aptpupil79 Reviews

Killer at Large (2008)

similar to food inc.

[8/10 · 16 July 2009]

as good as food inc. and a good companion piece. this one talks more about the culture that has led to the obesity epidemic, though it does address some of the same issues as food inc and future of food. this has better guests overall than either of those two films including the obligatory organic farmer and Michael pollan (author of the omnivore's dilemma who has been doing the rounds lately) as well as Ralph Nader, Neil labute, teachers, and other food experts. all these documentaries are at their core the same: they present the problem and trot out many of the same guest and then provide some examples of solutions. formulaic, but this one is pretty good. B+.

4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (2007)

so so title, great film

[9/10 · 10 February 2008]

it took a while to get here and it's got kind of a dumb title, but it's a great film. the film starts with a shot of two goldfish in a bowl and you know right away that it's going to be a look inside the world of two people. this first shot, incidentally, is the key to understanding the last shot which is pulled off quite well. the film follows two roommates as they go about getting an abortion for one of them. you don't know right away that this is what they're setting out to do, but the hints are there and you'll suspect this is their goal before it's explicitly revealed. it's shot in a very slow cinema verite style to accentuate the ordeal the two women go through in accomplishing their task. there aren't any unnecessary cuts and a few of the scenes last 5-10 minutes without any break. one of my favorites occurs at one of the girls' boyfriend's house where his mom is celebrating her 48th birthday. the scene shows the cultural climate of Romania as well as highlighting the differences between the girl and her boyfriend. mungiu isn't afraid to show anything in the film. he doesn't shy away from topics and images that most media avoid or talk around. he explores every facet of getting an illegal abortion (and more) - the procedure itself, the payment, what to do with the fetus afterwards, etc. - with equal aplomb and honesty. it's a fascinating film with some admittedly slow parts, but it's worth slogging through the first 20 minutes to get to know the characters and experience what they experience. one of the best new films i've seen in a while. B+.

Daddy's Little Girls (2007)

Capra-esquire

[8/10 · 14 December 2007]

Tyler perry's latest effort follows in the frank Capra school of film-making. he takes a john doe and personalizes his struggle in what could be perceived as a weepy or cheesy manner, but it ultimately works because of the execution. let me get this clear up front: perry isn't frank Capra and this film isn't Mr. deeds goes to town or Mr. smith goes to Washington. of course, Capra was around longer when he made those and he had the efforts of greats like James Stewart and Gary cooper. but while this film doesn't reach the heights of Capra, it does tell a good, human story and it does so with some entertainment and humanity. some of the acting could have been better and i would have liked a fuller, more colorful (as in more entertaining or well-rounded) cast. one thing that makes Capra films (as well as Anthony Mann films) so good is the cast of secondary characters who act as foils to the protagonist, as well as offer comic relief. this film works because of the work perry does early in the film to establish some comedy and intrigue. just a couple touches here and there can be the difference between an engaged and invested audience and one that is checking their watches. B+.

This Old House (1979– )

the original home improvement show

[10/10 · 24 October 2007]

my favorite of all the home improvement shows, and the only one that you know will show you the latest and greatest techniques/products in the home improvement industry. bob Vila made the show popular, Steve Thomas made it for the everyman, and Kevin o'Connor has yet to make his legacy. regulars like norm Abram, tom Silva, Richard Trethewey, and roger cook are the best in their individual fields, many of them have had their trades in their family for many years. it wasn't until later in the series that they ventured away from Massachusetts, but eventually they went out of the country to London, as well as having a couple shows in CA, one in HI, TX, LA, FL, and many other locations. with these guys you know you can count on a craftsmanship that just isn't approached in more recent shows which breeze over complex projects. a truly classic and indispensable show. now if they released archived episodes on DVD or made them available for download then they're really be on to something...

North Country (2005)

powerful Oscar contender that delivers

[9/10 · 29 October 2005]

North Country - powerful Oscar contender that delivers. generally i'm turned off by pictures like this because they come off as entirely constructed to please the academy. it's a story of the underdog with several Oscar winners/nominees and an up and coming director. judging by the producers, though, this seems more like a case of a group of people believing in the story.

essentially the film is a cross between Norma Rae and Erin brokovich, and i think it's as good as both. as is usual, it all starts with the screenplay which is excellent from top to bottom. the dialogue, the settings, the storytelling, the characterization - all are just where they need to be. the settings echo and amplify the feelings of the characters. the characters are realistically drawn in that they have both positive and negative attributes. the storytelling is efficient and well-paced. Caro's direction enhances the mood well. shots of the mine are either claustrophobic and dungy (when indoors) or agoraphobic and snow white (when outdoors). Caro uses the exteriors in a similar way to the coens in Fargo - to show the isolation and hopelessness of the characters. the court room sequences are shot with saturated sepia tones reminiscent more of documentary footage than a Hollywood film. though the acting was quite good i think that the cinch here is in the screenplay which should get nominated for best adapted screenplay.

