Harlan County, U.S.A. (1976)

Director: Barbara Kopple

 This is a classic documentary about organizing coal miners that so simply and effectively takes on the cause of the working class against the corporations. The union is the one institution that has the potential to actually fight corporations and win, and this great movie displays how hard the corporations will push back against organizing workers. The movie displays the tactics that the corporation will use in order to put down the unions and to please their shareholders, it reminds me of governments who will do anything to put down uprisings, including using violence.

The film is best at showing the difficulties in the lives of these coal miners and the sacrifices and effort they must go through to get what they need for themselves, which is respect and fairness. Launching a movement against such a powerful company can be very difficult, and more often than not immense sacrifices must be made to get that, sometimes they even include death. We really end up getting to know some of the miners most involved in the situation, and I really enjoyed the very personal songs the film would play that were written and sung by coal miners and their wives. Barbara Kopple took some great risks in making this film, including risks to her physical self, and it really pays off because this is one important documentary.

Grade: A

The Walking Dead: Season Two (2012)

Showrunner: Glen Mazzara

 The first season of this zombie show was only six episodes long, so this 13-episode season would really show people if this was a dud or a truly great series. For me, it did not do either. The show definitely is not great. The characters are all frequently annoying and put themselves into contrived situations. Their lack of consistency can also be frustrating. They are just not that compelling, and if the show had at least one truly fascinating, smart, interesting main character, it would be much better. There was also the really slow storytelling that was slow not because they were trying to prove some important point or anything, it was slow and unfocused with no real singular conflict.

But I still cannot call the show a complete failure, because I must admit, unlike the pretty bad first half, the second half of the season does pick things up. There is a real simple conflict between Shane and Jim, and that conflict is given time to get bigger and bigger, and the climax of that conflict is completely satisfying. The moral and ethical decisions were simple, real consequences were there, and real decisions were made. I will say though, the main reason I will continue watching this show is because there is and has been potential for The Walking Dead and so you never know when you might see some great storytelling that happen to include some great zombie deaths. I do hope they find that potential next season.

Grade: C

The Seventh Continent (1989)

Director: Michael Haneke

 Based on a real event in which a family inexplicably kill themselves after destroying all their possessions, Michael Haneke's brilliant debut feature film can be hard to watch, but that's only because the movie wants the audience to have a hard time. The first two thirds of the film are composed of two days in the life of this family, both days separated by a year. They are a bit boring at first, but in retrospect you realize that it is exactly the mundanity of these two days that is so important to what happens on the third day, in which everything unravels.

There is no direct given reason as to why everything unravels and this family does what they do. Instead we see it as a general symptom of their alienating and pointless daily lives. Haneke shows us this by intense close ups of everyday items, forcing us to actually notice the things we do not usually notice. Haneke is such a visceral and powerful filmmaker, he is definitely a provocateur, but he never uses gimmicks. He is not a filmmaker who is afraid to go after the audience and be immensely critical (See: Funny Games). With The Seventh Continent we see that Haneke always had this quality, and he has yet to lose it.

Grade: A-

Game Change (2012)

Director: Jay Roach

 This is an HBO movie about the Republican side of the 2008 presidential campaign. I reviewed the film for the paper, and you can find that review here. I don't have much to say beyond the review. I will say that, having read the book the film is based on, the movie takes almost every thing from the book, and I'm fairly confident in the accuracy of the book so the movie should be fairly accurate as well. Even if specific scenes are not exactly accurate, I've heard from multiple credible sources that the spirit of the campaign caught in the film is certainly accurate.

Grade: B

21 Jump Street (2012)

Directors: Phil Lord & Chris Miller

 Currently, people love making fun of the 80's, and this movie plays into that current cultural sentiment completely. Most people watching this movie probably have not seen the 80's TV show that it's based on, but it's obvious this is a movie that is remake of something from the 80's, and the movie is very self-aware about that fact. A lot of great humor comes from the acknowledging of 80's high school stereotypes and parodies of 80's action movies. It's all very good fun.

This is also one of those movies that has laughs every minute or so, instead of those other comedies that that may be funny due to the premise. This is one is definitely one of those laugh-out-loud films rather than the joyful smiling movies. The story is fairly standard for an action/comedy like this, there are barely any risks or anything unique with the structure or story, but there are enough laughs to make this very worth it.

Grade: B-

Justified: Season Two (2011)

Creator: Graham Yost

 After a solid, but a bit underwhelming first season, the second season of Justified started back again with the clever dialogue and strong individual stories in each episode, but there was definitely an increase in time given to the season-long arcs. There are parts of the first half of this season that suffer from the same blandness of the first season, but the last five or so episodes in particular tell a great crime story on a rural scale featuring some really unique and great characters played by Margo Martindale and Jeremy Davies.

