January 2010
01. [r] The Royal Tenenbaums (Wes Anderson, 2001) 68
Notes: As one would expect, The Royal Tenenbaums gets better each time around (I didn’t care for it all in theaters, but I was just starting to dabble in film then). It’s impressive how Anderson manages to put so many dynamic, interesting characters together and generate sincere emotion for all of them. His favorite topic of familial loss and subsequent discord—be it by absence, shame, death, or a combination of all three—is handled on a grander scope here than in Rushmore or Fantastic Mr. Fox, though the sheer number of family members keeps me from fully warming to Tenenbaums like I do for the Max Fischer-led Rushmore. Still…there are some extremely poignant moments, like when Chas and one of his sons lie next to each other on the floor. And the way in which each of Royal’s children has been deeply affected by his absence for their upbringing—and how it comes across in their life choices, actions, and visions of the future—really feels on point. I wouldn’t be surprised if I eventually wind up in the PRO range for this one. Also boasts great acting all around, with Paltrow and Stiller leading the pack.
02. The Yards (James Gray, 2000) 77
They Live By Night (Nicholas Ray, 1948) 68
03. The Cincinnati Kid (Norman Jewison, 1965) 42
Notes: Moderately entertaining despite numerous flaws, none worse than the utterly absurd climactic poker hand. For anyone with basic knowledge of poker strategy and mathematics—which, granted, won’t apply to most viewers—the manner in which the savvy old champ Lancey (Edward G. Robinson) plays the penultimate hand will be laughable at best (to put things in perspective, he should have folded multiple times, made the incorrect mathematical move on several occasions, and got beyond lucky to hit a crazy stretch of cards while the Kid hit the same for his hand, allowing Lancey to knock off the Kid’s aces full with a miraculous straight flush). The crowd’s fawning reaction and Lancey’s ludicrous lecture to the Kid (“you’ll always be second best”) is impossible to take even remotely seriously in the poker age we live in. Steve McQueen plays the Kid in a cool, convincing manner and keeps things snappy enough for The Cincinnati Kid to pass for cheap fun, although the heavy-handed “there’s always someone better than you, so stay humble” message is drilled in far too often, especially in the scenes with the black shoeshine boy. The portrayal of smoky rooms, wads of cash and road gamblers is pretty accurate from what I’ve read from Amarillo Slim and Doyle Brunson, though, even if the actual poker scenes are awful. More easily recommended to virgins of the game.
[r] Les Diaboliques (Henri-Georges Clouzot, 1955) 80
05. Crazy Heart (Scott Cooper, 2009) 56
[r] The Big Heat (Fritz Lang, 1953) 71
08. All That Heaven Allows (Douglas Sirk, 1955) 91
Jurassic Park (Steven Spielberg, 1993) 74
09. Bronson (Nicholas Winding Refn, 2009) 40
10. [r] Goodbye Solo (Ramin Bahrani, 2009) 71
12. Floating Clouds (Mikio Naruse, 1955) 78
13. Fireworks (Kenneth Anger, 1947) 62
15. Avatar (James Cameron, 2009) 61
20. Party Girl (Nicholas Ray, 1958) 67
21. Puce Moment (Kenneth Anger, 1947) 37
Rabbit’s Moon (Kenneth Anger, 1950) 45
Eaux D’Artifice (Kenneth Anger, 1953) 61
February 2010:
01. [r] Dodes’Ka-Den (Akira Kuroswa, 1970) 70
04. Swingers (Doug Liman, 1996) 69
05. [r] Sanshô the Bailiff (Kenji Mizoguchi, 1954) 98
10. Police, Adjective (Corneliu Poremboiu, 2009) 62
11. Meshes of the Afternoon (Maya Deren, 1943) 65
[r] Meshes of the Afternoon (Maya Deren, 1943) 72
On the Town (Stanley Donen & Gene Kelly, 1949) 56
Bad Day at Black Rock (John Sturges, 1955) 48
Notes: Not much to say about this one—it barely eked out a positive rating at first, but dropped a bit after reflection. I liked Spencer Tracy’s lead performance as Macreedy, and the way Sturges thrust the protagonist into a cold town with something dark clearly lurking beneath the surface. Unfortunately, the buildup was much stronger than the payoff, and it sort of meanders along without enough oomph to really capitalize on the town-in-flux angle. Also, I had a hard time buying that the townspeople would have been so tolerant of Macreedy early on: they mostly just sneered a lot and gave vague threats, which wouldn’t scare off anyone who had any balls (something Macreedy clearly had in spades). It’s never really boring and competently directed by Sturges, so it’s not a total waste of time.
