penseur Reviews

Swedish Fly Girls (1971)

Swinging Denmark in 1970

[6/10 · 17 January 2009]

Despite the "Swedish" in the retitling for the American market, this film is set entirely in Denmark. Birte Tove, one of Denmark's two "first ladies" of mainstream erotic cinema of the 1970s, stars in her first feature as Christa, a miniskirted air hostess who takes men she meets on flights to bed in her Copenhagen apartment (shared with other girls) in a search for Mr Right. The story is filled out by her having split with her husband and father of her child, who isn't too happy about it. We get to see Christa, a petite pretty blonde, in various stages of undress, including nude on the beach (but pubic areas are discretely hidden). Apart from Copenhagen we get to see a bit of the countryside with a fast sports car and Denmark's tourist attractions of the Himmelbjerg "mountain", the white Møns Klint cliffs plus of course a porn shop. It is all fairly tame but presents the zeitgeist of the time quite well.

A Good Year (2006)

Disappointingly shallow

[5/10 · 15 November 2006]

Firstly a plea to location scouts - the exterior of London's Swiss Re a.k.a. "Gherkin" building is already a cliché - if you don't want audiences to groan, choose something else to represent the City of London from now on. Author Peter Mayle's love affair with the gorgeous Provence countryside is well known and the best thing about this movie is Ridley Scott's filming of it. As for everything else - the deepest thing that will be experienced in this movie is the dry swimming pool into which Russell Crowe's character falls. For the first 40 minutes or so Scott attempts to compensate for the thin script by slapstick and boorish behaviour on the part of Crowe, but it doesn't succeed. For the rest of the film the attempt is made by putting the two beautiful actresses Marion Cotillard and Abbie Cornish to the fore, but so unconvincingly that it doesn't work either. A film that probably sounded good in theory, but conceived and executed badly.

Out of the Blue (I) (2006)

Well produced drama

[9/10 · 14 October 2006]

It was inevitable that - like the Stan Graham saga of 1941 made into the movie "Bad Blood" - the Aramoana massacre of 1990 would eventually be turned into a feature film. To their credit, the cast and crew of this have done a good job of it and perhaps just as importantly, the script writers have attempted to provide a little insight into why it happened, although the full background is something that people will need to read the two books that were written about it to get. The film starts in the morning of the day it started (the events lasted into the next day) and continues - with only a couple of brief flashbacks on the part of Gray - till a conclusion just after Gray is shot dead by police. It manages to keep fairly true with the actual events (as described in the two books) although there are some departures of varying importance. The film works well as a drama and unlike a Hollywood movie doesn't portray anyone as a superhero, or thickly apply sentimentality. The cinematography is also superb.

The Path to 9/11 (2006)

Spoiled by factual inaccuracies

[5/10 · 11 September 2006]

Distorting historical events to make a movie more entertaining is nothing new for Hollywood and the movie industry everywhere, not just that of the USA. Generally it's something that people can live with: if you want the real facts you can read a reliable book. It is, however, a problem with events in the relatively recent past, particularly when they involve a current omnipresent situation that everyone in the western world is faced with, namely Islamic terrorists. Despite the disclaimers that this is not a documentary and scenes are fictionalised, too many people have an immediate emotional involvement and political concern for this to be acceptable in this case. Even for those who haven't read the 9/11 Commmission report there are a lot of question marks raised in one's mind about what is presented, and there are now admissions on the part of the producers that some things didn't actually happen, in fact some things are the exact opposite of what actually happened. As a movie this isn't too bad, although the jerky hand held footage and quick cut editing is a little too distracting at times. Maybe ABC should have just put it in the vault for 20 years.

Jeden dzien w PRL (2006)

What life was like in those days

[9/10 · 25 July 2006]

It is a basic feature of totalitarian regimes - whether they be of the ideological or religious variety - that they want to quash dissent. So it is no surprise that Poland, along with the other iron curtain countries, had a secret police and a network of informers which maintained surveillance on citizens who dared to criticize the government and the system. But not only that: in a system where all economic production and distribution was controlled by the government, those who broke economic rules - for example, selling a few bras in a shop from an unofficial source - also became "suspects". This film takes a typical day in 1962 and narrates the transcripts of secret police files about what "suspects" did: all so mundane as to be amusing. But the real nature of the "workers' paradise" - shortages of all commodities, shabby consumer goods and decaying infrastructure - is also superbly conveyed with a clever mix of historic film and TV footage with recreations. As well as secret police transcripts, there are also sad private letters narrated. In all it is a highly recommended film for anyone interested in 20th century history.

