Saturday, September 29, 2007

September 29th Log

ONCE
2006, John Carney, Ireland
Repeat Viewing, Theater

"Take this sinking boat and point it home..." Once is a simple film, and it is in it’s simplicity that it becomes sweet, lovely, and heartbreaking all at one time. The joy is to see the little details of the film and to embrace them like you would a great song. By little details I mean the gestures, the smiles, or even the sounds of a voice that define this beautiful film and it’s wonderful characters. Once is very much a re-imagination of the Hollywood music, set towards realism. The narrative of this film is pretty simple, but the moments in-between or within the narrative is what transcends this film beyond simplicity. The film has the flow of a song, reaching a moment of pure gold when the Guy (Glen Hansard) and Girl (Marketa Irglova) take a quiet moment together to play a song. At every moment writer-director John Carney (who is a co-member of the band The Frames with Hansard) gives us such a sense of the settings and in this pivotal scene we are intimately taken into the characters as they connect through music (it is heighten by a terrific song – ‘Falling Slowly’). The film later reaches it triumph peak in a beautifully composed one-shot take of Irglova walking home from a convenience store singing her lyrics to Hansard’s music. Of course the films final moment is unforgettable, as the music and narrative come together in a bittersweet ending that captures the connection of music and love as a collective one. Not to be without mentioning is the lead performances from Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, both of whom are real life musicians and have worked together in the past (in 2006 they released The Swell Season). Hansard and Irglova are simply perfect onscreen together and easily define the heartfelt love and friendship of the film, one that is honest and even inspiring in its celebration of music and togetherness.

Friday, September 28, 2007

September 28th Log

WHAT DID THE LADY FORGET?
1937, Yasujiro Ozu, Japan
Repeat Viewing, DVD

What Did the Lady Forget is a joy of a film from Ozu. His earliest influence as a filmmaker was from the West and while this is evident in much of his earliest silent films it may be most prominent in this early talkie. The film is a social satire of the upper class and it even mixes in elements of screwball comedy. The great German-American filmmaker Ernst Lubitsch (known for his "Lubitsch touch') seems to be an influence here. Ultimately this is Ozu at his most lighthearted and charming. This film does not express the human condition as powerfully as his previous film (his first talkie The Only Son). What Did the Lady Forget is a wonderful comedy highlight by terrific performances. This may not be the most significant film Ozu made, but it is among his most endlessly watchable and endearing comedies.

>> More on What Did the Lady Forget? @ A2P Cinema's Yasujiro Ozu website HERE

>>> A scene from What Did the Lady Forget?:




GRACIE
2007, Davis Guggenheim, United States
1st Viewing, DVD

Gracie moves along at a fast pace, quickly giving us everything we expect and have seen before. If your invest the time into the story and characters you will probably be moved and inspired by its ending even though you know it before the film even begins. The film is said to be loosely based on the life of Elisabeth Shue growing up and she co-stars as Gracie’s mother in the film, which is directed by Shue’s real-life husband Davis Guggenheim. Unfortunately the filmmaking is far from personal, despite the fact the filming location were shot at Shue’s home town. The performances are fine and the sense of family loss is occasionally well observed but nothing more the formulaic and the film centers itself to much around the predictability of the climatic game.

Thursday, September 27, 2007

September 27th Log

BUG
2007, William Friedkin, United States

1st Viewing, DVD

Tracy Letts adapted the screenplay from his own play and hired crafty filmmaker William Friedkin to direct. The result is an excellent film. One that grabs you into it’s paranoid world through the claustrophobic atmosphere. Friedkin effectively plays with the theatrical focus of the film, by expressively creating a closed-in surrounding of paranoia. I guess you can consider this a horror film because it is difficult to classify, but to me it is something else. Ashley Judd gives a terrific performance which very well may be her best since her incredible lead in 1993’s Ruby in Paradise. The film is a deeply metaphoric one raising important social questions within it’s bizarre world of hallucinations and paranoia. I’m not sure is this is a film for everyone, but I think it is an interesting and bold achievement.