12. The French Connection (William Friedkin, 1971) 74
Notes: The Exorcist, The French Connection and…Blue Chips (starring Penny and Shaq)? Guess Friedkin hasn’t aged gracefully, though this one is excellent. For thoughts, click on the above link.
14. [r] Chinatown (Roman Polanski, 1974) 75
16. The Stranger (Orson Welles, 1946) 69
17. A Prophet (Jacques Audiard, 2010) 74
18. Laura (Otto Preminger, 1944) 79
The Searchers (John Ford, 1956) 68
19. The Lady Eve (Preston Sturges, 1941) 62
20. [r] Pickup on South Street (Samuel Fuller, 1953) 65
21. Key Largo (John Huston, 1948) 53
For a Bogart/Bacall effort, this one has a strange lack of energy, at least until the final 15 minutes or so. Bacall, who usually radiates a unique sensuality, does little here other than give strange looks, and Bogart seems to be going through the motions. Only Edward G. Robinson is his usual plucky self. Even the story, which should have been quite gripping, feels half-heartedly written. The star power involved and a strong finale keeps Key Largo from being anything bordering disastrous, but I’d hoped for more.
22. The Host (Joon-ho Bong, 2006) 75
23. The Bad and the Beautiful (Vincente Minnelli, 1952) 72
24. [r] Au Hasard Balthazar (Robert Bresson, 1966) 100
I Am a Fugitive From a Chain (Mervyn LeRoy, 1932) 57
25. Walkabout (Nicholas Roeg, 1971) 41
[r] The Big Sleep (Howard Hawks, 1946) 89
This one is just so brilliantly written, and never feels convoluted despite an extremely complex plot with characters by the bushels. Unlike Key Largo, Bogart and Bacall are most certainly not on auto-pilot here: Bogie as Philip Marlowe spits out great line after great line, and his love/hate relationship with Bacall’s Vivian Rutledge burns with energy. Just as exciting the third time through.
26. [r] Vertigo (Alfred Hitchcock, 1958) 68
What can I say…three tries for what’s often considered Hitchcock’s very greatest work, and it remains the one of his ‘masterpieces’ I can’t fully warm to. Oh, there’s lots I love about it: great psychology, great ending, brilliant central plotting, great performance by Jimmy Stewart…but multiple stretches really drag for me, and I’m not as big on Kim Novak as some of Hitchcock’s other big ladies. Still a very good movie and I’ll continue revisiting it over the years, but for now, my admiration remains respectful more than passionate.
27. The Killers (Robert Siodmak, 1946) 64
Based on a Hemingway short story, Siodmak’s version elongates and expands to turn out a feature-length movie with solid results. I can’t think of much about this that I out-and-out loved, but there’s equally little that really bothered me. It’s a strongly crafted noir with capable camerawork and effective use of flashback to piece together the motives of a murder.
[r] Le Corbeau (Henri-Georges Clouzot, 1943) 91
Kicking and Screaming (Noah Baumbach, 1995) 56
28. Repast (Mikio Naruse, 1951) 69
Naruse is quickly becoming a director that will require me to seek out all of his difficult-to-find work. This film may not be quite as rich as When a Woman Ascends the Stairs or Floating Clouds, but I’m not far from going PRO on it: the woman-searching-for-her-identity story is elegantly and simply depicted, and that moment where she encounters someone even worse off rings true.
March 2010:
01. The Philadelphia Story (George Cukor, 1940) 63
Notes: I actually liked this a good bit more than I’d expected; based on what I’d heard, I didn’t think Cukor would be my cup of tea. This could wind up being an exception, but I found it mostly charming and clever, if fairly slight in its social commentary of the classes and wealth. The Philadelphia Story is really carried by a top-notch cast: Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn are very good, but a dapper, youthful Jimmy Stewart really steals the show. His drunk scenes are a riot.
Touch of Evil (Orson Welles, 1958) 74
Still wouldn’t put this close to Citizen Kane—there’s something almost campy about the whole affair—but it’s obviously still pretty awesome, especially the second half. How Welles can turn in such a dynamite performance as Hank Quinlan, about 150 pounds post-Kane, is a wonder of the world. Has all the usual great shadows and compositions we’re accustomed to seeing from Welles, and the snappy pacing makes it breeze by. It’s portrayal of corruption and racial profiling is effective, but almost feels secondary to the stylistic narrative.
