zachsaltz Reviews

Dekalog: Dekalog, jeden (1989) Season 1, Episode 1

Incomprehensibly Heartbreaking

[10/10 · 15 September 2005]

What this movie manages to do for the viewer in a mere 53 minutes even the most powerful three hour epic cannot accomplish. Simply said, the polarized emotions yielded by this masterpiece puts "Million Dollar Baby" and "Schindler's List" to shame. It has the ability to change lives.

Words escape me that describe the power of the film. I consider "The Decalogue" the greatest cinematic achievement of all time, and this, its first episode, is also its best. It's one of the only surefire ways of making me cry, and occasionally tears will swell up just thinking about it.

The story seems conspicuously simple. The main characters are a middle-aged professor at a Warsaw university and his extremely intelligent son, about 10 years old. We see them in their everyday lives: Showing off their high-tech computer system, playing a game of chess, saying goodnight to each other, etc. Everything is profoundly normal the first half of the film - so ordinary that we cannot see the tragic event that is to soon unfold.

That being said, the last 10 minutes of this film are unlike anything that has ever been committed to celluloid. There are images that will stick in your mind forever - one involving burning wax flowing on to a picture, another involving a blue television screen. The story is so simple and the film seems so short - and yet, like a beautiful short story, gives us everything and nothing more.

"The Decaloge: Episode One" is captivating, exhilarating and profound. It's unforgettable. It's heartbreaking, yes, but also redemptive. The other episodes of "The Decalogue" are also mesmerizing - especially 4,5,6 and 7 - but none of them - indeed, nothing in the history of film - compares to the subtle magnificence of this first episode. Run, don't walk, to the video store. 10/10.

Beau-père (1981)

Blier's Masterpiece

[10/10 · 9 September 2005]

"Beau-Père" is not a skin flick, though the cover of the DVD and VHS would make you think otherwise. Yes, it's about a very taboo topic, to say the least - the sexual relationship between a 40-ish piano player and his 14-year-old stepdaughter - but the great Bertrand Blier, who explored similar territory in "Get Out Your Handkerchiefs" eases the unease by doing the unthinkable and turning the movie into a screwball comedy.

Well, that's what we think, at first. Remi (played magnificently by Blier favorite Patrick Dewaere), not unlike Humbert in Nabokov's "Lolita" tells us of his tragic plight; after his wife dies tragically, he is left with his stepdaughter, Marion (Ariel Besse). Uncomfortable with the new rift in the household, Marion childishly assumes the "mother" role and takes on all motherly duties - including seducing her stepfather. Remi refuses, but there is danger lurking in Marion's pubescent body and puppy-dog eyes. Not realizing this danger, he eventually gives in.

Of course, giving into his stepdaughter is a mistake that plunges both Remi and Marion deeper and deeper into misery. Even Marion's real father suspects a mutual sexuality between them and, in one of the film's more heartbreaking moments, completely dissolves his obligation as a father and OKs the incestuous affair. Remi and Marion, then, are not so much connected by their sexual bond, but by the fact that they've both been abandoned by the people they love. There's no real question about where the affair is going, but the tragedy lies in who gets hurt the most. The final image of the movie may haunt me forever.

The movie is obviously not for all tastes, but it should be said that the sex is never gratuitous. In fact, it seems almost distracting when compared to what Blier really wants to get across - the divide between adolescence and adulthood and how seemingly frivolous sexual encounters can ruin lives forever. And, like "Hankerchiefs", the movie somehow provides some truly funny moments. "Beau-Père" is Bertrand Blier's masterpiece and a film that should be seen by all connaisseurs of intelligent, challenging cinema. 10/10

The War Zone (1999)

Perhaps the most devastating story ever committed to celluloid . . .

[10/10 · 13 May 2005]

Tim Roth's "The War Zone" is not the type of movie you and your buddies rent on a boring Saturday night. It may well be the most powerful and brutal examination of a family ever put on film. It was certainly one of the most profound emotional experiences of my life; excuse me for being trite, but I would go so far as to say this movie changed my life.