The Mini-Skirt Mob (1968)

Cheesy, unintentionally funny

[3/10 · 14 July 2006]

The name of the production company - whose product nowadays regularly features in Incredibly Strange film festivals - alone should be enough warning as to what to expect in this silly, unintentional parody. "The Mini-Skirts" consist of four girl bikers, the brevity of whose skirts is compensated by the length of their eyelashes - plus, it seems, an equal number of chromosome-challenged boyfriends. The plot mostly consists of them "terrorizing", with varying degrees of enthusiasm, the pack leader's ex-boyfriend because he is now on his honeymoon in a caravan with another gal. Much of it naturally is an excuse for shots of the females riding around the wilds of Arizona on their Triumph motorbikes. Hmmm. Wouldn't it be rather cold dressed like that, how long would those hair-do's last? You also get regular glimpses of panties. As Leonard Maltin says in his movie guidebook, those who like the title should like the film.

Carry on Girls (1973)

One of the weakest in the Carry On series

[4/10 · 3 June 2006]

The opening scene of the beach at Fircombe while amusing in itself, unfortunately provides a suitable metaphor for the film - insipid and washed out. It is actually not as corny as most of the others in the Carry On series, but maybe because of that doesn't really deliver much fun. It's a fair bet that the title will appeal to fans of the Benny Hill show but those looking for attractive females in bikinis and miniskirts, while they will see some in this, will probably enjoy some of the other titles in the series, such as "Carry On Abroad" or "Carry On Up the Jungle" more. The emergence of early 1970s feminism is used as a plot device which seems rather self-defeating.

The Great Journey (2004)

An intercontinental and intercultural road trip

[7/10 · 13 April 2006]

The premise for this movie is simple and so is the script: an elderly Muslim gets his teenage son to drive him in his similarly elderly station wagon from France to the haj in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, so that he can fulfill his holy Muslim obligation before he dies. The father is clearly devoutly religious, but the son is unimpressed; he accepts out of obligation to his father rather than to religion, he'd rather be with his (non-Muslim) girlfriend. The father is stubborn in a lot of things which the son doesn't understand and the petulance between them is the device that maintains the drama, although it is often rather irksome. However, like any good road movie there are oddball characters encountered along the way; for example a woman on a backroad in Croatia who upon being asked for directions to Belgrade simply gets in the backseat and points with her hand uttering one word which they assume to be a place but can't find it on the map. In Bulgaria another man they ask directions of confirms he can speak French but then provides an extensive commentary in Bulgarian. There is also occasional humor - in one country the son tires of eating egg sandwiches and wants meat - they are given a goat, but unfortunately (perhaps fortunately for the viewer) it runs away before the father can perform the Muslim slaughterman ritual. They eventually make it to Mecca - the Muslim equivalent of the Vatican but on a much grander scale. For westerners it is all bizarre but fascinating. The movie isn't sophisticated but is charming in its own way, a kind of National Geographic with soul.

Basic Instinct 2 (2006)

Pretty bad

[3/10 · 9 April 2006]

It's no surprise that this movie's script caused some high calibre talent to shun it: there are so many failings and problems that it would take several times the 1,000 word limit on comments to list them all. But here's a little taste: in the opening sequence, under the influence of some drug Sharon Stone's character drives through deserted central London streets (!) at 110 mph (!) at night while masturbating and french kissing her boyfriend in the passenger's seat. After crashing into the Thames, in the nicely lit water she manages to give her boyfriend another kiss before getting out and floating away while boyfriend drowns... and then the police think all that is quite OK under the law. Sharon Stone's quotes in the advertising for the movie here suggested that there would be plenty of erotic action but it doesn't deliver much that satisfies on that count. Where the film does have a modicum of merit is its surreal ambiance throughout and its exploration of the suggestion that some psychiatrists may be as screwed up as some of the people they treat.

Walk the Line (2005)

Worth seeing for the music history

[8/10 · 10 March 2006]

This movie, which covers the period of Cash's childhood in Arkansas up to his public engagement to June Carter in 1968, among other things provides a good presentation of early Rock and Roll/Rockabilly/Country and Western music and its performance: it therefore will be of interest to anyone who follows these genres. The film is marvelously directed and acted with great sets, sound, and period costumes, however, those who like me find the typical music star lifestyle of "groupie" sex, booze, drugs and bad behavior tiresome will probably find much of it tiresome. Cash fans may wonder why his famous song about his dressing only in black is omitted, even if his color choice is commented upon in a few lines of dialog.