03. She And Her Cat (Makoto Shinkai, 1999) 61
A charming short from the director of 5 Centimeters Per Second, most useful for foreshadowing Shinkai’s style: an infatuation with forbidden love (here, the cat is in love with his female master), deep emotions, and snow. And yet, there’s always a dramatic backdrop of some sort to the quiet relationships.
04. The Prowler (Joseph Losey, 1951) 57
The Room (Tommy Wiseau, 2003) 2
OMG. This is an easy BM: PRO, and is actually more consistent than Gymkata in its head-scratching, laugh-out-loud sequences. Wiseau, who’s apparently embraced the cult classic nature of The Room, stars, produces, directs, and writes, and does them all equally terribly. Many of the lines and cuts are classic, with no rhyme or reason behind them whatsoever. Fantastic for drinking games.
05. Alice in Wonderland (Tim Burton, 2010) 30
06. Daisy Kenyon (Otto Preminger, 1947) 66
[r] Make Way For Tomorrow (Leo McCarey, 1937) 100
The best film ever made? I wouldn’t argue if anyone issued that proclamation. What a mesmerizing masterpiece, truly one-of-a-kind. Orson Welles was right when he said it could make a stone weep.
07. Song of the Thin Man (Edward Buzzell, 1947) 48
Meh. That’s the best I can muster for this harmless final entry in The Thin Man series, which features a substantially weaker caper than the strong-and-stronger first two films. Nick and Norah’s banter brought The Thin Man and After the Thin Man to greater heights than their stories necessarily warranted, but both are a good bit older here, and the great charm in their back-and-forth exchanges is severely lessened, though it rears its head enough to keep things from ever really dragging. And Asta is cuter than ever!
08. Ruggles of Red Gap (Leo McCarey, 1935) 79
09. Cinema Paradiso (Giuseppe Tornatore, 1988) 56
10. Don’t Look Now (Nicolas Roeg, 1973) 63
Notes: Roeg’s visual style, which features a ton of juxtapositions and cuts to symbolic scenes, works much better here than in Walkabout. As a big fan of Daphne Du Maurier’s short story, I’ve gotta give props to Roeg for this adaptation, which is definitely true to the spirit. Sutherland and Christie are strong casting choices, and the ending is truly excellent. Something about Roeg’s mis-en-scene, though, doesn’t speak to me like I wish it did, and keeps me from fully embracing this as much as I’d like.
It’s a Wonderful Life (Frank Capra, 1946) 93
11. Breaking Away (Peter Yates, 1979) 66
It Happened One Night (Frank Capra, 1934) 58
Notes: The acting by, and chemistry between, Clark Gable & Claudette Colbert is by far the highlight of this slight, moderately charming film. Billed as a romantic comedy of sorts, I certainly didn’t find it funny, but the work of the leads elevates the material and lends credibility to their gradual discovery that they’re in love with one another. Not particularly memorable, but certainly passable.
12. The Band Wagon (Vincente Minnelli, 1953) 29
Notes: Not much to say, really. Just couldn’t get into this technicolor musical work; the numbers seemed to come at off-putting times, and the story bored me to tears. Let’s chalk it up to one that just wasn’t made for moi, and call it a day.
13. On Approval (Clive Brook, 1944) 64
Notes: I didn’t find this quirky little movie about the class divide, spouse-swapping and judging others to be especially funny, but it was quite charming and very well-acted. Seeing George and Maria belligerently and crudely ignore/take advantage of the fawning love that Richard and Helen had for them until it’s too late—and the subsequent place it leaves them—has a clear, timeless message: keep your eyes open and appreciate what you have before it’s gone.
14. I Vitelloni (Federico Fellini, 1953) 75
15. The Heiress (William Wyler, 1949) 78
16. [r] To Have and Have Not (Howard Hawks, 1944) 68
At Land (Maya Deren, 1944) 56
A Study in Choreography for Camera (Maya Deren, 1945) 60
19. [r] Shoot the Piano Player (François Truffaut, 1960) 71
Notes: I hadn’t seen this since early in my cinephile career (and on VHS, at that), so a rewatch was really in order. I liked it much more this time around: Shoot the Piano Player may stylistically smack of a chase film at times, but it’s really a story about love (NOT a love story), as well as a fascinating character study. The mood is established in Chico’s chance encounter on the street with the chatty father-of-three. More to come, though I’ll say that only a slight emotional disconnect kept me from completely loving it, and I envision myself revisiting it on a semi-regular basis.
