kumanoir Reviews

Slither (1973)

A clear influence on the Coen brothers

[7/10 · 3 December 2012]

An ex-con stumbles across America, meeting one oddball character after another, while being pursued by a mysterious black minivan. The characters are wonderful - oddball without being exaggerated or overdone. The plot is engrossing. It's a wonderful piece of 70s anarchy. It is very clear that this must have been a big influence on the Coen brothers movies. That combination of deadpan observation of personal quirk and absurdity, combined with violence and a twisting plot. The Big Lebowski is a clear example of where you'll this film's influence. All the performances are great, with Sally Kellerman being her usual unforgettable self.

All the Queen's Men (2001)

Inspired Silliness

[7/10 · 16 November 2012]

The premise sounds very dumb, and also unbelievable. But the movie makers took this into account. The movie takes its drag premise very lightly, and manages to get some real drama out of it. This movie has amazing performances, especially from Eddie Izzard. It also has scenes that can only be called surreal - Maerchenland is brilliant. The movie is actually quite serious, with the plight of the infiltrating team becoming ever more dire. There is even a very heartfelt and believable gay romance between Izzard and his German friend that seems entirely natural. What probably puts people off is the mixture of camp and drama, which I think works very well. This is not a terrible movie at all, but quite enjoyable and - dare I say it? - well thought out. It doesn't deserve the slagging it's gotten. Take a chance and you'll enjoy yourself.

The Good Life (2007)

Understated, yet powerful and interesting

[13 September 2011]

This is a quiet movie that builds in power over time. It's a slice of life movie, but much more. It tells a story of how powerful the need to escape can be, but how this need, by its very strength, can make you its slave. The cast is amazing, and the pacing is hypnotic. The leads are perfect and totally engrossing. Often movies like this skimp on plot, but I was very satisfied the movie has a very interesting plot twist 2/3rd through, that makes you reevaluate everything you've seen so far. Yet this twist is completely organic to the story, not something thrown in from outside. Very deftly handled. Well done. Though I don't know why Canadians have to pretend their movies take place in the US, when they take place in Manitoba.

Bellflower (2011)

Huge Disappointment

[7 August 2011]

The premise of this movie is so evocative and brilliant, that what the director/writer actually gives you is even more of a disappointment. Don't be deceived by the publicity. This is by no means an apocalyptic melodrama, full of flame throwing hipsters wreaking havoc everywhere they go. FAR FROM IT. This is a vapid mumblecore boyfriend/girlfriend drama with some digressions that barely graze the original premise. Almost the entire movie consists of the very slow charting of how two couples find each other, couple, uncouple, recouple, etc. It's completely generic at that level.

Spoiler alert below!

Also, I totally lost respect for the director/writer when, after finally showing us something shocking and violent - most the main characters murder each other or commit suicide - all this turns out to have just been a revenge fantasy in the mind of Woodrow, and it turns out none of it actually happened. How cowardly.

The movie has great pretensions to rocking our world, but turns out to be entirely timid and conventional. All the expressionist cinematography in the world doesn't make it interesting or original. Skip it.