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Reviews
Les amants criminels (1999)
a truly amoral film
Honestly, I cannot say I enjoy this film too much. Although for years Ozon has impressed me with his penetrative observation and depiction of human psychology,which comes into blossom in many of his great works such as Sitcom and Swimming Pool.
This film somehow reminds me of Hard Candy,which you cannot put any judgment upon as the moral code is totally invalid there.In this film,we have a beautiful girl Alice -half sweet and half vicious; an introverted and simple boy Luc.The couple plan a murder and escape to a wood where they unexpectedly encounter an odd man (whom,we soon find out,is a gay) And the story takes a turn at this point. In this man's seedy and dark house,awful things take place -while Alice is locked in the basement,Luc is treated as a sex doll of the old man. Later they even notice the body of Sid,the guy murdered by them in the basement. Eventually,like most clichéd thrillers,they escape and attract the police,paying their penalty.
While I didn't find the main plot much original,I did feel that the sub-plot quite interesting.Firstly,it doesn't expose Luc's homosexual tendency clearly,which leaves the audiences to figure out whether Luc kills Sid out of jealousy.In fact,several details gives away this message,including the most important one: Luc cannot have a 'hard-on'when he's with Alice.Secondly,it is quite doubtful that whether Alice truly loves Luc.The dream sequence in the basement shows that Alice has fantasies about Sid yet is essentially disappointed over her weak boyfriend.Therefore,the reason why she wants to kill Sid is perhaps a sort of perversity -get high from visceral stimulation.Ultimately,the relationship between the two is a rather perverse one.
As for the morality of the film,I'd say it deconstructs any stable moral system and points no way out;what's more,audiences are put in a strange position where they cannot draw a clear line between the right and the wrong.Alice,both sweet and vicious,can be pitiful in the basement and wicked in rest of the time;the old man is a gay and a cannibalist,yet in the end he lets the couple go;the police,so-called imposer of justice,shoot Alice mercilessly and beat the old man...perhaps the only character that is slightly 'positive'is Luc,yet he is a murder and a potential gay.These explain why I call the film amoral.It is so cynical that it negates all the characters.The audiences are left there drinking down the poison of criminality but unable to find any antidote.
That being said,I cannot figure out the intention of Ozon -a social critique or just another encouragement to voyeurism? Or both? Because if anyone walks out of the cinema saying 'I'm now a better person',I doubt it.But if one says the film is for those who have naive views about the world,much appreciated -it's an eye opener.
Funny Games (2007)
a bit of narcissism
By the time I finished watching this film,I could confidently say that for more than half of the screen time I had been awake -thanks to the previous awareness about the original intention of the director.
And this,proves a big defection of the film.Judging from the reception of the audiences,I must say, the original intention of the director failed to be delivered effectively,the result of which is that American audiences won't realize(accept?) fully that it's a critique of their typical horror genre while the audiences from other cultures will, at best, consider it a pointless avant-garde film.
Nevertheless,the social critiques in this film can surely be spotted.Constructed thoroughly on an 'anti-climax'idea,this film delivers its ironic messages about Hollywood typical horror movies by deliberately goes against audiences' expectations(for a horror movie):while all the gore scenes happen off-screen,all the victims are denied of the chances to survive(note that there isn't a 'last-girl'in most Hollywood horror movies). Of course this film also plays with some 'essential' horror-genre motifs,such as the psychotics killing out of no reason;the helpless victims losing connection with neighbors/police etc.However,there's the 'rewind'sequence that seems absurd that reveals director's sarcastic intentions -the psychotics are not supposed to die,well,at least die so early.
I also noted some interesting things.Again it touches on the issue of poor,miserable people coming from dysfunctional families take revenges on society by torturing the well-off middle class.I wonder is it a common themes in Hollywood horror/crime movies. If so,then it's another parody(or pastiche).Furthermore,in a more implicit way,the psychotic pair are quite possibly gays -isn't it one more proof that it's the marginal people's revenge on the society dismissing them? All in all,I have to say that there's a bit of narcissism in this film -the director wants to criticize something by using self-parody,thinking it will work but ends up making an awkward pastiche.It somehow reminds me of Bigas Luna's Jamon,jamon.I couldn't really say I like this film,but I appreciate Heneke's effort -although it seems half in vain.
What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)
Cry,then move on
Absolutely the best film concerning family issues and goes beyond it.I heard of it long time ago but watched it only last week.Thank god I didn't miss this great work.
I won't elaborate on the plot as it's not complex.However,the psychological struggle of the main characters(especially Gilbert)is.Having been stuck in a boring and small town,the life is hopeless for most residents and it is particularly difficult for the Grapes.Obese mom,willful Ellen and retarded Arnie...it is a highly dysfunctional family that,to make it worse,largely depend on the only 'man' at home-Gilbert.Having to shoulder all the responsibilities,Gilbert must,for most of the time,take care of others and when love comes,the only thing he's supposed to do is to repress himself and leave.