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

September 26th Log

DEATH PROOF
2007, Quentin Tarantino, United States

1st Viewing, DVD

I don’t like the idea of the two Grindhouse films splitting apart. Death Proof is a fun film for the most part and Quentin Tarantino’s strength with dialogue, with sound, and especially with music are apparent as ever here. Ultimately this is nothing more the parody, even moreso then anything else Tarantino as done. What this film lacks is the absorbing connection you get with the films being reimagined and homged here. The times Death Proof reaches this is whenever Kurt Russell is onscreen. Playing a collective take of his early persona, Russell is the highlight of this otherwise average film. Playing the type of role her excels in, Russell provides all of the films energy and emotion. Death Proof is well made, dividing the look of the first half with a grainy flawed grindhouse feel, before turning it into a more skillfully shot road revenge action film. Death Proof is well worth watching and is a lot of fun, but besides Russell and the soundtrack it lacks the energy and human emotion that is usually present in a Tarantino film.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

September 25th Log

KISSING ON THE MOUTH
2005, Joe Swanberg, United States
1st Viewing, DVD

I liked Independent filmmaker Joe Swanberg’s recent film Hannah Takes the Stairs and decided to seek out his previous work. Kissing on the Mouth is somewhat of a disappointment. While some of what is so great about Hannah Takes the Stairs (or much more specifically the films of Andrew Bujalski) is evident again here, Kissing on the Mouth fails in comparison. To me the film leaves the viewer with a much less absorbing feeling and is ultimately sloppy and unfocused. I like these films, which are now being branded into a subgenre known as Mumblecore, and I applaud these filmmakers for making these films, but this one lacks the charm of something like Bujalski’s brilliant Funny Ha Ha. This film certainly captures and intimacy or reality and un-erotic sex and nudity, but at the same time it lacks that otherworldliness that I also love about the Mumblecore films. In the end, much of this just feels like nothing more the shock value reality cinema.



KNOCKED UP
2007, Judd Apatow, United States
1st Viewing, DVD

Judd Apatow follow-up to his critically acclaimed debut 40 Year Old Virgin is another comedy which blends his trademark raunchy humor with a honest and touching emotion. The formula works to great effect once again, with the only flaw being perhaps that Apatow’s freedom avoids unnecessary scenes hitting the cutting room floor, because at nearly 2 and half hours this particular film could be trimmed down. Or perhaps Apatow is keeping with his roots, because the unneeded scenes are primarily those centered around the raunchy shenanigans of Ben Stone’s (played by Seth Rogen) friends. Otherwise this is a very generous and funny comedy. It is geared for a pop-culture mainstream audience, but this is as good as it can be. Most of all because it has heart, and that is where the wide appeal of the film comes. Of course that and the likable performances by the cast, most notably Seth Rogen and Katherine Heigl in the leads. Knocked Up is funny and raunchy, but at it’s core it is a film that takes itself serious. Because of this the film is an endearing one.

September 24th Log

BEFORE SUNSET
2004, Richard Linklater, United States
Repeat Viewing, HBO

"I don't have any permanent place her. In eternity or whatever, and the more I think that I can't go through life saying this is no big deal. This is it! This is actually happening. What do you think is interesting? What do you think is funny? What do you think is important? Every day is our last." Anytime I see this film coming on, I can’t resist… To me it is 77 minutes of cinematic perfection and a film I absolutely consider one of my all-time favorites from any decade/country/etc. It really is perfection. Such a simple film but one that emerges layers and layers of depth on human and spiritual levels. I love this film so much and will continue to rewatch it over and over everytime feeling differently or perhaps breathtakingly curious about what continues after the fade to black over Nina Simone singing “Just in Time”… and I love that the curiosity will never go away!!!