[r] L’Age D’Or (Luis Buñuel, 1930) 65
Notes: My review, which was written over seven years ago, feels slightly out-of-date: having now seen a large portion of Buñuel’s filmography, L’Age D’Or‘s creativity and surreal depiction of cruelty (and its eroticism) remains impressive, but not as overwhelmingly so as it did at the time. It remains, though, essential viewings for fans of his work, as it really sets the tone for what would become his trademark styles and tones.
20. Imitation of Life (Douglas Sirk, 1959) 93
Notes: I’m floored by the emotional impact Sirk’s work is having on me. This one just broke my heart: I don’t remember the last movie I cried so much, and so hard, at. Annie’s final meeting with Sarah Jane tore me apart, and the final shot in the back of the car was one of the most perfect compositions I’ve ever seen (more to come on that in an expansive, and swooning, review). A total powerhouse. It’s definitely time to rewatch Written on the Wind and get to Sirk’s other films ASAP.
21. [b] Notorious (Alfred Hitchcock, 1946) 72
Notes: The final ~45 minutes or so are of masterpiece quality, beginning with the party at Alex’s house and ending with the pitch-perfect finale: they rank up there with anything Hitchcock has ever done. The powerful mother/meek son storyline that Hitchcock has a curious obsession with is on full display, and there’s tension aplenty: you just can’t beat the wine cellar sequence for sheer tension and flawless camerawork. So why *only* a PRO (-) rating? Well, the first half is quite uneven, and was closer to pro (-) range than anything else: Devlin’s (Cary Grant) romantic relationship with Alicia Huberman (Ingrid Bergman) is pretty weak, and fills too large a part in the story’s arc. Notorious takes some time to really get rolling (though there are some great moments early, like when we get our first glimpse at the Nazi gang’s coldness at a dinner), but it picks up steam and continues to do so as the movie chugs, then blazes along.
22. None Shall Escape (Andre De Toth, 1944) 90
[r] None Shall Escape (Andre De Toth, 1944) 90
23. [r] Make Way For Tomorrow (Leo McCarey, 1937) 100
28. [r] Late Spring (Yasujiro Ozu, 1949) 71
[r] Far From Heaven (Todd Haynes, 2002) 56
29. The Exiles (Kent MacKenzie, 1961) 32
Notes: I can appreciate MacKenzie’s interest in a group of people who would otherwise be forgotten—Native Americans displaced from their lands and forced to migrate to Los Angeles, which turns out to hardly be the land of opportunity for them—but that’s about all I can appreciate in The Exiles. I was very intrigued to see this, as it was painstakingly restored by the same distributor who brought Killer of Sheep back into the public eye, but man, is the execution BAD. The performances are unanimously amateurish and the dialogue is both poorly scripted and delivered awkwardly: it often sounds like one member of the group is talking over another. Everything is completely repetitive: men getting drunk at local bars on their last dollars, mistreating their women, gambling, aimlessly wandering, rinse, repeat. Only the pregnant woman who goes to the movies alone inspires a shred of sympathy: she knows her dreams are basically dead on arrival, but dammit, she’s going to hold out a bit of hope anyway because it’s all she has left. Otherwise, though, I simply couldn’t get past the piss-poor production values and direction here. A shame.
More Than a Game (Kris Belman, 2009) 62
Notes: Basketball fans should really enjoy this documentary about the high school experience of LeBron James and his four closest friends & teammates. It does a very nice job of avoiding the trap of being little more than a fawning love poem to James, and spends nearly equal time on the lives and important of his teammates, which includes short-and-scrappy underdog Dru Joyce III and outsider-turned-insider to the circle Romeo Travis. The coaching tribulations and glory of Dru Joyce II is also touchingly handled, as is the delicacy & potential pitfalls of coaching your own child. I don’t think I could really recommend More Than a Game to anyone who’s not into the sport, as it’s hardly transcendent (I’ve given up on comparing basketball documentaries to Hoop Dreams; not fair!), but for those who love the game, it’s well worth the time.
