Rabbit Hole (John Cameron Mitchell, 2010): This film chronicles the lives of a couple after they lose their 4 year old son in a tragic accident. What makes this film unique is that it's eight months after the incident, which is the time when things are more or less back to normal and there is some sort of routine now that they are trying to develop and keep. It's an interesting situation, it's the middle of the point where things are getting back to normal but the memory of the accident is still very much there. Nicole Kidman's character tries to get on with a normal life, but always finds reminders of the accident. Different ways of handling a tragedy are brought up in the film, but by the end of the film there is only one way that works for sure and that ending is beautifully done. There's almost no exposition in terms of what happened and telling us who these people are, yet we piece things together anyway. If there's any complaint I have it's that if the film was longer we could have found out more about Aaron Eckhart's character who is not as fleshed out as Kidman's character (who you could argue is the main character but i thought both were equally compelling). The film also isn't as sad as it sounds, it's got lots of well-placed humor and hope and it rarely suffers from tonal problems. Side-note: the poster above is brilliant and one of the best posters of the year. It captures the film extremely well in a way I never thought a poster could do.
Grade: B+
Raging Bull (Martin Scorsese, 1980): Another one of my favorites of all time that ranks up there for me with "2001" (which I talked about last week). This here is the ultimate dissection of a man. Martin Scorsese luckily found a man whose life story seemed to be a great fit for Scorsese's sensibilities and themes. Many of his movies feature characters engaging in self-punishment over guilt or trying to get some sort of redemption for their mistakes. This film uses boxing to portray that in a brilliant way, Scorsese highlights every drop of blood and sweat in the ring to make sure you know LaMotta is getting pounded. In "Raging Bull," LaMotta seems to be punishing himself over the mistakes he's making in his marriage and ultimately his relationship with his brother. It's no coincidence that when his marriage is going well, his boxing career is doing well, and when he starts doubting his wife and brother, that's when his boxing starts taking a fall. Why does LaMotta doubt his wife? Groucho Marx said it best: "I wouldn't want to be in a club that would have me as a member." LaMotta knows he's a horrible husband, and that's why he's sure his wife is cheating on him, and that creates this cycle of guilt and punishment. The miracle of this film is that all of this is said in a way that's very subtle. Men like LaMotta don't wear their emotions on their sleeve, but that doesn't mean they don't have them. This film knows that and is made in a way that's subtle, yet deep and enriching. This film is easily the best sports movie, just as "2001" is easily the best science fiction movie. These two films take that honor because they're so far apart from their respective genres that they're complete, and unforgettable films that will surely stand the test of time.
Grade: A
Stagecoach (John Ford, 1939): Westerns were always more fascinating to me on a sociological level rather than a personal level, and by that I mean I'm fascinated by what they say about those that liked westerns. I knew a lot about westerns from classes and articles but never watched many, though I did intend on it eventually. Recently "True Grit" came out and it was a very straightforward old school western, I thought the film was good but I didn't love it, yet I loved Roger Deakins' photography of the western landscape and that got me into the "western mood" I've been waiting to get into. I first saw "The Searchers" a couple weeks ago which I loved, so I decided to back to the first famous Johh Ford/John Wayne collaboration, "Stagecoach." Overall I did feel a bit disappointed with this one, considering how good "The Searchers" was. Ford's directing craft is amazing for sure, especially the climactic action sequence, but the story and characters weren't all that interesting to me. While the film itself is only a bit above average, I do realize and respect the influence this film has had. It did a lot to make the genre taken more seriously and definitely got John Ford and John Wayne the boost in their careers they needed.
Grade: B-
Red River (Howard Hawks, 1948): While this wasn't directed by John Ford, here's a western that's certainly comparable to "The Searchers" in terms of quality as opposed to "Stagecoach". In this one John Wayne plays a sort of anti-hero. His status as a hero is never for sure, and that's why it's so interesting. Montgomery Clift plays his adopted son, and that rise to power that happens is very well played out. The character dynamics between the two is extremely compelling and the story itself is very memorable. It's very hard to forget the sight of 9,000 cows crossing a river or running on a stampede. It's a big movie that has appropriately complex characters. The film does falter in some scenes, especially in the ones involving females, which is a problem that is in most all westerns I've seen so far, even "The Seachers." But otherwise this is definitely a strong film with strong characters and a great premise.
Grade: B+
sex, lies and videotapes (Steven Soderbergh, 1989): Soderbergh's debut film is extremely impressive and very well crafted. He wrote a very good screenplay that riffs on themes of therapy, privacy, voyeurism, honesty all at once. We know all four main characters really well and have a real interest in what happens to them and what they do. The directing is also really great in that it shows us what's happening in a very effective way, without distracting us. Both the screenplay and directing were done in ways that enhance the themes of the movie and being innovative and unpredictable, but the great thing is that all this was done without being distracting. The style was not far off from being mainstream, and at the same time not so far off that the style is so obvious and flashy. Soderbergh's first film is a perfect introduction to how he would operate in this career. Even now, he can easily go from the three star-studded "Oceans" movies to an independent non-commercial film like "The Girlfriend Experience" (which I unfortunately have yet to see). But back to this film, it's a simple, yet deep film that you can read into, and that's why I feel like I'd learn a lot more about it with more viewings and those are the films that really stay with you and become your favorites. I really liked this movie this first time, but I feel like I'll like it even more the next time.
Grade: A-
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