Theron is very good, but mcdormand almost steals the show with one chilling stare that comes while she's in the courtroom. spacek, bean, harrelson and the rest are also solid. Richard Jenkins, who plays a lot of humorous roles, does a great job with a difficult role as Theron's father. like many of the men at the mine Jenkins is an enabler because he doesn't speak out against the abuse and harassment that takes place. spacek (jenkin's wife) is an enabler of another kind - by being the supportive wife she allows Jenkins' views on women in (and out of) the mill to go unquestioned. it's only when she takes action that he steps up to support his daughter's fight. all these dynamics reinforce the theme that we're all in this together; a theme that was so powerfully represented in Norma Rae.

the film is definitely better than Caro's other major picture - whale rider. while i like the island more in certain ways i think it's safe to say that this is the best film released this year that i've seen. B+.

The Monster (1994)

brilliant comedy

[9/10 · 27 October 2005]

a comedy from roberto benigni that is nothing short of brilliant. the laughs aren't as hearty as they were when i watched meet the parents or the 40 year old virgin the first time, and i can't tell yet if the laughs will have as much life as they have in my favorite comedy of all-time (planes, trains and automobiles); but the laughs in monster are good and plentiful. the humor is decidedly European, but really should translate to American audiences without trouble. on a related note - the film is in Italian, but the audio is recorded in post-production so it looks dubbed (a look i've always disliked, but i understand the economics of the decision). that said, don't be tempted to watch the film with the English audio track - it looks even worse and the translation is shoddy. stick with the Italian with subtitles.

the premise finds benigni as a hapless, unemployed man who is (wrongly) suspected of being the infamous "monster" - a rapist/murderer who is on the loose throughout italy. the comedy is mostly absurdist stuff, but a lot of it is relatively heady in its execution. there's a lot of setup that goes into the execution of some of the gags, and, in some cases there are gags which pay bigger dividends later in the film. in this regard, the construction of the film reminded me of meet the parents because both films were clearly written and re-written several times. it's only with several re-writes that a film acquires this level of depth and efficiency. much of the film's humor derives from cases of mistaken identity, changes of perspective, and benigni's unique path through life.

nicoletta braschi, who is married to benigni and starred across him in life is beautiful, is great in this film as well. she's sexy (which is required because of the film's far-fetched premise), funny, and complements benigni amazingly well. she plays an undercover cop who is charged with the task of luring benigni into showing his "true" self, thus providing the proof the police need to incarcerate him. as the film progresses we see braschi and benigni form a playful and fun relationship which adds a depth to the picture without bogging it down with trite sentimentality. add to this the fact that it pokes plenty of fun at shrinks and cops and you have a brilliantly drawn and realized comedy that should leave you wanting more. B+.

If You Were Young: Rage (1970)

solid story of symbolism in post-occupation Japan

[8/10 · 19 February 2005]

another fukasaku film that sorta reminded me of Suzuki's style. like "blackmail is my life," this film focuses on the younger generation. it tells the story of four young men who can't quite stay out of trouble. eventually the get the idea of putting together some money in order to buy a dump truck and work for themselves. the story is told in a jumbled time structure - retelling the story of how they came to buy the truck and how two of them ended up dropping out of their business venture. really it's the story of japan and the potential the country had in the years following the American occupation. as Kurosawa's High And Low showed the best and worst of Japanese society in the early 60s, this film shows the potential of a country that was newly industrialized, but still coping with the changes of capitalism and being humiliated by world war II. fukasaku successfully shows hope and fatalism, optimism and pessimism, the power of the group and the importance of finding one's own path. the ending reaffirms these themes and adds a poignancy and power that the rest of the film only skirts. B.

Capricorn One (1977)

storytelling and editing made this film.

[8/10 · 31 January 2005]

storytelling and editing, that's what made this film. the film opens in the dark, with a voice-over which serves as a good way of focusing the audience's attention on the film. quickly the film jumps into the story - a launch to mars, political forces very interested in the success of the space program, a last minute change of plans, a mystery, a conspiracy...and so the film unfolds throughout. it's always moving, always evolving, cross-cutting, building steam, yet balanced (sam Watterson provides comic relief). it's a sci-fi film, an adventure film, and a suspense thriller all in one. the ending left a bit to be desired, but everything else was exciting and worthwhile. B+.