While life treats him so cruelly,he has somehow learned the truth of life and become more mature,caring and stronger.He knows that he can feel frustrated and angry sometimes,but after the fury and tears,he has to get back up again and move on.That's what happens in the end when mom dies unexpectedly,Gilbert decides to defend his mom's dignity by burning down the house.Now they MUST move on as there's no longer a place to settle down.Isn't it better? The ending of the film heralds a brighter prospect that neutralizes the previous depression.
One thing that makes this film outstanding is its sincerity and simplicity.The troublesome family issues,the lost and re-found love,the joys and sorrows in our lives,the ambivalence towards some very close persons...all these are so true and are things we all could identify with.In films like this,no special effects are necessary,hyperbolic acting will be a disaster.Fortunately we have awesome Depp and particularly Leo...the former keeps his excellence by playing a mentally-afflicted role while the latter impresses us with a marvelous acting that enriches this bittersweet story.
High respect to all the actors that grasp the inner world of the characters so well.Equally high respect to the scores in this film-they simply add to the emotional power.
All in all, this is a film that mainly concerns family issues but is by no means limited to it.It's a hymn to life,to being strong and selfless.Gilbert is a hero in an ordinary life,anyone likes him is.Cry,then move on,cos life goes on and we're forever on the road.
The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
Sincere,although a bit clichéd
There're lots of films dealing with the stories that the protagonist fights his/her way into some tough businesses and finally, either succeed or quit knowing his/her own places.One strength of this film is that it,too, picks up this sort of storyline,but the story is told in a sincere and believable way instead of a hyperbolic pretentiousness.
Although I assume some of the audiences were going for the 'glamorous' part in this film,i.e.the fancy shoes,dresses etc.worn by pretty Hathaway,one thing needs to be noted is that the story is far more accessible than those big brands.A newly graduated girl trying to get a job which can not only pay for her rent but also open doors for loads of opportunities.This, I believe, is something many of us can identify with in real life. Despite that she's admitted into a top-notch fashion magazine with a demonic female boss(which is somewhat dramatic of course),her dilemma about choosing between career and friends/love is yet another thing that most of us will have something to say. As I see,it is the key of this film's appeal.
Indeed,I shouldn't forget about the power of the cast.Attractive Anne Hathaway and great Meryl Streep.Lacking some handsome guys isn't the point,it's a film mainly about women: to be a career-obsessed woman or to be an ordinary women enjoying life is the question.And hell yeah,it's never solved.But this film,in the end,points out a direction for the women -well,perhaps implicitly -that smarter choice is to know your place and not to be so ambitious.As the cost you pay,seen in Miranda and Emily,is the absence of normal family and love relationship, is'the whole life that goes up in smoke'.Therefore,it can be argued that this film is ideologically conservative in nature.
Average audiences won't care much about this,all we need is a good story and I think we have it in this film.Although there're some clichés(such as the affair between Andy and Thompson),I have to say Streep plays quite well,also the actor starring Nigel.Hathaway could improve a bit but she's not too bad nonetheless.
Alien Resurrection (1997)
"It's just not right"
Quotes a line from Call,yes,it looks not right and it feels not right.
The Alien trilogy has impressed me a lot and they will remain one of my favorite sequel sci-fi films in the years to come.So,here comes the Resurrection, with a French director,with quite different storyline,so I thought to myself I might as well check it out.
God knows what a sequel it is.I don't want to be over-critical and I must admit there're a few merits about this film such as the special effects and use of lighting at some moments.But unfortunately its downsides outweigh its merits.Firstly,the characters are rather clichéd and generic,there is almost no psychological depth,all you got are rushed and blank dialogues and some boring jokes.Think about Bishop,Hicks and the "mad guy"(forget his name)in A3,these characters won't slip your mind so easily.Secondly, I actually dislike the idea that you got a cloned Ripley and a robot Call in this film,and yeah,they happen to be almost the only two persons in this film that are very compassionate.The idea that cyborgs are more humane and humans is nice,but here it's presented quite unskillful,or,is it a gender stereotype again?Lastly,Ripley's baby alien at the climax is so very unpleasant to watch(gosh,it's a monster from B-movie!)and where did they get this idea to have it touched and pitied by Ripley?It just feels odd and funny.
I have high respect for the trilogy and my personal favorite one is A3.They could have wind up the trilogy perfectly but they did this,which,like a dude mentioned,made Alien series became a franchise.Resurrection is a daring experiment which may appeal to people after gore and flashy effects,but it's not even in the same level with the first three.It's irresponsible,odd and ultimately not original at all.Sorry but we really don't need one more,and Ripley,I like you,but aren't you tired anyway?
The Wicker Man (2006)
where civilization is totally lost
Firstly,I know this is a remake,and I'm pretty clear of the fact that usually a remake cannot match its original counterpart,particularly this film,whose original version got a high score while the remake got mere 3.5,surprisingly.I haven't watched the original myself,so what I can do is just make comments on this one,and to be frank,it's surely underrated here.