This season also highlighted what this show does best, and that is showcase this specific part of America and give it a definable culture. The cultural ticks and rules of Harlan Country are captured very well and then when put through the point of view of Raylan, the main character, a man who left and came back, gives the place a specific feel. The show combines the themes of home, family, and the past to create a really strong crime story about how no matter how far away you run, your ties to your family and your home will always bring you back.

Grade: B+

Playtime (1967)

Director: Jacques Tati

I guess technically this film is a comedy, but I am absolutely positive that there is no other comedy like this one. This is a film that is a satire against the modern urbanization that makes the world an impersonal place filled with blandness and a machine-like lifestyle for everyone. It also displays the illusion so many of us live in, our pre-conceived cultural and societal notions that bar us from seeing the negative effects of urbanization and globalization.

It's a very long movie that is composed of many gags and individual scenes rather than one straightforward plot, but it's the images that do so much of the storytelling. The film was shot in 65mm, and the widescreen compositions are immensely detailed and choreographed. This film uses the visual image better than almost any film I've ever seen. There is hardly a main subject on the screen, rather, everything going on in the frame is important, even in the corner of the screen. There is an extraordinary amount of details filled in one image. Playtime is an absolute masterpiece that I will definitely be seeing again. It is a highly ambitious film with very elaborate sets, and it all plays amazingly well.

Grade: A

Jakob the Liar (1999)

Director: Peter Kassovitz

 Not long ago I reviewed the original East German film that this one is a remake of. That one surprised me in its subtle complexity, but everything that could have gone wrong with that film do happen in this one. This American remake completely favors a hopeful ending that attempts to show the "power of hope" over everything. While hope is not a bad thing, the film does so in mostly contrived and cliche situations.

The film is much less ambiguous and overly simple. There is nothing in the film that is complex, bad guys are easily noticeable and the good guys are as well. I do like the tone of the film, which is more tragicomic than anything. If it was too overly serious and melodramatic I'm not sure I would have been able to stand it. There's really not much to say about the movie, it just doesn't do anything for anyone. Compared to other films about the subject it doesn't add anything new, and even though Robin Williams can be a funny guy sometimes, this one is not even all that entertaining.

Grade: D+

The Artist (2011)

Director: Michel Hazanavicius

 I reviewed this film for the newspaper. You can find that review here.

I don't have much more to add except to say that I really enjoyed the movie for what it is and I respect it for being so successful despite the obvious setbacks. There were better movies in 2011, but I don't expect the Best Picture winner to ever be my personal favorite film, because I'm not the one voting. So I will never complain when it goes to a good movie that I respect. Maybe it doesn't make audiences think too much, but it does make them think outside the box when it comes to silent movies, black-and-white movies, and old movies.

Grade: B

Downton Abbey: Season Two (2012)

Creator: Julian Fellowes

 The first season of Downton Abbey was filled with strong characters and a pretty compelling narrative for almost each of them. While the second season features many of the same strong characters, the narratives were not as compelling and much more silly. The believability of the plot decreased heavily as Julian Fellowes seems to dig deeper and deeper into the box of generic soap opera stories. Many of the plots were just contrived drama that weren't all that compelling, though at the same time the characters to make them watchable.

One of the more contrived and silly stories was the deformed Titanic survivor whose storyline was so unbelievable and out-of-place I wondered why in the world Fellowes chose to include it. On the other end, the romance between Lady Sybil and Branson was of similar quality to the character arcs in the first season, much more compelling and emotional while also shining a light on the changing times of the setting. Then there's one of the best parts of the show, which is just watching all the characters work together and interact. The overall tapestry of the house and the town they live in expanded during this second season and it helped in making the world of Downton Abbey a place you want to be a part of, even despite the sometimes unbelievable story-lines.

Grade: B-

City Lights (1931)

Director: Charlie Chaplain

I have not yet seen as many silent movies as I probably should have, and if you haven't either then this one is a good one to start with. The length is just right, and while the humor is sometimes dated, the emotions are not. City Lights can get very moving by the end, and as someone who has watched many silent movies yet, the fact that it is as moving as it is without dialogue is very impressive. Silent films represent film at its more pure.

The movie is a romance, and it has an easy-to-swallow story of love transcending class conflict, but it is done so simply and effectively that it really does succeed in being emotional. There are also some great gags that make fun of rich people, and considering the times we live, those gags are definitely not dated. While the movie may not be complex or layered, it has a simple hopeful message and also makes you feel. Simple effective films like City Lights are a rare breed nowadays.

Grade: B+

L'Avventura (1960)

Director: Michelangelo Antonioni

 The central mystery in this movie is the disappearance of a woman. But midway through the movie, that mystery is totally abandoned, but in a way, we get to see the type of life that may have motivated the woman to disappear in the first place. It's a movie about the alienation of the rich and privileged. Instead of criticizing the whole elitist culture like so many other films I've reviewed recently have done, this film takes a look at the rich and privileged on a more individual and sympathetic basis.