Saturday, September 22, 2007

September 22nd Log

LINDA LINDA LINDA
2005, Nobuhiro Yamashita, Japan
Repeat Viewing, DVD

Linda Linda Linda is a joy of a film. One that is irresistibly sweet and silly and inspiring. Simple and full of energy, the film is driven by it’s moments between the narrative. The setting is a high school and the story centers around an all-girl rock band that wants to perform at the schools local rock festival. When the lead singer leaves the band, they get a shy Korean exchange student as a replacement. Predictable or simple as the story is, it is an absolute gem. You know where it’s going, but the pleasure is the moments within. You connect with these characters and the awkward gestures and conversations they share. The performances are wonderful, but it is Bae Doo-Na that is the standout. One of the very best actresses of her generation, Bae always commands attention on screen the way she boldly captures the essence of her characters. Here she is so warmly loveable as the Korean exchange student. The other character of the film is the music. Linda Linda Linda finds the core of music as a function of spirit and soul and of togetherness. Here it defines the punk-rock inspirations and speaks of individuality. When the ending arrives, it connects on a universal level. It takes over the human soul and encourages you to jump up and sing along: “Linda Linda … Linda Linda Lindaaaaddddaaaaa!!!” It’s irresistible and you will be unable to get it out of your head long afterwards. Linda Linda Linda is funny and quirky. It is a film that you watch and admire for it’s humanity and energy.



ANATOMY OF A MURDER
1959, Otto Preminger, United States
Repeat Viewing, Turner Classic Movies

Anatomy of a Murder is not only one of (if not the!) greatest courtroom films ever made, it's also among the truly greatest films of all-time, period! There's just so much to love about this film. It's a film that was years ahead of it's time and remains fresh, and exciting today. Otto Preminger's direction is simply put, flawless. Even at 160 minutes, there is not a moment wasted (from the legendary Saul Bass' wonderful opening title design sequence through the "poetic justice for everyone", final shot of the high heel). There are many factors that Anatomy of a Murder such an engaging film, but none more then the jazz score of the genius Duke Ellington. Ellington is, to me, the greatest musical composer/songwriter of the 20th Century, and here he makes his landmark statement in cinema, with one of the most absorbingly beautiful scores in film history. The always brilliant James Stewart gives yet another memorable performance, as does George C Scott in the role of the prosecuting attorney. Together they display a fascinating display of intelligence, depth, chemistry, and alot of humor. There are some unforgettable, fast, and witty verbal exchanges that capture a comedic, an authentic, and a dramatic emotional response. Anatomy of a Murder often gets forgotten among the greatest films in American cinema, however it's timelessness and brilliance has proven it's certainly worthy of such recognition!

Friday, September 21, 2007

September 21st Log

RED ROAD
2006, Andrea Arnold, United Kingdom / Denmark

1st Viewing, DVD

Red Road was the Jury Prize Winner at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival. The film begins effective, building up atmosphere and a feeling of detachment from the world. However, contrived plot elements take over the final third of the film and the result is a rather dull film. The film is directed by English filmmaker Andrea Arnold (who won an Oscar for her short film Wasp). Arnold has some connections with the Dogme (Lars von Trier) crew and her influences are evident in both style and technique (stripping the film of traditional elements such as score and lighting). Red Road is well made, but ineffective in it’s storytelling. I will be interested to see what Andrea Arnold does with her next film.



FLOATING WEEDS
1959, Yasujiro Ozu, Japan
Repeat Viewing, DVD

By 1959 Ozu had converted to making color films, but he refused to fall into the conventions of CinemaScope. Ozu preferred his rare and simplistic filmmaking style. However, with Floating Weeds he did get the legendary Japanese cinematographer Kazuo Miyagawa (most known for his work with the great Kenji Mizoguchi) to photograph the film. It remains one of the only post-war films not be shot by Yuuharu Atsuta and also one of the few color films in which the camera moves. Visually the film is stunning and breathtakingly rich and detailed. Floating Weeds is a remake of Ozu's 1934 silent film A Story of Floating Weeds. While the storyline is alike, the biggest difference between the film lies in the tone. Both films handle the melodrama in different ways. Floating Weeds is a compassionate at times visually masterful film. Not everything works here but there are some moments of humor and subtle poetry.

>>> More on Floating Weeds @ A2P Cinema's Yasujiro Ozu website HERE

>>> Here is a clip from the opening moments of Floating Weeds:

Thursday, September 20, 2007

September 20th Log

STRAIGHTHEADS aka CLOSURE
2006, Dan Reed, United Kingdom
1st Viewing, DVD

After building a career of critical praise and accolades on political documentaries and television series, Straightheads (released in America on DVD as Closure) marks the feature directorial debut from Dan Reed. The film becomes a multiple layered examination of revenge from both the female and male perspectives and observes how ultimately the views change in the face of vengeance. For the most part the film does a fine job of this and effectively gives us a mysteriousness that is required. The performances are fine, with Gillian Anderson being especially good. The marketing of the film has compared it to Sam Peckinpah’s Straw Dogs and the comparisons seem justified. Straightheads was not as well received but it is a better film then I anticipated.