Anorak of Fire (1998 TV Movie)

An eccentric film about an eccentric subject

[7/10 · 5 December 2005]

While railway photography as a hobby makes sense, it is harder to comprehend trainspotting, that is writing down train names and numbers as they pass by. The film's portrayal of trainspotters - wearing their anorak "uniforms" - in general as geeks is therefore not without justification. But, one pretty girl (Natalie) who works in a pharmacy takes on a bet from a co-worker that she can entice such a young man, who she obviously fancies, into other pleasures. Wearing a very short black skirt and boots she partially succeeds in a signal box (switch tower) but her ministrations still produce less of a climax for him than some historic passing locomotives. Eventually though, that changes. Trainspotting is not the only thing parodied, among other things, women's obsession with cake decoration is the object of some fun too. But the central action is around the "train spot" and a High Noon style showdown for the fastest spot, one with with a cigar in the corner of his mouth a la Clint Eastwood is quite amusing. Those who like historic trains will enjoy the obvious anachronisms for a setting in the 1990s.

Flightplan (2005)

Script causes it to crash despite valiant efforts

[4/10 · 14 November 2005]

There are several positive aspects to this film - right from the opening surreal scene at a deserted Alexanderplatz U-Bahn station in the centre of Berlin, the film is great visually, if at times a little clichéd. It's well edited, the acting is very good, Jodie Foster of course but also some of the supporting actors too. And the exploration of the initially apparent explanation for the absence of the little girl is worthwhile. But then... well things become frankly silly. Other commentators detail some of the plot holes so I wont repeat their observations, except to say that they get progressively worse towards the end. Overall, it's worth a viewing if there's nothing better on the other channels.

The Child (2005)

An engaging if not entirely convincing drama

[8/10 · 25 July 2005]

*May contain spoilers*

The scenario is one that most people are able to often observe if not relate to themselves: an 18-year-old girl has just had a baby, which she naturally loves but has little money to bring it up. The father, Bruno, her 23-year-old boyfriend, does bring in money but not from any honest endeavor, he considers it much easier to burgle, steal and beg. Briefly fatherhood seems to appeal to him but not for long; his devious mind leads to something scarcely credible: without consulting his girlfriend (Sonia) he decides to sell the baby. That in itself is a simple but attention-assuring premise and the two directors put it on the screen superbly with "reality style" hand-held camera-work using unfiltered natural light, and the editing paces it all just right. These are common techniques nowadays but often they are not well done. Bruno is the central character and is well cast, but the young mother is also important and competently played by a newcomer to the screen (at least IMDb has no other details about her). Some of the plot devices designed to inject tension work superficially but raise question marks on further thought. As examples, why are the 'baby brokers' so keen to conduct the transactions away from Bruno's sight, yet a minute or so later one is happy to reveal himself to demand more cash, and then 2 more later in a bar; just prior to this in the bar Bruno seems a bit quick to engage in a gambling game without finding out what it is; the car chase following the bag snatch on the scooter seems a little contrived, and Sonia's reconciliation with Bruno at the end is quite inconsistent with her attitude earlier. Irrespective of these issues, the film gives a strong didactic message that if you steal, swindle or cheat it's very likely to rebound on you.

18 ans après (2003)

Boring but nice visuals

[5/10 · 3 May 2005]

Uninvolving or irritating characters, minimal plot with a few old clichés (e.g. a weakling with acne gets bullied by the Adonises who get the girls, so he takes up weightlifting to fight back; a loudmouthed American eventually has a heart attack - no doubt we are supposed to cheer)... it all soon makes you want to switch channels. However, the sets, settings (both in Paris and in the countryside), decors and photography are lovely and make it worth sticking with. In some respects, without the boorish characters it could just about be the sort of program you could expect to see on the Living Channel. The underground cathedral-like cave shown certainly had my attention.

Die Geschichte vom weinenden Kamel (2003)

A fascinating pseudo-documentary

[8/10 · 19 April 2005]

* MAY CONTAIN A SPOILER * For those wanting something different and are interested in how other peoples of the world live their lives this film has much to be recommended. The title suggests that camel scenes predominate and they do, but it is much more a portrait of lifestyle and culture. The physical environment of Mongolia is harsh and desolate but not unattractive. There is little in the way of modern conveniences for those who live in it, although the "local shopping center" does have a few temptations for those who can afford them. Although nominally a documentary, it is reasonably obvious that this film was scripted to some extent. Other comments here describe what happens accurately, and there little to be added, except that I wonder if the solar powered satellite TV we see fitted to the family's tent at the end constituted the "actors" fees?