Hero (2002)

amazing cinematography

[11 October 2004]

may be some spoilers...i don't know if it's going to be eligible or not, but if it is then this film should win an academy award for cinematography. when wizard of oz came out in 1939 color had been around in some form or another for more than 20 years, but still wasn't very popular. at the time the wizard of oz was probably the best use of color in a good film. i think that hero is almost as impactive today as wizard of oz must have been then. certainly there have been great uses of color in the last 65 years (ran, fahrenheit 451, adventures of robin hood, black orpheus, songs from the second floor, etc.), but this is a film that will not only be most remembered for its use of color, but will also (hopefully) expand the use of color into the future. the story follows jet li, who plays an assassin, as he infiltrates the emperor's palace claiming to have slain the emperor's greatest enemies. at the beginning of the film captions tell us that every country has men who are willing to die for a cause (religion, country, money, etc.) and that these men are often called heroes, and that these men exist on either side of whatever conflict is at issue. immediately we get the sense that the film is aware of the relative nature of heroism, good, evil and truth. once li is inside the emperor's palace the story unfolds in unconventional time; at first li tells the emperor of his exploits over the emperor's enemies, later the emperor (having figured out that li is an assassin, not an ally as li claims to be) tells his own version of the events, as he imagines them. then li tells the story again, this time telling the true story since the emperor has already figured out li's plan. in each rashomon-esque telling of the truth the characters within the story are adorned in different colored garments; and in each case the color is befitting of the situation. in the first telling li portrays two of his enemies, who are lovers, as extremely emotional characters who are ultimately defeated because li is able to play their own emotions against them. during this telling of the story the characters are wearing red, which is a perfect match for the emotional nature of the sequence. the emperor counters with his version of the story, in which he portrays his enemies as less emotional, and more thoughtful warriors who live in the country. in this version of the story the characters wear blue and green - earthy, calm colors more befitting of the monkish lifestyle they lead in this version. the final version, the one li tells after the emperor has revealed he knows li is there to kill him, is the 'true' story and as such, the characters wear all white. this is a film that benefited greatly from computer enhancement - from colors changing in the middle of a shot, to the wire stunts, to the hail of arrows - the film wouldn't have been quite as impactive if not for the ability of the filmmakers to digitally enhance the picture. other than the look, the film is pretty good. the acting and story are both good and the story, especially, adds philosophical layers to the film that make it more thoughtful and timeless than most action films. in a lot of ways this is the film crouching tiger, hidden dragon was purported to be. unfortunately it's a film that revels in its excesses, and that becomes the film's ultimate undoing. there are many moments of brilliance, but the beginning takes a bit to get going and the excessively slow ending drags the film just after it had built to a great crescendo. that's one of the hardest things about film - unlike photography or literature, it's a medium of absolute pacing: each minute of the film is always one minute long, and with that constraint comes the artistic challenge of pacing. B+.

Deadline (2004)

similar to thin blue line and brother's keeper

[8/10 · 11 October 2004]

may be some spoilers...kirsten johnson, one of two directors for this film, was also a cinematographer on fahrenheit 9/11 and derrida, so she's a talent to watch. this documentary is similar to thin blue line or brother's keeper, but takes a more systemic, macro view of the issue. it focuses on the governor of illinois' struggle with whether or not to commute all death penalty sentences. the film saves that decision for the end and builds the argument against the death penalty using a two-pronged attack - it highlights both the ethical and systemic problems. the film convincingly demonstrates the fact that the death penalty is largely applied to the poor and people of color, and shows dozens of cases which were overturned - some only because college classes took up cases as class projects. there is a token effort made to show the opinions of the other side. captures some emotional footage including one hearing in which the parents of a murderer and his victim are in the same room. the victim's father makes his plea to the court for the death penalty and turns to the mother of the murderer and says "i'm sorry, but i can't forgive your son for what he did. i just want him to die." she says she understands and feels horrible, but still doesn't think it's right to kill her son in retaliation. the hero of the film is governor ryan who, despite having orgins as a small town republican, honestly weighed the facts and made an informed and gutsy decision. thumbs up to him and this film. B+.