THE CAMDEN 28
2007, Anthony Giacchino, United States
1st Viewing, DVD

Winner of two awards at the Philadelphia Film Festival, The Camden 28 is an excellently made and powerful documentary. Director Anthony Giacchino reveals the relatively unknown story of a group of human rights activists efforts to rebel the Vietnam War by burglarizing a Draft Office in Camden. Ratted out by a mole 28 members were charged with felonies, only to be acquitted. Over 30 years, this documentary gives their story and becomes a powerful tale of betrayal, of forgiveness, and of ethics in the face of government exploitation. If the film has a flaw it is over the course of it’s ending, which goes a bit to far. But otherwise, this is an insightful and moving documentary, made with effective kindness and beauty.

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

September 19th Log

ONCE
2006, John Carney, Ireland
1st Viewing, Theater

"Take this sinking boat and point it home..." Once is a simple film, and it is in it’s simplicity that it becomes sweet, lovely, and heartbreaking all at one time. The joy is to see the little details of the film and to embrace them like you would a great song. By little details I mean the gestures, the smiles, or even the sounds of a voice that define this beautiful film and it’s wonderful characters. Once is very much a re-imagination of the Hollywood music, set towards realism. The narrative of this film is pretty simple, but the moments in-between or within the narrative is what transcends this film beyond simplicity. The film has the flow of a song, reaching a moment of pure gold when the Guy (Glen Hansard) and Girl (Marketa Irglova) take a quiet moment together to play a song. At every moment writer-director John Carney (who is a co-member of the band The Frames with Hansard) gives us such a sense of the settings and in this pivotal scene we are intimately taken into the characters as they connect through music (it is heighten by a terrific song – ‘Falling Slowly’). The film later reaches it triumph peak in a beautifully composed one-shot take of Irglova walking home from a convenience store singing her lyrics to Hansard’s music. Of course the films final moment is unforgettable, as the music and narrative come together in a bittersweet ending that captures the connection of music and love as a collective one. Not to be without mentioning is the lead performances from Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, both of whom are real life musicians and have worked together in the past (in 2006 they released The Swell Season). Hansard and Irglova are simply perfect onscreen together and easily define the heartfelt love and friendship of the film, one that is honest and even inspiring in its celebration of music and togetherness.



STEPHAINE DALEY
2006, Hilary Brougher, United States

1st Viewing, DVD

Stephanie Daley opens with images of winter landscapes and snow. This immediately sets the tone for what is truly a cold and bleak film. Dealing with a young girl that is in denial of a pregnancy and that she ultimately murdered her baby by secretly delivering it. A forensic psychologist is sent to investigate the case, and we soon discover she herself has a troubled history. Together the two own find strength in each. That may sound like a cliché, but I assure you this film is a powerful one through the performances of the terrific leads (Amber Tamblyn, as the 16-year-old girl and especially good is Tilda Swinton as the psychiatrist). Heightening the film is the director and narrative control from writer-director Hilary Brougher, in her second feature film. There is a beautiful flow to the film that gives it a lyrical flow over top the surface of a tragic story. Above all the film is deeply human and one with layers of psychological depth. Stephanie Daley is a film you watch and think about long afterwards.

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

September 18th Log

TONY TAKITANI
2001, Jun Ichikawa, Japan

Repeat Viewing, DVD

Even at just 75 minutes, Tony Takitani is a touching film of complex and deep emotion levels. It is such a simple and quiet film that delves so deep into its character and ultimately becomes a very unique portrayal of loneliness. Most notably the film captures the loneliness and emotional state of it's title character (played by Issei Ogata). However, it also captures this sense of loneliness in the young woman he falls in love who's connection with life is her obsession to shop for clothes. It is when Tony falls in love with this woman that he realizes his loneliness prior and that losing her would put him into an isolated state he couldn't control. Tony Takitani is made at an elegant pace. Director Jun Ichikawa presents a very unique style that includes a voice-over narrator throughout with the characters occasionally narrating as the film is progressing. The film also features consistent profile and parallel tracking shots as transitions, close-up shots of feet/shoes, a dull almost black and white visual color, and a couple trademark Ozu-like shots (including smoke pipes, and low angle compositions from the top of a Japanese hill). Tony Takitani is a beautifully made, and heartbreaking film. It is a quiet film, but the emotional depths speak volumes.