Thelma & Louise (1991)

Good movie, great car

[8/10 · 10 April 2005]

This was a road movie with a sizable dollop of feminism thrown in which, judging from the comments here, produces a very mixed response in viewers. The general theme appeared first and best in "Vanishing Point" (1971) but there is plenty of originality with this. The screenplay is pretty good although I have a problem with Louise shooting the would-be rapist simply because he was insulting her - surely while holding him at gunpoint she would get Thelma to call the police? You don't just shoot people because you don't like them. And things get silly at the end, but not irritatingly so. The car, a 1966 Ford Thunderbird, is one of the nicest looking from the 1960s, I cringe at the thought of any of them being wrecked.

The Miracle of Bern (2003)

Great period movie

[9/10 · 21 March 2005]

It's easy to appreciate how much of a morale boost to a country sporting victories are in international competition, particularly when that sport is almost the national religion as soccer is throughout Europe. But you don't need to be a soccer fan or a German to appreciate this wonderful film, where the pathos of a bittersweet family reunion when the father comes home from a Soviet work camp after 11 years is as much the centerpiece as the quiet optimism leading to the football win and the joy following it. Obviously Germany in 1954 was a country still rebuilding from its recently shattered past and that feeling is conveyed superbly. The end is charming, in fact the nicest closing scene I can remember.

Swimming Pool (2003)

Meritorious but tries to be something it is not

[7/10 · 18 March 2005]

A successful crime fiction author, Sarah, is suffering from writer's block and needing solitude and a change of scene her publisher suggests she take a spring break in his holiday house in the Luberon part of France, which she does and it seems to be working. Then the publisher's sexpot daughter, Julie, shows up unexpectedly and Sarah finds her presence, let alone pertness and promiscuity, a major irritation. To this point it is all perfectly believable, but then things start to become a little strange and, from a script point of view, rather ad hoc. For example, no explanation is given for Sarah finding one of Julie's bikini bottoms in the garden and why it should result in Sarah rummaging through Julie's belongings. The murder seems clumsy and pointless (and would leave a lot more evidence at the scene than that shown) and the disposal of the body rather pedestrian (not that more inventive methods in real life have prevented detection). The ambiguity presented at the end is designed to make us ponder whether it all really happened or was just a real-time fantasy with the eponymously titled book the result, unfortunately it rather draws attention to the script's shortcomings instead. On the plus side, the casting is good, it is nicely filmed and edited, the location is very pleasant and those who like the poster shouldn't be disappointed.

Vanishing Point (1971)

The car and the scenery are the stars

[9/10 · 16 March 2005]

When I first saw this as a teenager in the 1970s I thought it was a great commercial for a Challenger R/T and it still is - Dodge must have been pleased. The movie owes a lot to "Easy Rider" and a little to "Bullitt" which preceded it, but it set a new benchmark for the road movie genre, one which hasn't been surpassed, although many of the elements have been copied since. The cinematography is simply beautiful, and even if you're not into cars it should be watched for its presentation of the great wide open desert areas of America. It isn't all about speed thrills, there are occasions where Kowalski slows or stops to appreciate forgotten still life and tranquility. From a social perspective it was made at the transition from the 1960s to the 1970s and captures this phase well; the idealism of the "love, peace and good vibes" period was being replaced with something else. I give the movie a 9 overall, it doesn't quite get a 10 because of a few elements - such as the gay robbers - which could have been dropped in favor of developing other aspects more.

The Aviator (2004)

A movie of proportions befitting Howard Hughes

[9/10 · 8 March 2005]

This is one of the few movies of recent times that I came out of wanting to see again. While in no way a thorough docudrama of Howard Hughes' life (I recommend viewers at least read the IMDb biographic details of him before seeing the movie) we get a good insight into his complex nature, aspirations and mental problems. His two most most extravagant projects, the movie "Hells Angels" and the Hercules aircraft get the major attention as we would expect, but it is a pity that his role in producing "Scarface" receives only passing mention. Unfortunately I agree with those who say Leonardo di Caprio was the wrong person to cast as Hughes, but he does put in a good performance, while everyone else is superb; I particularly liked Alec Baldwin. Gorgeous sets, costumes and cinematography make it all a sumptuous visual delight which at no time becomes tedious. A must see.