Macbeth (Orson Welles, 1948) 42
30. I Know Where I’m Going! (Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger, 1945) 40
Notes: Well, I’ve been told this is minor P & P (it should be noted I’d seen Powell’s Peeping Tom, but none of their joint collaborations), so my predominantly negative reaction to I Know Where I’m Going! won’t prevent me from giving some of their bigger guns a fair shake. I certainly hope they’re an upgrade, though, because my mixed (-) is actually pretty generous—aside from being too cute by half, I found it almost entirely forgettable. The tale of a woman whose life direction has always been clear in her mind but finds it uprooted by that old nemesis (true love) is just too clunkily portrayed for my tastes. I didn’t find Joan’s (Wendy Hiller) chemistry with Torquil (Roger Livesy) to be especially strong: in fact, Hiller came off as a poor woman’s Joan Crawford. Fingers crossed that The Red Shoes, Black Narcissus, Colonel Blimp et al. leave me more fulfilled.
31. White Heat (Raoul Walsh, 1949) 78
Notes: This is an excellent genre entry, boasting a top-notch, fiery performance from James Cagney as gang leader Cody Jarrett, and a disturbing Hitchcockian mother/son relationship to chew on (a boy who dotes on his mama like nobody else exists). It’s very entertaining, with crackling dialogue, and each of the characters is nicely layered: for instance, Cody’s wife Verna (a sexy-as-hell Virginia Mayo) plays the part of opportunistic vulture, from double-crossing Cody with his #1 henchman Big Ed (Steve Cochran) when he voluntarily turns himself in on a minor charge, to reversing field and betraying Ed the moment Cody tracks him down, to a last-ditch attempt to save herself when the jig finally appears up. Cagney definitely carries the show, but Mayo and Edmond O’Brien as prison mole Vic Pardo also earn high marks.
April 2010
03. Top Hat (Mark Sandrich, 1935) 56
04. Grand Hotel (Edmund Goulding, 1932) 53
Notes: This melting pot of elites, out-of-luck wannabes, and dreamers has its charms, but never really comes together. Crawford and Garbo are alluring and energetic, though, and keep things moderately enjoyable. In fact, most of the cast does its part well—the acting certainly isn’t Grand Hotel‘s problem. It just left me wondering what the point was, and how it justified being nearly two hours long. At 80-85 minutes, it could have been a snappy, light romp with enjoyable interactions and fun twists. At its current length, it feels strained and, despite its strong points, unsatisfying.
07. Greenberg (Noah Baumbach, 2010) 69
09. Puss N’ Booty (Frank Tashlin, 1943) 67
Destry Rides Again (George Marshall, 1939) 69
11. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (Frank Capra, 1939) 71
The Cameraman’s Revenge (Wladyslaw Starewicz, 1912) 76
Notes: Absolutely delightful tale about beetles, grasshoppers, vengeance, and infidelity. The puppet animation is astonishing for 1912 (nearly 100 years ago!!!), and the film’s charm is boundless. From the five Starewicz films I watched this day, I gather he’s big into morals, but delivering them in a mature manner. Strongly recommended for children and adults alike!
The Insects’ Christmas (Wladyslaw Starewicz, 1913) 64
The Frogs Who Wanted a King (Wladyslaw Starewicz, 1923) 68
Notes: Those morals I was talking about earlier? Here, it’s “be careful what you wish for!” The Frogs Who Wanted a King is also a clever take on monarchy vs. democracy, and frequently amusing (wise croakers! toad stool pigeons!)
Voice of a Nightingale (Wladyslaw Starewicz, 1923) 51
Notes: Interestingly, this is one of the films Starewicz is best known for, and it was easily my least favorite. There are some visually striking moments, but it’s more repetitive and less engaging overall. It’s fascinating to to see how Starewicz appears to both love—and hate; the poor critters are often devoured or stomped!—bugs, and thus, it came as no surprise to find that he was an entomologist.
The Mascot (Wladyslaw Starewicz, 1934) 71
Notes: All that keeps this from being a full-out PRO is that it drags somewhat during its middle portions, where our stuffed dog protagonist is trying to make it home with an orange for his dirt-poor, young girl owner/master. But the bookends are nearly flawless, and The Mascot is adorable, warm-hearted, wildly creative, and full of precursors to later films: Toy Story (stuffed animals coming to life when nobody is around) and A Nightmare Before Christmas (macabre, skeletons chasing the pooch) immediately spring to mind. It’s difficult to not be touched by the finale, and Starewicz’ deft portrayal of an impoverished family during the Depression is on point, subtle and very sad.
14. My Man Godfrey (Gregory La Cava, 1936) 49
Notes: I guess I need to face it: with very few exceptions, the screwball genre leaves me cold. This one is far from excruciating (like I Was a Male War Bride, for instance), but its impact on me is similar to that of McCarey’s The Awful Truth—occasionally amusing, sometimes charming, mostly forgettable. William Powell is decent, but I prefer him as the witty Nick Charles in the Thin Man films. The deconstruction of the classes, especially the elites, is handled more interestingly elsewhere, and My Man Godfrey is also hurt by several annoying characters who whine way too often. Other than that, it’s passably enjoyable.
