent of blogging every film I watch....
So here I am, defending my taste in movies with the intent of blogging every film I watch....
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