The setting is rural Devon, England, inhabited by crashing waves and ominous clouds. We meet a quaint, amiable newly-arrived family. Dad is gruff and lean and a little harried. Mum is loving and very pregnant. The eldest daughter, Jessie, is home for the summer and seems cold and aloof. And the son, Tom, desperately misses his old chums and spends his days riding his bike aimlessly bored.

"The War Zone" is deceptive at first in seeming to be about something it is not really about. We think we're in for a happy movie after the family survives a nasty car crash on the way to the hospital to deliver the new baby. But the crash merely provides a foreshadow of what is to come . . . and it ain't pretty.

I don't want to reveal too much about the film, but I will say that I've sat through "Schindler's List", "Black Hawk Down", and "Elephant" without batting an eye and this one really sickened me. There are a number of scenes that are disgusting in the traditional R-rated ways, but the scenes that really did it for me involved simple conversations about the heinous secrets lodged deep in the family. Roth spares us nothing; the film is excessive and pushes the boundary, and for that, I am convinced that no film will ever be as grossly impactful as "The War Zone."

There are too few superlatives to use for this film; the casting, the sets, the music, the cinematography, all perfect. "The War Zone" is a flawless motion picture that's difficult to say you love, but one that is so brave and beautiful, it's unnerving. 10/10

Frontline: The Killer at Thurston High (2000) Season 18, Episode 2

Difficult to watch

[10/10 · 17 January 2005]

May 21, 1998, began like any other day in Springfield, Oregon, the sister city of my hometown, Eugene. I remember it being sunny and cloudless outside. I remember being excited about a choir concert at my elementary school that was to take place later that night. And I remember being picked up after school by my mother, so scared and horrified that she could barely tell me what horrific events had transpired only a couple of hours earlier.

I remember being shocked to see the front headline on the national news that night- "Another School Shooting." It had struck in Jonesboro, Pearl, and now it had happened right next to my sleepy little hometown. Kip Kinkel - just another, everyday, run-of-the-mill teen - had gone berserk and killed his parents and two of his classmates at Thurston High.

A few years later, "Frontline" produced this startling documentary. It doesn't really shed any new light on Kinkel - if you followed this kid after the shooting like we did in the following weeks, you already knew everything about him. What it does do, and quite effectively, is attempt to examine the mindset of Kinkel - his fascination with guns and explosives and his particularly chilling obsession with Baz Luhrmann's "Romeo and Juliet." It gives us the elements, but just like the other shootings (including Columbine) and their "explications", nothing really adds up, and end the end, the viewer is left confused, aloof, and deeply saddened.

"The Killer at Thurston High" is very sobering and all-too-true for some people in my community. It's altogether effective and very much worth watching, but like Van Sant's "Elephant", trying to dissect the minds of Kinkel and other high-school killers is ultimately futile.

Baadasssss! (2003)

Greatest movie ever made about the movie business

[10/10 · 2 January 2005]

"Baadasssss!" beats out Truffaut's "Day For Night" as the greatest movie ever made about the movie business. What Mario Van Peebles does here is nothing short of extraordinary: he manages to inform the viewer about independent film-making while also incorporating an enthralling portrayal of a man obsessed by his unique version of the American dream.

Like "Adaptation", the film is a dizzying array of comedy, satire, family drama, and a little bit of Freudian psychology. Van Peebles, casting himself as his father, obviously doesn't glorify the production, but tells the story of the making of "Sweetback" in a low-key and understandable manner. He doesn't make his father a hero or a villain but rather a man pushed to his limits. The backstage antics are sometimes funny, but more often are simply incredible to believe. Van Peebles' daring use of "American Splendor"-like documentary transitions are also wonderfully effective.

It must be said that I have not seen "Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song" and it's hard to fathom that this film would actually be better upon after viewing it (I'm not suggesting that I won't look for the film next time I'm at the video store). Like its subject, "Baadasssss!" is a revolutionary film, and should not be limited to film buffs or fans of Mario Van Peebles; this is a movie any casual film-goer would thoroughly enjoy.