In terms of the visual languages,its downside happens to be its upside.Known as a thriller,this film is neither shot in dark lighting nor filled with particularly horrified scores/sounds,nevertheless,the whole atmosphere is odd,unnatural and rather enigmatic,even if for most of the screen time,it is daylight that occupies.Also I wanna give credit to the props&make-up crews for the masks and costumes appearing in this film are impressive,making those odd residents appear more freakish.The acting of Cage is fine but not particularly outstanding.Compared with Cage,other people's acting is forgettable.
What interests me the most,however,is the theme of this film.The ending(which is another highlight of this film due to its unconventionality)reveals that the whole 'issue' is totally a set-up and the only victim is Edward himself.But the interesting thing is,he is chosen not only because he has a blood bond with one of the local resident(Willow) which according to the sisters,could guarantee a better harvest,but also his male identity,as the Summer Isle is actually a female society and "drones must die".Note how Rose teaches her students that the ultimate representation of male is phallus,which indicates that men are only used for breeding.Therefore,the death of Edward is inevitable.The especially evil thing about this film is that it alarms people how far humans can go with the total blindness of their belief-it is where murder is not murder,but part of legitimate ritual;it is where civilization is totally lost and kids turn out to be demons.
Or maybe,the trick of this film is,if we stand aside,charging their belief as insane,we will be dismissed as "patronizing",as self-acclaimed cultured people? Thinking about all those old religions(e.g.voodoo,shamanism)existing today,how is it possible that cannibalism for one society could be 'normal' custom for another?
El orfanato (2007)
Believe, and you'll see
I should be happy about the right decision that I made since I didn't expect to see a nice film at the first place but it turned out to be a great one. After looking thru the screening list I decided to watch this one with my friend, thinking that all the rest films were little more than silly Hollywood clichés. After all, you couldn't expect much from a multiplex cinema which targets at teenagers.
But it proved to be a worthwhile experience. For the past few years we've seen Hispanic imagination in films like Pan's Labyrinth, Cronos, The Day of the Beast and The Other, this time we witnessed Juan Antonio Bayona's talent reflecting in this fantasy thriller. I wanna define this film just in the way the tag line does-a tale of love, a story of horror.
Basically,I consider this film has the following strengths: 1 .the way the plot develops. In fact, during the first 20 minutes or so the film appears to be rather ordinary and dull, as the pace is slow, the acting somehow reminds you of the typical family melodrama. Even if there's a few hints suggesting the mystics waiting to be revealed, they're easily to be taken as some unimaginative old tricks (thinking about Hide and Seek and the likes). However, the plot does develop and gradually shows something engrossing. It's never in a rush, which is a merit for the character-driven films like this, audiences will definitely be caught by the suspense it creates.
2. the balance between horror clichés and originality. It's obvious that quite a few horror iconography can be spotted in this film, most of them, such as the cave, invisible friends, scary noises etc. are already quite familiar to most of us, so it's not really possible to see their presence without secretly laughing at them, but fact is, they're not dominant in this film, rather, they service the theme. At some points, I tend to be preoccupied by the typical Hollywood story lines, thinking that after those ghost children take the revenge, all messes are gonna be wind up, and we will be told that all those horrible things are only insane illusions of Laura- a woman full of maternal love and is a bit obsessed with that. But the director didn't give me the chance to laugh about the silly plot, he handled it smartly and turned it into right direction each time it was about to 'go astray', thus leaving us something to guess and expect.
3. the cinematography. One thing that is noteworthy is the skilled use of camera-work and the great artistic feeling it yields. I can clearly remember the corridor/wash room scene in Laura's house where Thomas is shown as an evil and mysterious figure with his front full figure is pictured at first, and then switched to Laura's front figure, the last scene we could see is part of Thomas's scary mask through the washroom door. Another notable sequence is the one which Aurora acts as the exorcist. That sequence is basically shot from the point of view of the people watching at her via surveillance TV, however, when the camera shifts to Aurora's point of view, nothing is really revealed (partly due to the dark lighting), which pushes the suspense further and raises audiences' curiosity. Apart from these, many subjective shots are used to express Laura's anxiety, fear and determination.
4. the score- another outstanding element in this film. The use of music and sound strongly expresses characters' mentality. They're empathetic, prominent but never too much or too little. We do have some abrupt inharmonious sound giving us a 'heart-attack', we also got mellow and sad music from piano; we have some sequences full of upset noises, we also got scenes with barely any sound except the one of clock-ticking. All these varied types of music/sound adds to the mystic atmosphere of the whole film.
Besides the above points, some other things should be mentioned too. This film is presented by Guillermo Del Toro, a well-known contemporary horror/fantasy master from Mexico, so naturally it has some Toro-feeling in it, most obvious one is probably the theme of the story. Anyone who has watched Cronos would relate this film to that one (not only because we got another Aurora in this film), also, both of them are love stories in nature-they celebrate the power of trust and compassion between the adult and the children. This seems to be a topic constantly picked up by Toro.
All in all, I'll give this film a 7.5/10.It won't ever be an overestimation because it touches me and impresses me with its hybrid of horror style and a universal issue of human condition. And in fact, it even questions our belief about science's rationality-"Hear, but don't listen; people say seeing is believing,it's the other way around: believe, and you'll see."