The Butterfly Effect (2004)

wasted potential

[4/10 · 11 October 2004]

may be some spoilers...looking at the filmography for the two writer/directors of this film gave me a warm feeling inside because, for once, the world makes sense. both had previously worked on "final destination 2" which also had a decent enough idea, but was executed very poorly. the butterfly effect, literally from the first frames, is an unintelligent film. ashton kutcher isn't an actor of any real merit, though he did play a somewhat slow witted amputee fairly well. amy smart did the best acting job of the bunch - going from crack whore (literally) to sorority girl without missing a beat. i wouldn't call her a great actress, but she's got some chops. oddly enough the film did have a certain degree of potential (most films do). the idea is good enough to carry a film that is average in every other way, unfortunately the film was below average in most categories. the directors, though having almost no artistic ability or sense of ebb and flow, did manage to compose a few rather nice shots. one shot was over kutcher's shoulder, looking down into an open grave - they employed a long lens to accentuate the distance between the grave and kutcher. another example came after kutcher had one of his blackouts and the camera was tilted 90° to create a disorienting effect. these moments were brief and few, but they were there. it led me to believe that these guys are capable of making a better than bad film so long as someone else wrote the screenplay. as it stands, though, this film was not better than bad. also, i'm commenting on the director's cut of this film which has a few extra minutes of footage and a different ending. after it was over i watched the theatrical version's ending and that one was even worse. D.

Shaun of the Dead (2004)

made with enough panache to keep it interesting throughout

[11 October 2004]

it's a farce in somewhat the same tradition as scary movie or naked gun; though more subtle and reserved. whereas scary movie and naked gun go completely over-the-top with their parodies of horror and detective films, shaun of the dead hams up some of the zombie movie conventions without going over-the-top. there are several nods to specific films in the genre as well. in one scene the two main characters are on the phone with "barbara," who they tell to sit tight while they come over to save her. one of the characters yells into the phone "we're coming to get you barbara!" this is a reference to the first, great zombie flick "night of the living dead" in which one character is teasing barbra while in a cemetery - "they're coming to get you bar-bra, they're coming to get you..." the first quarter of the film sets the baseline. we see shaun waking up, going to the corner market, interacting with roommates and coworkers. it essentially poses the question: who are the zombies? this question is partially answered as the transition to zombie nation is made. just about everyone around shaun starts turning into a zombie and he doesn't even realize it. he's so rapt in thoughts of his own interior world that the exterior world is merely a place in which he wanders, rather than being an integral part of his daily interactions. that is, his own life is so monotonous and regimented, and he is so thoroughly ensconced in his own world that everything outside of him goes unnoticed. the question is answered fully during the film's denouement which is mostly a series of clips from news programs that recap the zombie episode and its aftermath. we also see that shaun's best friend (think brad pitt in true romance), who was earlier turned to a zombie, remains an avid video game player despite his zombie state; in other words, despite being a zombie, little has changed. of course all this is done in a funny way, versus the cutting social commentary of the original dawn of the dead. one thing that put me off a bit was the insertion of a couple heavy scenes in the film. there were a couple death scenes which i couldn't reconcile within the context of the rest of the film. usually farce films like this ham up the forced romance we see in these sorts of films, but shaun of the dead actually tried to play the romance and death story lines fairly straight. there were laughs before and after these islands of seriousness, but the laughs were generally outside of final goodbye or the "we should be boyfriend and girlfriend again because i really love you" scenes. the filmmakers either fell prey to the convention, felt they could get away with some touching moments, or i didn't pick up on the humor in these scenes. it's not that i'm opposed to serious moments in a comedy, but it felt misplaced in this film primarily because it's a film of farce and parody of the zombie genre. that minor quibble aside, the film was consistently funny and made with enough panache to keep it interesting throughout. oh, the two lead actors did a really good job and their apartment walls were filled with great music posters (funki porcini, amon tobin, saul williams, company flow, etc.) B.

Coffee and Cigarettes (2003)

jarmusch not trying=still better than most

[12 September 2004]

my impression of the film is that jarmusch wasn't really trying very hard. perhaps i'll be proven wrong and this film will one day be shown to have an understated genius about it, but i doubt it. the film is merely a collection of shorts that jarmusch has been putting together since 1986. the first one was the first one shot and the later ones seem to be filmed more recently (judging by the age of bill murray, and inclusion of alfred molina or meg/jack white, for example), but i can't verify that it was presented in the chronological filming order. at any rate, the film revolves around various people discussing various things over coffee (or tea) and cigarettes. more than anything the film made me want to go to a diner and have a coffee with some apple pie a la mode. unlike 'stranger than paradise' or 'down by law' this film had very little lasting effect on me. i had fun while i was watching it - jarmusch always has a quiet humor to his films, producing more chuckles than outright laughs - but it didn't leave me thinking like some of his others have. i like the molina/coogan and rza/gza/murray shorts the most. i don't mean to give the impression that the film is bad or that i don't like jarmusch because both are incorrect, it's just that jarmusch has done better and the film was mostly good fluff. B-.