Elephant (2003)

Depressing and sobering look at youth

[10/10 · 23 August 2004]

I thought "Elephant" was an undeniable masterpiece, brilliantly

mixing a sinister atmosphere with important insight into the youth of

America. That being said, I don't think I'd ever want to see the film

again. It left me very sad and lonely for the next couple of days-

seeing the eerie resemblances between the school in the film and my own

High School was unpleasant. Still, Van Sant's film should be viewed. It doesn't take any sides,

nor does it present a concrete message . . . it merely looks objectively

at a normal day at a normal high school. Two boys greet each other in

the hallway. A geeky-looking girl refuses to wear shorts in gym class.

Three vogue girls sheepishly talk about the handsome boy on the football

squad. And two socially withdrawn boys plot out a massive shooting

spree. When the shooting begins, the viewer is not surprised. In fact, Van

Sant deliberately creates pain-staking apprehension for the viewer

thruought the film- the viewer sensing the tragedy to come. Some critics

labeled Van Sant's slow-paced style self-indulgent, but I thought it was

purposeful. The minutaeia of everyday life is what we are reduced to;

the camera follows the students around not unlike a gun focusing in on

its target. The long shots of the clouds and the haunting strains of

"Moonlight Sonata" are relentless, an ominous reminder of the lonely

lives many teens live. Should the film be viewed by teenagers? Yes and no. No in that

besides the film being unblinkingly sad and violent, an immature teen

would helplessly be seeking a false justification for the events of the

film . . . but the events are unexplained, unrehearsed, and unjustified-

just like Columbine and other school shootings. But teens able to

withstand the sinister events of the film may gain a greater respect for

the lives we lead. I know that, after seeing "Elephant", I was moody and

somber, but there was also an odd sort of hope in me . . . a hope that I

would never fall into the lurid traps of modern society that the kids in

"Elephant" did and a hope to break the depressing mood

My Girl (1991)

A wonderful and truly moving experience

[10/10 · 9 July 2004]

"My Girl" is one of those small treasures that, on outward appearance, seems like something it is not. Any general synopsis of the film would lead most people (including myself) to excuse the film as a dine-a-dozen coming-of-age drama with first kisses, raging hormones, and middle school bullies.

The truth is, "My Girl" has all of those elements (except for the latter; the film takes place during summertime). It isn't the most original story, and it doesn't try to be a masterpiece. Its goal is to entertain the younger viewer and to remind the older viewer of the nostalgic days of innocence and the heartbreaking first encounters with the loss of it.

Summer, 1972. Vada Sultenfuss (Anna Chlumsky) is a plucky 11-year-old who spends her summer days with her best pal, Thomas J. (Macaulay Culkin, who is far better here than anything else he's ever done). She dotes on her father, Harry (Dan Aykroid), who works as an in-house mortician. Subsequently, the Sultenfuss house (a grand old Victorian, naturally) is filled with the stench of death, made only worse by Vada's grandmother (Ann Nelson) whose only way of communicating is through her sporadic breaks into popular songs from the 1940s. It's only natural that Vada is also a hypochondriac who often believes she is dying.

This is, of course, the summer that Vada grows up. Signs of change first begin when a new woman shows up. Her name is Shelly De Voto (Jamie Lee Curtis), and she works as a makeup artist for the dead bodies. At first she is discouraged by the fact that her clientele are deceased, but when sees that Harry and Vada need an outlet, she gladly takes the job (`They're dead. All they have are their looks,' she cheerfully gleams.) Vada likes Shelly, but when she sees that Harry has developed a crush on her, she feels threatened. She does not want Shelley to take the place of her late mother, who died two days after Vada was born. Her only outlet is Thomas J., with whom she rides her bike to the lake and discusses all of the Big Issues (the meaning of life, love, death, which ‘70s TV family they'd live with.)

The other momentous event of the summer is Vada developing her first crush. It isn't Thomas J. (who idolizes her), but her teacher, Mr. Bixler (Griffin Dunne). He teaches a summer writing class at the local college, and Vada enrolls. Besides being the youngest in the class, she is also the only one who hasn't been taken over by 1970s psychedelia (one day, the class takes part in a group meditation.)