Saturday, September 15, 2007

September 15th Log

THE MIRROR
1975, Andrei Tarkovsky, Soviet Union

Repeat Viewing, DVD

The Mirror is masterful Russian director Andrei Tarkovsky's most personal and ultimately most artistic film. Tarkovsky's trademark slow pace, and brilliant long takes are beautiful to watch. Through images and dreams we are taken into the minds of the films character, but are always left with a secret. The film flows like a dream in both color and black and white. The Mirror is most of all an autobiography towards Tarkovsky's relations and memories of his Mother and Father, whom he deeply cared for. The Mirror is a film of childhood memories and the emotions, feelings, and images of those memories. The cinematography is among the best you'll see in cinema, specifically the masterful use of color and visions of nature. The closing moments are deeply touching and beautiful. The Mirror is artistic cinema at it's most breathtaking and poetic. It does what wonderful and powerful cinema should: capture emotions through it's images! True art, and more importantly true cinema, captures the emotions and soul of the viewer and let's them ponder the imagery subconsciously. Tarkovsky masters this ability and remains one of cinema's most gifted visionaries.

Friday, September 14, 2007

September 14th Log

WALK CHEERFULLY
1930, Yasujiro Ozu, Japan
1st Viewing, DVD

Today marked my first viewing of this 1930 Ozu silent film. To date, I have now seen all but three of his surviving 33 feature films. Walk Cheerfully is uncharacteristically Ozu in it’s highly stylized, fast paced, and genre blending approach. Ozu shares the writing credit with Japanese filmmaker Shimizu Hiroshi, whom Ozu greatly admired and admitted gave him the idea for the story. Walk Cheerfully is a mix of genres (crime, drama, comedy, romance) while recalling obvious inspirations and references to Hollywood silent films. Stylistically, much is unique from Ozu’s definitive work, yet there are still visual motifs and patterns that are evident. However, here the compositions are far more stylish then most of Ozu’s work (even in comparison to his silent films). The film takes on multiple plot layers, but the focus is on Kenji, a petty thief who decides to go straight after he falls for a sweet woman (Yasue). Kenji’s girlfriend (in full femme fatale / Louis Brooks mode) tries to lure him back into the life of crime, only to turn on him and hand him over to the police. Kenji “walks cheerfully” knowing that Yasue, her mother, and her sister will be waiting for him to return. Walk Cheerfully is not essential Ozu, but it is an entertaining and kindhearted film. One that is made in unexpected style and pace- including a skillful execution in camera movement and nourish devices that make it unique from almost anything else Ozu made before or after.

>>> More on Record of Walk Cheerfully @ A2P Cinema's Yasujiro Ozu website HERE

>>> A clip from Walk Cheerfully:




FAR FROM HEAVEN
2002, Todd Haynes, United States
Repeat Viewing, DVD

Continuing my month repeat viewing of Todd Haynes films… Todd Haynes 2002 film, Far From Heaven, is bold and involving. There is no question about the influences here: the 1950s Technicolor melodramas by Douglas Sirk (most notably All That Heaven Allows). Aside from capturing the look, emotions, sounds, feelings, and period details of the era, Haynes is essentially making the film has if it were the 1950s. What results is a work that that is not only deeply respectful of it's inspirations, but also gives more complex examination and in many ways is perhaps more authentic and more important, and more powerful. Todd Haynes has made a 1950s film without holding back the restrictions those films did at the time. Julianne Moore's performance is amazing. It's as if Moore (and the viewer) lose themselves in the character. Everything we see becomes and feels real. The supporting cast is equally wonderful, lead by the always reliable Dennis Quaid and Patricia Clarkson. This is a film of human feelings and behavior. It is a love story of two lost souls who relationship is doomed by a society and behavior of ignorance and hatred. The films greatest strength lies in the beautiful photography. The colorsare so refreshing and it's as if they help tell the story without feeling staged. From the opening crane shot through the fall leaves, Far From Heaven is a flawless film of visual imagery. Every detail is finely designs from colors, locations, sets, and costumes. But above all this is a film of masterful compositions, which (like the themes of the film) hold endless layers and depth beneath the surface. There is such richness and patterned texture within every frame of the composition,which captured the expression of the film (often without the need of dialogue). This is filmmaking at it's most visually complex and artistic. The emotional style may seem a bit to melodramatic and dated to some viewers. However, those that appreciate the glorious cinematography, fine detailed sets and costumes, haunting score, and flawless directing and acting, will see it for what it is: A completely respectful, authentic and sometimes painful look at what life was really like back in "the good old days" that in so many ways really weren't all that great! Bottom line: a masterpiece film that will hit on all visual and emotion levels.