A Walk in the Sun (1945)

one of the most realistic war films i've seen

[12 September 2004]

clifford mccarty called this film the "most lyrical of war films" and i tend to agree. the only other war film that i can think of as being this slowly paced and thoughtful is another milestone film (all quiet on the western front) which is longer and more of an anti-war film than this one. it's not that this film was a pro-war film at all, but i certainly didn't get the distinct anti-war sentiments that i got from watching all quiet on the western front. death is treated in an understated manner throughout the film. there are only two battle to really speak of and a few men die with hardly more than a word acknowledging that fact. their deaths are not treated as examples of the horror of war, nor are they treated as martyrs for which the war must be continued, and won. it was an unexpected element coming from milestone. i've seen the film before, but i sort of slept through it the first time and didn't retain much. the majority of the film is spent on the time between battles and mission objectives. we get to know the soldiers in a way that most action/war films don't approach. the dialogue is both naturalistic and philosophical. in some ways it's one of the most realistic war films i've seen. B+.

This Gun for Hire (1942)

solid film-noir in all areas

[12 September 2004]

one of the things that can make a film noir great is the ability to, at each turn, make the audience think that things are going to turn out okay, and then slam the door in its face. this film is able to do just that. alan ladd doesn't get the lead billing (that honor goes to lake and preston), but make not mistake - he is the star of the film. he plays a loner hit-man and we pick up the action just before he's set to do a job. he holds up his end of the bargain, but the man who hired him pays him in marked bills in an attempt to pin a robbery on him. ladd goes on the lam, but runs into the girlfriend (lake) of a cop (preston) who is after him for having passed one of the marked bills. little does ladd, or even preston, know, but lake has been enlisted by the government to do some investigative work on the man who paid ladd for the hit with the marked dough. it's quite a criss-crossed story, but it's all very easy to follow and very fun to watch while it unfolds. lake is sworn to secrecy because of the sensitive nature of her investigation, and she has no idea that the man she meets on the train (ladd) is the same man her boyfriend is pursuing. it's not as dark a noir as detour, but the ending is surprisingly affecting and certainly dark enough to qualify as a noir. the lighting is more subtle than it is in some noir and i made a note of looking into the cinematographer on this film. my hunch was right - john seitz did the cinematography for this and such films as invaders from mars, sunset blvd., double indemnity, sullivan's travels, and big clock. it's a crime that i've never heard of the guy. but i redeemed myself by finally looking into his work after watching this film. with sunset blvd and double indemnity i probably attributed the good lighting and camera work to billy wilder and the same is true for sullivan's travels and preston sturges. at any rate, this is a good film - ladd and lake do a good job, preston is capable; the cinematography is good even though it doesn't knock you over the head with its brilliance; and the story is well-constructed despite being a little far-fetched in places. B+.

Songs from the Second Floor (2000)

this is a remarkable film

[10/10 · 3 September 2004]

some spoilers...this is a remarkable film. i can't honestly think of where to start...i suppose the first thing that struck me was the visual style of the film. interiors (with the exception of home spaces) are colorful and clean, exteriors are generally dirty and cluttered. interiors are also shot entirely on an angle. the sets are constructed in such a way, or the camera is placed in such a way, that we almost always face a corner. if you're watching a play then the back wall is parallel to your viewing angle, but in this film the room is rotated about 90 degrees so that the bottom of the back wall runs diagonally - rather than horizontally - through the middle of the screen. this choice allows for an amazing amount of depth within each composition. depth of field isn't emphasized very much with the use of a wide angle lens, but this doesn't detract at all from the depth that these interior compositions has. this element alone makes the film interesting to watch, but this is really just the tip of the iceberg. every shot is thoughtfully composed, and needs to be because the camera doesn't move at all. remarkably, i didn't even notice this obvious fact until about 30-40 minutes into the film. i think this is a result of the great energy that each composition has; or maybe i'm just trying to save face. to take a step back, the film is a comedic surrealist drama. that description coupled with the fact that it's a Swedish picture would likely scare off most viewers. i'm not generally a fan of surrealist film, but this one isn't over the top, or completely nebulous. sure, there is little sense that is made over the entire course of the film and there are seeming non-sequitors within just about every scene, but somehow it all works - either comedically, dramatically, or artistically. that, i'll admit, is just a matter of opinion so you'll have to see it to decide for yourself...there are certain motifs that are visited throughout the film...love, loss, home life, isolation, de-humanization effect of economics, etc. also, while interiors are generally fairly colorful, people's faces are generally extremely white...and not just because they're Swedish. at some point it is implied, or maybe revealed, that the people we are observing are dead, and this certainly would be supported by their dead looking skin color and the surreal nature of their environment. a great film for those who are willing to give it a try. B++.