The strength of "My Girl" isn't its story, but its little nuances of innocent bliss. Vada willingly shows a group of glowing boys a dead body. As the ride their bikes, Vada and Thomas J. sing `The Name Game'. When writing poems `from the soul', Vada writes an ode to ice cream. The relationship between Harry and Shelly is sweet, too. Before their first date, Harry's womanizing brother points out that since Harry's last date, a sexual revolution has occurred. Of course, Shelly only desires a proper and old-fashioned gentleman, which very much complicates their first date.

Well, I loved this film. As a viewer, I try to watch for inconsistencies in the performances and the script, but this film had none. Dan Aykroid and Jamie Lee Curtis bring a low-key charm to their roles. Both have their flaws, and it sometimes seems they have nothing in common. But for some inexplicable reason, they are brought together and their encounters are tactful, witty, and very real.

As for Anna Chlumsky, it can only be said that this young actress sets the standard for all child performances. This is not a performance, in a traditional manner; she eludes all cutesy standards of the traditional child performance, and becomes a complex, multi-dimensional person with true needs. This little girl is extremely intelligent, and when Chlumsky delivers lines beyond her years, she doesn't do it with sarcasm or adorability, but with the oblivious nature that 11-year-olds find themselves in. The world may be changing around her, but she tries her hardest to maintain her sanity and cheerfulness.

Though "My Girl" is advertised as a kid's film, and kids would probably like it, this film is for adults. It isn't always a happy film, and there is a major tragedy toward the end of the film. But rather than sentimentalize, the tragedy serves as a bridge for young Vada in between the realms of innocence and childhood and the real world of loss and sadness. And as dark as "My Girl" may sometimes be, there is always a sense of charm and warmth brought to the screen by the characters. This is a wonderful, wonderful film.

Don't Nobody Love the Game More Than Me (2002)

Wonderful and oddly touching

[10/10 · 31 December 2003]

"Don't Nobody Love the Game More Than Me" is a wonderful short film about four guys who, after finishing a round of hoops, debate on whether one of them 'loves the game' more than everybody else. There are no great speeches, no jaw-dropping statements- just a ten-minute glimpse into the lives of four Average Joes who truly love the game. The question of the film- whether Pops really does love the game more than everybody else- is answered at the end of the film in a speech given by one of the characters that's truthful, funny, and oddly touching. This is a wonderful short.

Small Change (1976)

Best movie I've ever seen

[10/10 · 6 August 2003]

"L'argent de poche (Small Change)" is one of the most wonderful, joyous, beautiful films ever made. It is Truffaut's finest film, a flipside, of sorts, to his epic "The 400 Blows".

The film is about childhood, plain and simple. The pains of adolecence, the enchantment of learning, the tediousness of school, kins, foes, the discovery of the opposite sex. Like "The 400 Blows", Truffaut sees his young protagonists not in a satirical or sarcastic way, but with genuine sincerity; these are people, too, and they're not stupid.

There is very little story. The story exists in the day-to-day adventures of various French children: Julien, an outsider from an abusive household; Patrick, the helpless young Don Juan who is still unsure of girls; Sylvie, the scheming daughter of the police chief; little Gregory, full of the zest for discovery; and the parents and teachers who play important roles in their lives.

There are many times when we, the adult audience, do not know whether to laugh or cry. We laugh because the children are cute and funny doing the silly things they do; but we cry because we remember doing those same things. And then there are the scenes involving the various adults, particularly the Prof, which remind us why adults are so important in the lives of children, even if it may not entirely seem so.

I would like to point out a few scenes which are among the finest I've ever seen in modern cinema: when Patrick and his friend attend the cinema with some girls; when little Gregory chases a cat outside his apartment; when one of the boys tells a dirty joke, but doesn't quite fully understand it; when Sylvie uses her father's blowhorn to turn the tables on her parents; when Richard is given a haircut by his friends; and when Patrick buys flowers for his friend's mother, of whom he's slightly smitten with.

But there is one scene here that captures the agony, wonderment, beauty, obliviousness, hilarity, and enchantment of childhood to its fullest: it is the last scene, when Patrick finally finds true love. The way Truffaut sets up the scene, the cinematography and the facial expressions of the children, make this scene rival the final scene of "Casablanca".