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

September 12th Log

AWAY FROM HER
2007, Sarah Polley, Canada

Repeat Viewing, DVD

Away From Her is (to date) the best 2007 release I have seen! Written and directed by actress Sarah Polley in her debut, who adapted the film from a short story by Alice Munro (“The Bear Came Over the Mountain”), Away From Her is a heartrending film of memory, and of marriage. The film is beautifully structured like a poem, drifting in a non-linear journey of the past and present. The film opens with a series of shots that are poignantly rendered, as we subtly observe three different perspectives of a couple cross-country skiing (together, on separate paths, and then together again). Polley effectively plays with time, skillfully heightening the films treatment of memory- much in a similar style of the films co-producer Atom Egoyan (who directed Polley in his 1997 masterpiece The Sweet Hereafter). Only 28 years old, Polley shows the grace and wisdom of a filmmaker far ahead of her age in the way she finds the perfect little details of a 44-year old marriage. A love that after 44-years has grown stronger through memory. So what happens when Fiona (played by Julie Christie in a career-defining performance) suffers Alzheimer's disease? Can their love persevere? When Fiona tells her husband Grant that she “is beginning to disappear”, she agrees to be submitted to Meadowlake Nursing Home, a place that seems destined to erase memories of the past, even a 44-year marriage. By Meadowlakes policy (which as a nurse states is probably more convenient for the staff), Grant must be away from Fiona for 30 days. The films title seems to reflect both husband and wife, as they are taken away (he from her, and her from herself) from the loss of shared memory. Carrying the emotional weight of the film without an ounce of sentiment is the incredible performance from the always reliable Julie Christie. As Fiona, Christie is heart-wrenching, but in a way that is perfectly subtle and underplayed. Away From Her is an incredibly moving film. It is heartbreakingly sad, but ultimately hopeful in its graceful observation of acceptance, and of selfless love.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

September 5th - September 11th Log

The website was down for the past week due to several internal modifications. I will try to return to regular posting, but in the meantime here is a very brief recap of the past weeks log…

Most of this month I have been watching the entire Azumanga Daioh anime series. 26 episodes over a six disc set, this series is well worth the time invested. It is a quirky fun in the warmest and most honest of manners. I really loved the feeling this series left me with. The characters are the strength, but the visual animation and storytelling are also quite good... I watched was Luis Bunuel’s Milky Way, said to be the first of a thematic trilogy (with The Phantom of Liberty and The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie). The Milky Way touches further on Bunuel’s fascination with religion (Catholicism). The result is a film that is uneven (perhaps intentionally so) but certainly interesting and well worth checking out as a companion to Bunuel’s late masterworks. I also watched acclaimed Iranian director Jafar Panahi’s fifth film… A follow up to his bleakest film (Crimson Gold) Offside may be Panahi’s most accessible work, yet one that reexamines the role of the woman in Iran and it is made with his typical documentary-like style… Some other films I have been watching this month are those by David Gordon Green and Todd Haynes, two of my favorite filmmakers in current American cinema. Still awaiting the release of Green’s 4th film (which premiered at Sundance and should reach American theaters in 2008), I re-watched his third film Undertow, Green's most narrative-based film. He's working within genre, but rather then conveying cliches, Green takes a genre formula into a style very few can capture. Really, Green's films have such a unique and distinctive quality. While they obviously take place in the south, his films have a timeless and placeless-ness to it. Even though Undertow is his most conventional narrative film, story (as always with Green) is overshadowed by atmosphere and mood. I plan of viewing some more Haynes films later this month, but one I did recently rewatch was his brilliant 1987 masterpiece Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story. Reinventing the boundaries of the biopicture, Haynes gives us a unique look into multiple genres without relying on the gimmick of the concept. Ultimately Haynes transcends the gimmick into artistic and ironic depths that make it truly a rare achievement…. Tow other films I saw, Georgia Rule, which I did not really enjoy, and a repeat viewing of Woody Allen’s Scoop, which can absolutely be enjoyed when not taken too seriously.