15. The Business of Being Born (Abby Epstein, 2008) 68
16. Zero for Conduct (Jean Vigo, 1933) 57
Jean Taris, Swimming Champion (Jean Vigo, 1931) 41
Notes: Mostly noteworthy for its (at the time) revolutionary techniques (i.e. running a shot backwards to see the swimmer spat out of the water). Otherwise, this plays like an instructional video on world-class swimming, which is to say: not very interesting at all.
Bigger Than Life (Nicholas Ray, 1956) 80
[r] Bigger Than Life (Nicholas Ray, 1956) 81
The Dentist (Leslie Pierce, 1932) 29
Notes: My first encounter with W.C. Fields came relatively late on a Friday night, but it’s certainly not a good sign I didn’t laugh once. From this era, the physical humor of Chaplin and Keaton is more to my tastes, though I do like the Marx Brothers a good bit, so banter can do the trick…but not here. The best moment was when Fields, as the dentist, couldn’t find a patient’s mouth through a great black beard, but I use the word “best” delicately.
18. À Propos de Nice (Jean Vigo, 1930) 55
20. Camille (George Cukor, 1936) 62
21. Holiday (George Cukor, 1938) 78
The Man Who Knew Too Much (Alfred Hitchcock, 1934) 41
Notes: There are some indicators of future Hitchcock greatness here—low-angle stairway shots, guns poking out from behind curtains, crowded overhead shots—but a combination of poor quality (the print is pretty crappy) and uninteresting characters keep this one from being even a modest success. Despite clocking in at just 75 minutes, it’s really never particularly engaging.
The 39 Steps (Alfred Hitchcock, 1935) 61
Notes: Remembered practically nothing about this one, other than 1) I didn’t care for it, and 2) the ending in the music hall. This time around was much more pleasurable, though I still don’t see how it matches up to Hitchcock’s best. The mystery is solid, and develops nicely, but Robert Donat in the lead isn’t exactly Jimmy Stewart or Anthony Perkins. The finale, though, is truly excellent.
22. Stagecoach (John Ford, 1939) 57
Fury (Fritz Lang, 1936) 79
25. Magnificent Obsession (John M. Stahl, 1935) 60
Written on the Wind (Douglas Sirk, 1956) 67
28. Day of the Outlaw (André De Toth, 1959) 74
May 2010
01. [r] You Only Live Once (Fritz Lang, 1937) 77
02. [r] Out of the Past (Jacques Tourneur, 1947) 89
03. It’s a Gift (Norman Z. McLeod, 1934) 68
04. Survival of the Dead (George A. Romero, 2010) 26
05. Humanity and Paper Balloons (Sadao Yamanaka, 1937) 68
06-09. Carnivale (Assorted, 2003-2004) PRO
Notes: This was actually over a longer period than just these few days, but we wrapped up the excellent HBO series during this stretch.
10. [r] Metropolis [the complete version] (Fritz Lang, 1927) 96
[The "r" refers to Metropolis as a whole; this was my first viewing of the complete version]
11. Ecstasy (Gustav Machatý, 1933) 57
Notes: Certainly deserves major kudos for its risqué nature during a very conservative time: when showing a little leg was considered taboo (hello, It Happened One Night!), Ecstasy was going bonkers with exposed breasts and skin aplenty, not to mention the numerous moments of *subtle* innuendo and phallic symbols. Hell, the plot itself, which centers around lust taking precedence over traditional family values, is bold stuff. Still, while a fairly important work, the actual end result isn’t as engaging as it sounds, dragging fairly regularly. And though most of it plays like a 1920′s silent (very long periods go by without a line of dialogue being uttered), there are sequences of spoken conversation, which unfortunately break Ecstasy‘s rhythm, feeling clunky and out of place in the film’s overall style.