"L'argent de poche" is probably the best movie I've ever seen. Maybe it's because I'm a softie or that I'm nostalgic or that I love children, but this movie is life-affirming and represents everything wonderful about the cinema.

Nowhere in Africa (2001)

First Epic in a Long Time

[10/10 · 27 July 2003]

Here is a grand epic in the scale of "Gone With the Wind", "Lawrence of Arabia", and "Fitzcarraldo". It is the best movie I've seen this year, and more than that, it was one of the most amazing film experiences of my life.

It is Caroline Link's "Nowhere in Africa", which won the Best Foreign Film Award when, in actuality, it was far better than the Best Picture of the Year. To call it a great or brilliant or majestic film is an understatement; in fact, I'm at a loss for adjectives to describe it.

The film tells the story of a German Jewish woman and her young daughter summoned to Kenya by her husband, circa. 1938. Adolf Hitler is on the brink of declaring his "final solution" of the Jews, and it is with great luck that Jettel and young Regina escape.

In Africa, they adapt slowly to their new rural life. While Regina befriends cook Owuor, Walter and Jettel's relationship threatens to destroy itself because of the hardships the family encounters.

I will not spend too much time going into detail, for watching this masterful story unfold is a treasure in itself. This film is based on an autobiography by Stephanie Zweig, and when it is available in English, I will certainly read it.

Also, the language in this movie is truly beautiful. I saw "Nowhere in Africa" again, just days after watching it for the first time, and spent more time ignoring the subtitles and listening to the beautiful spoken German.

And then there is one scene toward the end that I simply could not believe. It involves a locust invasion, and, quite simply, it was the first time I've ever seen something on the screen and asked myself aloud (as I did the first viewing), "How did they do that?"

The performances here are first-rate, too. Julianne Kohler, who was wonderful in the ultra-weird "Aimee & Junger" is perfect; we understand this woman fully, even when she doesn't speak. Merab Ninidze has some great scenes with Walter, the father; and Sidede Onyulo is simply magical as Owuor.

But the movie belongs to the two girls who play Regina. They look amazingly similar, and they are both stellar. Lea Kurka brings much hope as the adorable young Regina, and Karoline Eckertz is subtle and remarkable as the older Regina, particularly in a heartbreaking exchange with her father at her school.

It would be a shame to miss this film. No, it would be more than a shame. It would be downright wrong and discouraging. This film, along with the wonderful "Whale Rider" are two remarkable international films that bring beauty, grace, and majesty to the screen, and are perfect for adults and older children.

28 Days Later (2002)

3 Reasons Why "28 Days Later..." Works

[18 July 2003]

Three reasons why "28 Days Later..." is an extremely effective horror film:

1. The grainy, pseudo-amateurish style in which the film is shot. It looks like a documentary (and brings back memories of "The Blair Witch Project") and the

scenes with Jim walking in a barren London are extraordinay because they feel eerily real (and we don't expect a film that looks this low-budget to feature this kind of amazing sequence). The style is also good in scenes where there is little or no light (i.e. the opening sequence, when Jim, Mark, and Selena spend the

night at Jim's parents' house).

2. Boyle deliberately makes his 'zombies' difficult to focus on. Like Shyamalan's "Signs", the creatures here are ominous and always slightly out of focus so we never quite know what we are truly looking at. The zombies are fast-moving,

just like the way Boyle films his action sequences; in the opening sequence and when Selena is forced to kill Mark, the camera moves so rapidly, it's hard for us to see what's going on. I assume that Boyle wants us to feel the terror that Jim is feeling, not knowing what is going on, everything happening so fast.

3. The movie is very well-written and acted. I know many have shunned the

final act, but I think it's the film's highpoint, in reference to the script. Like most great horror films, "28 Days Later..." questions the morals and ethics of mankind, and we see the problem facing the army base. How is mankind supposed to

continue living? But the men presented to us at the base are rough and vulgar, and while their thinking may be accurate, their actions prevent them from

helping mankind rebuild. This is a fine screenplay. Also, the movie's fine performances are easily overlooked. Cillian Murphy, as Jim, finds the perfect balance between hero and oblivious commoner, and his

supporting players are all very good.