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

Site Maintenance

This website is currently undergoing some internal maintenance… posts will return sometime in the next few days.

Tuesday, September 4, 2007

September 4th Log

ALL THE REAL GIRLS
2003, David Gordon Green, United States
Repeat Viewing, DVD

I have seen All the Real Girls many many many times. Viewing George Washington yesterday left me wanting more David Gordon Green and it has been awhile since I last saw this film (which I try to revisit once a year at the very least). I absolutely love the feeling this film leaves me with… Breathless with joy and hope even in its saddest moments!! It’s beautiful, funny, heartbreaking, and absolutely lovely. David Gordon Green is a genius in my eyes. He is the next generations Terrence Malick… a poet of filmmaking. To date, Green has made three films (all of which I believe to be great) and I think he will continue making great films, but I don’t know if he’ll ever surpass All the Real Girls. I love this filmmaker, I love this cast, I love this film. “You have my heart…”

Monday, September 3, 2007

September 3rd Log

RIDE IN THE HIGH COUNTRY
1962, Sam Peckinpah, United States
1st Viewing, Turner Classic Movies

Before completely reimagining the western genre with his groundbreaking 1969 film The Wild Bunch, Sam Peckinpah made Ride in the High Country. The film is his first western and above all the film seems to mark a swan song for its lead actors, Joel McCrea and Randolph Scott, both of whom had long lasting careers in the western genre. Here they play two aging gunmen who are hired by a bank to deliver gold from a mining camp. The narrative is quite simple and certainly nothing innovative, but the lyrical direction of Peckinpah combined with the powerful performances by McCrea and Scott (in their last significant roles). Even before making more definitive film of his style, Ride in the High Country stands as one of Peckinpah’s better films. One that captures his trademark realism and complex morality. It is also an important tribute to a genre and of two of it’s long lasting figures.



GEORGE WASHINGTON
2001, David Gordon Green, United States

Repeat Viewing, IFC

My friend George said that he was gonna live to be 100 years old. He said, He said that he was going to be the president of the United States. I wanted to see him lead a parade and wave a flag on the Fourth of July." In his first feature film, filmmaker David Gordon Green wrote / directed the fascinating and artistic George Washington. It's a very creative and original vision, which draws inspiration from the masterful work of Charles Burnett’s essential 1977 masterwork Killer of Sheep, as well as the films of Terrence Malick (specifically Days of Heaven). Much like these influences, Green stretches the boundaries of plot and storytelling to create a unique quality, while remaining honest and respectful of the viewer and the films characters. The characters (and audience) never get cheated or manipulated. More so then plot, George Washington relies on a series of incidents to examine the minds and feelings of it's young characters (who ALL are perfect, despite absolutely NO acting experience). Despite the films minor plot, it still manages to be powerful and creates a mood and sense of humanity to keep viewers interest in it's study of poor kids in an adult world, which seems to be decaying around them. The impact and strength of the film (like Days of Heaven) can mostly be credited to the outstanding cinematography by Tim Orr (who Green respectfully shares the end credit with). The train tracks, junk-yards, pools, bathrooms, and homes which surround George Washington have an equal role to it's characters. Green and Orr brilliantly capture atmosphere and mood, and their work has such a timeless and placeless quality to it. Race, class, or even corporations are nonexistent in this films world. While George Washington may not be absolutely perfect, it's still an excellent film from a gifted young filmmaker, and highly recommended to those who enjoy the artistic vision and poetic power of cinema.

Saturday, September 1, 2007

A2P Cinema September Feature Film

RIO BRAVO
Howard Hawks . 1959 . United States

>> more @ a2pcinema.com