The Tree of Wooden Clogs (1978)

textured, organic, and great

[10 August 2004]

may be some spoilers... this film's style reminds me of a cross between the godfather (because of the colors) and kiarostami's work (because of the pace, texture and sound design). the opening shot is of a field of tall grasses and we know right away that this is going to be an organic film about earthy matters. the film's visual style, particularly its earthy color scheme, reinforce this fact. at just shy of three hours the film is remarkably slim on plot. in an averagely paced simpsons episode there would likely be an equal amount of plot in the first seven minute act, as there is in this entire film. that's both a testament to the quick storytelling of the simpsons, and the slow, plot less, drive of this film. but i'm not averse to a lack of plot. what drives the film is the characters and their interactions with the land and their neighbors. the film's trailer says the film follows three families, the netflix synopsis says four families are the subject of the film, and allmovie.com says five families are followed. hmmm. i didn't really keep track, and it sort of depends upon whether you count the newlyweds at the end of the film as a separate family. but i digress.

the film's texture is amazing. kiarostami, and iranian cinema in general, have a similar texture and i think a lot of it is owed to the way they mix the sound. it's as if the microphone is on the ground at all times. first, i should note that most of the sound work was looped in in post-production instead of being done while filming. every step in the film can be heard, and is usually high in the mix. to me this technique grants an extra layer of texture to the film. it make the film all the more tactile and real when you can hear the dirt and rocks crunch under a person's footsteps. since the film is about three/four/five families of farmers, this sound design makes perfect sense. if it were a victorian period piece, the same sound design would be misplaced.somehow the film was able to completely draw me into the farmers' way of thinking. about two hours through the film there is a single shot of a cluster of bees on a wall, rather than associating this image with danger (a typical response within a typical film), i immediately associated it with a honey treat. in this way the film was able to get me thinking of nature as useful and friendly, instead of an enemy which must be conquered. it was a subtle response, but a telling one. besides the importance of nature, major themes addressed include the intertwined nature of life/death, the importance of community, and religion. it's a good film, and even though not much actually happens in the usual sense, it addresses, directly and indirectly, all sorts of universal concerns. unlike "princess and the warrior," this is a film that on paper probably looks rather unimpressive, but in its filmed state is actually quite a stunning (in its simplicity) piece of work. B++.

The Corporation (2003)

if there's any film that you roll out of bed to watch this year, please let this be the one.

[10/10 · 22 July 2004]

most people who have an interest in progressive causes will be somewhat familiar with the outline of the film - corporate personhood has essentially led to corporations having an insane amount of control over what we see, eat, drink, breathe and consume in general. corporations have become part of our consciousness at an unshakable and unwashable level. they are ubiquitous, single-minded (profit), subversive parasites that erode our society from within. with this in mind you'd think the film was a marxist commercial out to bring capitalism to its knees. you'd be wrong. the film is remarkably even-handed in its approach.

governmental as well as market fixes are proposed by different interviewees. i'm very much into the work of noam chomsky and michael moore (both are interviewed), i've read fast food nation, i'm a big fan of adbusters, i own naomi klein's "no logo" and korten's "when corporations rule the world" so a lot of this stuff wasn't all that new to me, but some of it was and the film is a perfect amalgamation of all this information. archive footage is used extremely well, like a hip-hop artist melding together samples in ways that create an entirely different tapestry of sound. interviews, archival footage, and good old investigative journalism are used to present a solid case about the role corporations have in our global society; as well as how we've gotten to this point and where we may be going. despite the heavy nature and brutal pacing of much of the film, there are a few moments of ironic comedy.

i do think the film would have done well with a few momentary pauses early in the film to allow things to soak in. in feature films a director might cut to an exterior for a beat or two to allow a bit of a cushion from one scene to the next, something similar may have aided the pacing of this film. it's actually remarkable that i wished it had taken a little more time considering its 2 hour and 25 minute runtime. i think it's testament to the film's strength. i also want to note that the long runtime and heavy nature of the film never came off as dry or overly-academic. in other words, it's not a boring film to watch - quite the contrary, it's a rather engaging and almost fun film to watch. i say "fun" reluctantly because learning about the ways in which a corporation is bilking America and the world out of our natural resources and hard-earned money isn't fun, but if you're interested in learning then it is an exciting film. a quick side note - the narrator had a perfect voice for the material and she reminded me a lot of the narrator in the "second renaissance" portions of the animatrix. generally i don't give films i've only seen once anything better than a B+, but this film blew me away from start to finish on so many different levels...A.