Skippy (Norman Taurog, 1931) 63
13. Wild at Heart (David Lynch, 1990) 60
Notes: I admit to befuddlement as to why this is grouped by many, including passionate Lynch devotees, with the awful Dune (1984). Oh, Wild at Heart is messy, and it drags on too long in a repetitive manner: 30 minutes could easily have been chopped to provide a much more streamlined vision. But the strengths outweigh the weaknesses here: the acting is universally excellent, particularly Willem Dafoe and Laura Dern as Lulu (I’m not sure any actress who’s not especially traditionally attractive still manages to be fucking SEXY like Dern), and Nicholas Cage is terrific as alpha male Sailor Ripley. Their rebellious journey through rundown towns, completely lacking in the slightest trace of sophistication, where slightly-brainy campfire chats qualify as depth, is pretty terrifying. A fire that can’t be tamed burns inside all the protagonists, and it’s fitting that it takes Cage being beaten to shit by a group of bikers to see that hey, a wife & kid isn’t that bad. The way Lynch uses different nail polishes and bright red lipsticks to illustrate the showiness of the characters—particularly Diane Ladd as Marietta, Lulu’s anti-Sailor mother—is a great touch.
16. Hótel du Nord (Marcel Carné, 1938) 62
18. [r] Trouble in Paradise (Ernst Lubitsch, 1932) 87
Notes: this is just such a delightful romp! The chemistry between Herbert Marshall as silky con man Gaston & Miriam Hopkins as Lily should be the envy of filmic couples everywhere. It’s brisk, impeccably written, and directed with delicacy & charm by the excellent Lubitsch. The conclusion feels perfect, given the tone of the entire affair. And Edward Horton, who irked me in Top Hat (though mostly due to shoddy writing), has impressed me with his work here (“tonsils! Positively tonsils!”) and in Cukor’s outstanding Holiday.
20. The Secret in their Eyes (Juan José Campanella, 2010) 73
Notes: I suppose this is fairly audience-friendly foreign fare, the sort that’s practically guaranteed to inspire backlash among hardcore cinephiles, but to hell with them: I loved it. Sure, it goes down easy, and isn’t the most ambitious movie in the world, but it wears its heart on its sleeve to great success. I really dug the way Campanella incorporated the love story: in films like this, it often feels tacked on and superfluous, but here, it really fits with the overarching themes of finding ones self and gaining closure on the parts of your life that need to be left behind. In fact, every character is remarkably right on in their actions. The ending, which caught me off guard, is a perfect encapsulation of where The Secret in Their Eyes appeared to be leading, and is simultaneously moving, horrifying and thought-provoking. Some of the symbolism could be construed as heavy-handed by those turned off by the flow, but it all worked for me as a vibrant display of emotion.
22. Swing Time (George Stevens, 1936) 76
Notes: now that’s what’s up! Much better than Top Hat, in large part because Edward Horton isn’t stammering nonsense every few minutes, but mostly because Swing Time is a far more complete film. It’s clever, funny, boasts great dance & musical numbers, and the gambling underbelly is lightly handled and plenty of fun. Astaire and Rogers are delightful: their first meeting is a trip, as is their first official meeting a few moments later. One year before his heartbreaking performance as Bark in Make Way for Tomorrow, Victor Moore turns in a sneaky-great performance as Astaire’s mischievous father: it’s tough to believe it’s the same guy except for that husky, rasping voice. Anyway, all in all, probably my favorite classic musical, or at the very least, tied with Singin’ in the Rain…
23. Two in the Wave (Emmanuel Laurent, 2009) 63
24. Nightfall (Jacques Tourneur, 1956) 76
30. One Hour With You (Ernst Lubitsch & George Cukor, 1932) 67
Notes: this one seems all Lubitsch to me, though perhaps I haven’t seen enough Cukor yet to really gauge his style. One Hour With You feels like a trial balloon for the superior Trouble in Paradise, with its light touch, double crossings, and enjoyable characters. There’s not the same cohesiveness here as in Trouble in Paradise, nor the same breadth of cool storylines, but it’s still really entertaining, clever (some of the tricks, like out-of-the-blue monologues to the camera, feel surprisingly appropriate, not gimmicky), and the femme fatale is delightful.
June 2010
04. The Hangover (Todd Phillips, 2009) 27
Notes: um, yeah. Maybe this is a generation gap thing? Because the gaggle of people calling this one of the funniest movies in the past few years have to be out of their skulls. As we all know, comedies are the most subjective of genres, but really? Really? The Hangover had very few moments that distinguished it from the many other dumb, fart-joke-ish films that dominate the comedy circle these days. A very few isolated moments are sort of funny, especially the cop car sequence, but the rest left me completely stone-faced and looking at my friend (who shared my feelings), waiting for something to click. Never happened. And now I’m done talking about it, because I have nothing left to *analyze* anyway.