"28 Days Later..." will hopefully break into the mainstream and become 2003's "The Blair Witch Project". Danny Boyle has made a great horror film.

Moonlight Mile (2002)

A triumphant human drama

[10/10 · 20 December 2002]

'Moonlight Mile' expresses every human emotion, and does it so well that watching this film is like experiencing an emotional revelation.

It is so beautiful, so wonderful, a brilliant meditation of human tragedy, grief, and loss. At least, that is what I heard that it was about when I first saw it. Expecting a retread of last year's electrifying 'In The Bedroom', I came out of the theatre a very surprised moviegoer. Instead of a melancholy, dark study of the psyche, 'Moonlight Mile' was a happy, upbeat film about how, so often after we experience loss, we let the past take over the present, and never let go. The film is a story of three very complex, intellegent individuals. The main character, Joe Nast, is a young man who has just lost his fiancee, Diana, in a tragic murder. We do not see his grief; he bottles it up inside his head, and is only expressed in his dreams. The second character, Ben Floss, is a self-made small-town American, who takes in Joe as his son after Diana, his daughter, is killed. He is very tidy (he cannot stand the telephone not being answered), and very idealistic. The third character is Ben's wife and Diana's mother, JoJo, who, unlike her husband, is very cynical free-spirited writer. Ben shows his grief over Diana's death by taking Joe inside his house and his work. Joe is his new associate; he and JoJo see right through Ben's attempts to forget the horendous event that only happened weeks ago. Then, something unexpected happens. Joe meets Cheryl, a young postal service employee. As they search through the mail for Joe's wedding invitations (the wedding obviously being called off), they glance at each other, and soon, they fall in love and discover that they have both lost love ones in the past. This is great movie. I was first attracted to it because of its similarities to 'In The Bedroom'; but I found a different film, a film that is so sweet, funny, innocent, and above all, heartbreaking. The performances are pitch-perfect: Dustin Hoffman wonderfully recreates the role of the atypical small-town man. Holly Hunter is very effective as the serious, but caring assistant D.A. Susan Sarandon has played this role so many times, and yet every time, she is great. But the film's best performance is that of Jake Gyllanhaal, who plays the young protagonist with a deep complexity, and never allows the great Hoffman or Sarandon to upstage him. He is confident, and should get an Oscar nomination, if the world was fair. But the world isn't fair, and these characters discover that. Diana did not derserve to die, but out of her death came a new life for Joe, and a rebirth of Ben and JoJo's marriage. This is a movie to be treasured for generations to come.

Signs (2002)

A Work of a Master

[10/10 · 31 October 2002]

I saw 'Signs' on the first showin on August 2nd. I was the only one in the theater, and I hoped that M. Night Shyalaman's latest film would give me creeps, just like his previous two.

While the film did have some terrifying moments, 'Signs' proved to be an emotionally powerful and very insightful film. While, on the outset, it may be a scary film, 'Signs' is more about the struggle of a family to survive at a time when danger is lurking.

I have not seen many films like this- a film that completely consumed me. The last time I saw a film like this was when I watched 'The Blair Witch Project'- another horrifying film, but not without depth, and true beauty.

Everybody should see this film. It is a great experience.

Magnolia (1999)

Weird, brilliant, wonderful, dark, beautiful.

[10/10 · 11 October 2002]

P.T. Anderson's 'Magnolia' is one of the most original films ever made. It isn't just a Robert Altman rip-off or a all-star Warner Brothers film of the 40's, it is truly original and brilliant. The first twenty minutes (the Ricky Jay sketch and Aimee Mann's 'One') are the best opening of any movie ever made, with the possible exception of Orson Wells' 'Touch of Evil'. Not for one second of the three hours does this film lag. It is vibrant, alive, and always watchable. The end may cause some questions and comotions. My feelings: what else could happen? There is so much insanity and chaotic feelings here that there could be no way that the characters could come together by the end, except if an event of great magnitude occurred, which it does. This is a great film. See it, and love it!