The Best of Film Noir (1999 Video)

introduction to certain noir films and stars

[7/10 · 17 July 2004]

more of an introduction to certain noir films and stars than an introduction to the genre. it covers a couple genre conventions very briefly, but focuses more on highlighting some of the better films in the genre. films like the maltese falcon, d.o.a., kiss them deadly and to have and to have not are covered. there isn't any great insight offered by the narration or any of the people interviewed. a good place to go to get film noir recommendation, but read "notes on film noir" if you're looking for a good breakdown on the genre. my favorite noir films are: kubrick's the killing, lewis' gun crazy and wilder's double indemnity. none of these are covered in any depth, though a couple clips are shown from double indemnity. C+.

The Big Clock (1948)

adds a different twist to the conventional noir tale

[9/10 · 17 July 2004]

ray milland and charles laughton (ruggles of red gap) star in this noir crime-thriller. one way in which this film is different from the other noirs i've seen is that the protagonist is not only a good guy, but is somehow able to escape death/prison by the end of the film. in most noirs you have the protagonist who willingly (double indemnity) or not (detour) committed some atrocity for which he must pay later. usually this atrocity is murder/theft and usually he does it because of a woman (whether coerced by a woman (double indemnity) or in order to be with a woman (detour)). big clock begins towards the end, as most noirs do (usually to establish the fact that fate is inescapable), where our protagonist finds himself in a bit of a jam. as the film plays out we find that he's thought to be a murderer when he really isn't. the bad guy(s) still gets his due by the end of the film, as is the staple of all film noir, but the difference here is that our protagonist isn't guilty of anything which adds a different twist to the conventional noir tale. throughout the film there is a definite emphasis on the importance of time - especially for laughton's character. i think that of this is, at least in part, to emphasize the ever-steady march of time, especially as seen by laughton's sudden death as if to indicate the fleeting nature of life. in this sense the film reminded me of a far lesser film called "the last minute" by stephen norrington (blade) which is about a character so obsessed by how much time he has left in life that it consumes him to the point of shortening it. there are a few other notable actors who have bit roles in the film - George MacReady (paths of glory), douglas spencer (double indemnity, thing from another world), and harry morgan (M*A*S*H, inherit the wind). surprisingly the film also goes against noir conventions by having a relatively healthy dose of comic relief. this film noir is still noir, but it's not the same dark world that we see in more prototypical pictures like asphalt jungle or detour. B+.

The Tale of Zatoichi (1962)

very fine film that is similar to yojimbo

[24 June 2004]

may be some spoilers... one year after yojimbo was released, comes the first installment of zatoichi, the film series. i'm pretty sure this started as a television series in japan, and became hugely popular at some point...i can see why. this story is fairly similar to yojimbo - a wandering stranger (zatoichi, the blind samurai) who works for one of two warring gangs. there are other, smaller similarities that i won't bother to list. since it's so easy to compare the two films (especially given the relative paucity of Japanese samurai films i [and most] have seen) i'll first talk about the relative shortcomings of zatoichi. the score is good, but yojimbo's score is great. the direction in zatoichi is pretty good, whereas kurosawa's direction in yojimbo is almost unparalleled. the cinematography in both films is strong. the acting in yojimbo is amazing - from the smallest role all the way up to the title character, whereas zatoichi has solid acting, but nothing spectacular. in other words, yojimbo is a better film in just about every conceivable way. that said, zatoichi is a great film. its opening sequence serves as a great hook storywise and characterwise. i suppose that by now most Japanese filmgoers would have had some interaction with zatoichi through the TV series, but the filmmakers wisely dedicated some time to getting to know the title character. i think the strongest aspect of this film was the relationship that was built between zatoichi and his adversary. they have a great deal of respect and admiration for each other, at one point zatoichi even gives his adversary a massage while they discuss swordsmanship. a common theme in asian cinema is the "herofication" of traditionally weak individuals - women, blind people, one-armed people, etc. zatoichi, the blind swordsman, is another in this tradition. i'll just say that it's a good film and you should give it a try if you liked yojimbo or sanjuro. B+.