Blow-Up (1966)

Interesting viewing from several aspects

[7/10 · 27 February 2005]

The first time I saw this was 10 years after its initial release and it seemed to hold its own among 1970s movies. Another 29 years later it seems rather dated and stilted but the artistic intentions of its director still shine through, particularly the park scenes which make the film worth watching alone. The characters are irksome and so is much of the action, but here in a way is a portrait of London as it was in 1966 when there were a number of lifestyle revolutions underway; and a lot of changes in attitudes. Music fans will be attracted by the scenes in the club where the Yardbirds are performing with both Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck (who does the Pete Townshend thing but not in an exciting way). There are scenes - particularly with Vanessa Redgrave - which manage to be quite erotic without being explicit. The film gets better as it progresses and is one which leaves you thinking for a while after you've seen it.

Catwoman (2004)

Was this film made with serious intentions or as a joke?

[27 September 2004]

It's something I pondered as people in the poorly attended cinema I was in steadily walked out. My girlfriend wanted to see it and I like cats, and to some extent I still like comic books. Well, the lesson is that sometimes comic book characters are best left that way. Halle Berry may define what is meant by a "sex kitten" but Catwoman? Hmmm. About the only thing I liked was Sharon Stone playing the evil cosmetics empress whose toxic products make your face go as hard as marble or cause it to disintegrate if you stop applying them. (Although it's hard to believe that a cosmetics company would risk ruinous law suits by knowingly using toxic ingredients, some unscrupulous beauticians have actually done that). Otherwise it's like watching a computer game with two dimensional characters, totally implausible scenarios and clichés throughout. Not the worst film of the year but certainly it deserves to be nominated for it.

Shallow Hal (2001)

Variously interesting, appealing and excruciating

[22 September 2004]

Two lessons I learned early in my courting days were: (1) Attractive women by definition get a lot of attention from males and are usually very selective in who gets their interest; (apparent) wealth and fame are a major factor in that, and (2) While looks attract you to someone, it's personality that keeps you with them. A lot of attractive women are decidedly lacking in the intelligence and personality departments. For about the first 15 minutes this film seems to demonstrate these lessons, but then rather contradicts its own message about looking beyond the surface at inner beauty when Hal is obsessed by what he sees as ideal looking women.

I would have thought that in America these days obese people are so common that they wouldn't get derided the way that Rosemary does, although if it's a result of being such a glutton you can't help feeling that she deserves it. The various scenes of Gwyneth Paltrow in scantily clad poses (and some of the supporting actresses) make this film nice to look at, but like many American comedies it suffers from excruciating characters (here Hal's man friend particularly) and over-the-top/in-your-face gags. I agree with the average IMDb user rating.

Fracture (2004)

Patchy adaption of Maurice Gee novel

[6/10 · 10 September 2004]

Novels that work don't necessarily translate well into good films; so much depends on the scriptwriter and the director. This film lacks the finesse that one could expect from top notch exponents of both, but does have redeeming merits. From a parochial standpoint it makes good use of Wellington locations (where both novel and film are set), both suburban and downtown, including the old main Wellington Hospital building which happened to be demolished about the time the film premiered. The 20-year-old sister seems rather inept at finding herself a solo mother from a fling with Samoan rugby star even if she adores the baby, but her less than happy circumstances pale in comparison with her burglar brother to whom she has unfailing loyalty. Interspersing that with the saga of the other family of whom the mother is one of the burglar brother's more unfortunate victims gets a little messy visually and plotwise at times, and I found myself pondering ways it could have been done better. The acting is patchy: the females are good overall, the males less so. Good that this was made, a pity the result wasn't better.

Forrest Gump (1994)

Silly but superbly crafted ramble through US history

[5 September 2004]

"How do we provide a US history lesson, warts and all, that is both entertaining and sentimental?" may have been the question the script writers/producers asked themselves and settled on a slightly mentally and physically retarded boy in (of course) bigoted Alabama who just happens to later be present in most of the momentous occasions in US history of the second half of the 20th century. Well he doesn't stay physically retarded for very long, quite the opposite. We get to see to see quite a few American icons (OK, John Lennon was English, but like some of the other notable people we see he got assassinated by a mad gunman.) The film manages to maintain a didactically neutral attitude towards the events and people it shows - the facts alone - but is heavy on sentimentality, which no doubt is good for box office takings. Inane it certainly is, but has excellent set design and cinematography, has good flow, and great songs on the soundtrack. Worth watching. 8/10