07. There’s Always Tomorrow (Douglas Sirk, 1956) 88
Will Sirk wind up in my select group of very favorite directors? In what can only be described as shocking, yep…it’s very likely.
08. Porky in Wackyland (Robert Clampett, 1938) 65
11. All I Desire (Douglas Sirk, 1953) 69
The Tarnished Angels (Douglas Sirk, 1958) 72
12. The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (Tommy Lee Jones, 2005) 67
13. Cat People (Jacques Tourneur, 1942) 69
20. The Curse of the Cat People (Gunther von Fritsch & Robert Wise, 1944) 63
26. Easy Street (Charles Chaplin, 1917) 62
One Week (Buster Keaton & Edward F. Cline, 1920) 75
Chasing Choo Choo’s (Monty Banks, 1927) 56
Notes: Sort of a mix of second-tier Chaplin & Keaton: Banks moves like & resembles Chaplin, right down to the mustache, but the rapid pace, trains, and plentiful physical stunts are more in tune with Keaton’s work. For such nonstop action, Chasing Choo Choos isn’t as engaging as it should be, but it certainly has its share of impressive scenes, and Banks is no slouch when it comes to body control, not to mention sheer balls. A sequence where a chicken disrupts a daredevil moment is very funny. One negative is that there are too many intertitles, especially in the beginning, which takes the viewer out of the film’s rhythm a bit early on. Chaplin and Keaton didn’t need more than a few words on the screen to tell their stories.
[r] I Heart Huckabees (David O. Russell, 2004) 61
27. [r] The Rules of the Game (Jean Renoir, 1939) 95
July 2010
02. The Crowd (King Vidor, 1928) 73
03. [r] The New World (Terrence Malick, 2005) 95
Watching this on blu-ray is a truly astonishing experience.
04. The Bitter Tea of General Yen (Frank Capra, 1933) 55
10. The Kids Are All Right (Lisa Cholodenko, 2010) 71
12. A Woman, a Gun, and a Noodle Shop (Zhang Yimou, 2010) 41
16. Inception (Christopher Nolan, 2010) 65
18. [r] Inglourious Basterds (Quentin Tarantino, 2009) 92
19. Targets (Peter Bogdanovich, 1968) 69
21. Murder on the Orient Express (Sidney Lumet, 1974) 53
22. After Life (Hirokazu Kore-eda, 1998) 70
Notes: the only thing that keeps this from real brilliance to me is that it’s almost too stripped down. For a topic that’s so ethereally beautiful, After Life feels a touch methodical in its somber, though expert, execution. Otherwise, it’s a lovely look at a time “in between” life and death, with a wonderful emphasis on studying memories, and what’s really important in life…and how time can pass us by. The acting is first-rate throughout.
24. Jean de Florette (Claude Berri, 1986) 75
25. Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child (Tamra Davis, 2010) 78
26. Sherlock Jr. (Buster Keaton, 1924) 76
29. [r] Citizen Kane (Orson Welles, 1941) 100
31. Our Hospitality (Buster Keaton, 1923) 67
August 2010
01. Le Trou (Jacques Becker, 1960) 68
True Romance (Tony Scott, 1993) 72
05. You Can Count on Me (Kenneth Lonergan, 2000) 85
08. Twilight (Catherine Hardwicke, 2008) 47
18. The Blob (Irvin S. Yeaworth, Jr., 1958) 65
Slow of late due to the most valid excuse imagineable; the birth of my first child! Should be picking up again shortly.
21. [r] Make Way For Tomorrow (Leo McCarey, 1937) 100
26. The Jazz Singer (Alan Crosland, 1927) 63
He Who Gets Slapped (Victor Sjöström, 1924) 68
As a side, I got about halfway through a few other films while learning what’s acceptable while a newborn sleeps nearby. The result: loud noises are resoundingly out, even in films that aren’t exactly action-packed.
31. [s] Le Retour a Raison (Man Ray, 1923) 50
Notes: This two minute short is interesting from a historical experimental perspective, but the “return to reality” doesn’t flow especially well: the final image of a naked woman’s body turning, covered with surreal stripes, is certainly more “real” than hectic carousels and rapidly spinning wind chimes before it, but there’s an other-worldly feel to all three ‘segments’ that makes it all mush together. Imagery is very cool, though.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Wallace Worsley, 1923) 57
September 2010
03. Destiny (Fritz Lang, 1921) 76
[r] [s] Un Chien Andalou (Luis Buñuel & Salvador Dali, 1928) 74
College (James Horne, 1927) 55