American Dream (1990)

add this to your list

[8/10 · 16 June 2004]

the most obvious parallel is michael moore's "roger & me." both films look at one community dealing with a corporation's decision to either cut the work force (roger and me) or drastically cut its wages (american dream). michael moore interjects himself into his films a great deal - he is in front of the camera, he uses voice-overs - instead of intertitles - to fill in needed information, etc. some think this is to his detriment, but i think it is honesty...he clearly acknowledges that there is an author and that's a good thing. american dream, on the other hand, attempts to appear objective by choosing to use intertitles and keeping the filmmakers behind the camera. the storytelling and pacing of this film isn't as good as that of "roger and me," but when it comes to documentaries there is room for error in these areas. documentaries ultimately, at least for me, are judged primarily on the story they tell, more than how well they tell it; and i think that's less true for feature films. this film tells a good story. through the film we are able to see the entire process a union undertakes when they have a dispute. if you don't know much about unions then this is a great place to start. if you hate corporations then this will fuel your fire. if you like good documentaries then add this to your list. B.

La terre (1921)

for fans of silent cinema it is certainly recommendable

[8/10 · 8 June 2004]

french silent film that uses the plot of king lear as a launching pad. an old father and his wife are unable to work their farm anymore so they split their land between their children. instead of war ensuing, the children become cruel towards their parents and greed consumes them. it's filmed in a pretty straight-forward way, it uses mostly middle range and close-up shots. characters are introduced with a mid shot and then typically given a full face shot. acting is more reserved than many of the typical expressionistic silent films of the early film age. it's black and white through most of the film, but does us some tinting - blue for the night scenes and one snowfall scene (to great effect) and red for an indoor candlelit scene (again to good effect). themes such as the circularity of life, greed, love, and mother nature are addressed. it's a finely layered film with some comic elements and solid storytelling. it's not for most casual filmgoers, but for fans of silent cinema is certainly recommendable. B.

Wyatt Earp (1994)

never really gets going the way it should

[1 June 2004]

three hours and ten minutes long and i didn't even realize i had seen it until there was about ten minutes left. actually there was a lot of it that seemed eerily familiar throughout the film, but i attributed that to the other three wyatt earp films i've seen - tombstone, my darling clementine, and gunfight at the o.k. corral. it gives the most complete, and probably most accurate, picture of wyatt earp of any of the four films. it approaches the story as an epic of one man and those who surrounded him. as a result it invests little in the secondary characters; to me this is one drawback of the film. one of the more interesting duos in film is doc holliday and wyatt earp because their relationship was so unique - earp was the law and holliday was a notorious criminal. holliday was a firebrand and earp was more collected. yet they got along and forged a meaningful and deep relationship. in addition to that, earp is an archetype of western culture and holliday is a timeless character - near death, fiercely individualistic, temperamental, and very capable. "wyatt earp" left most of that potential untapped. costner (earp) wasn't able to fill the shoes and quaid (holliday) didn't get the opportunity to be the force he should have been. we get to know wyatt earp, but i never felt like i was with him in his adventures. i watched him, but i never felt like we were let into his head and for an epic like this that's just unacceptable. it's well-filmed, perhaps a little bit too so. the filming felt too by the book. through most of the first half of the picture the story was told rather simply. daytime scenes would introduce an issue and nighttime scenes would see the resolution to that issue. scenes would alternate very methodically - day/night, day/night, day/night. later in the film things opened up a bit. the cinematography was good looking, but i preferred the photography in "open range." overall the true story and its legend hold a great deal of potential, but this film never really gets going the way it should have. watch tombstone instead. C+.

The American Nightmare (2000)

interesting, funny, moving and intelligent

[8/10 · 27 May 2004]

i think this documentary may have been the inspiration for danny boyle to use godspeed you black emperor! in "28 days later..." godspeed are used fairly judiciously in this film and "sad mafioso" is used during the clips of "dawn of the dead" which is the heaviest influence on "28 days later..." all that aside...the documentary covers six major horror films (night of the living dead, last house on the left, dawn of the dead, shivers, halloween, and texas chainsaw massacre) of the 60s and 70s. more than just rehashing them or talking about their influence on the genre, the film talks to the filmmakers about their influences and spends a good deal of time examining the cultural climate in which these films took place. everything from the cold war to civil rights to the sexual revolution to vietnam to the gas crisis is discussed by the filmmakers as the climate that facilitated these films. unlike "visions of light" which gave a fairly clinical view of cinematography's art and history, American Nightmare demonstrates a certain intimacy and love of the subject. visions of light certainly had interviewees who showed an immense passion for the subject, but the film itself did not exude that same passion. part of the way american nightmare does this is through its soundtrack (epically scored by godspeed you black emperor! and Karlheinz Stockhausen) and its ambitious style of cutting in source material with voice-overs. it's a good film and, like stone reader or visions of light, does a really good job of getting the audience into the material. after watching this i wanted to break out all my horror films and watch them on end. it's able to do this because the film itself is passionate about the subject, the interviewees are passionate, and the information relayed to the viewer is interesting, funny, moving and intelligent. B+.