It doesn't let them off the hook, but it shows the existential crisis that their privileged, but boring, lifestyle brings. The main character, Claudia, is the one who most undergoes an existential crisis, and the brooding and internal crises that she goes through are realized brilliantly by Antonioni. All of her feelings come across due to the patient pacing of the film and especially the meticulously composed shots. This is a movie that uses visuals exactly how they should be used in film, not just as beauty, but as beauty that tells us who the people in photos are.

Grade: A

Jacob, the Liar (1975)

Director: Frank Beyer

 This is a surprisingly smart film about the living conditions in Jewish ghettos during World War II. I've seen plenty of Holocaust movies now, but this one is surprisingly smart in the way it deals with the question of hope vs. truth. The main crux of the movie is whether or not the main character, Jacob, is doing the right thing by lying about some positive news, when he really has no idea. It is a movie about hope, but it's smart because it also goes into the perils of false hope.

The fact that the movie does show that in the end, false hope is just temporary pleasure to precede disappointment makes this movie better than many other movies that talk about how great hope is. It is a bit melodramatic during parts, when I would have liked it to be more subtle because I think everyone knows how horrible the situation for Jews was. But ultimately it's definitely one of the smarter Holocaust films I've seen. Something to think about is that one way this film is different may be because it was made in East Germany, perhaps adding a perspective fairly unique to most viewers.

Grade: B

Europa Europa (1991)

Director: Agnieszka Holland

 The basic story is quite remarkable, mostly because it's true. A young Jewish boy finds his way into the German army, and while he's young and so that explains why he's so quick to abandon his principles, they do eventually catch up to him. The themes of this story, not movie but story, venture around identity, self-preservation, and violating your mostly deeply held principles in favor of more practical reasons. Though I definitely do not believe this film lived up to those potential themes.

The movie is made in typical Holocaust movie fashion, showing the horrible living conditions and experiences of Jews and making most of the Germans stereotypically evil. But the tone of the film is a bit comedic, mostly because the kid is fairly innocent and so he does not yet know the serious nature of the war. I also must admit that some of the scenes are probably unintentionally light because the lead actor is not all that great, and this is especially true in the end when he is supposed to have learned a great lesson, but there is not much emotional impact. Like many Holocaust movies, this movie is remarkable only because it is based on a true story.

Grade: C+

Phantom of the Paradise (1974)

Director: Brian De Palma

 A really wacky, silly, over-the-top movie that you can't help but like because its so fun to watch. This is a movie that mixes the genres of comedy, horror, and the musical, while also acting as a tragedy. It references an insane amount of prior work, from Psycho to The Phantom of the Opera to Faust. This movie is the definition of campy fun, I'm not sure if I learned much from the movie or if the movie represents any great artistic filmmaking, but it does represent a wild time.

The themes it has have been done to death, especially the main theme of artistic integrity. And there are scenes that are not campy fun, but just campy dumb. So it's not completely successful, but the unique visuals, musical dances, and costumes do give the movie an other-worldly feel that set it apart from any other movie you've ever seen. The highly expressionistic style is definitely De Palma at his most fun. It doesn't work all the time, but no one can deny that this is one unique film.

Grade: B-

Damnation (1988)

Director: Bela Tarr

 Set in a black-and-white world that is so bleak and depressing that it almost seems post-apocalyptic, this movie can be difficult to watch. The characters in the movie all have no aim in life and are completely dissatisfied, and the depressed nature of humans is reflected in the visuals and the production design. This is not a movie someone can watch at any moment in time, this is definitely a film you must be in the mood for. It is incredibly well made, the formalist style reflects the films themes greatly, but those themes do not seem to be all that engaging.

But Tarr's style is phenomenal, and the way the gloom and doom of the characters comes across is sometimes brilliant. Animals, rain, garbage, and broken buildings are all used to capture the pointless beast-like existence survival of the human characters, and Tarr's slow camerawork and black-and-white imagery all feels appropriately dark and bleak. I may not have gotten everything I could have gotten out of this film in one viewing, because there are philosophical ideas buried deep within the film, especially through the indirect and sometimes difficult to decipher dialogue. But that promise of something deeper about the human condition will definitely bring me back.

Grade: B

All That Heaven Allows (1955)

Director: Douglas Sirk

 This is a film that was surprising, because it is an American movie made in the 1950's, and so you would not expect much rebellious subtext. But this is a film that is very subversive and is very perceptive of the ills of social status. The movie combats love vs. social status, very familiar theme in romances, but this movie focuses less on the love between the couple, and more on the unfair social status system threatening to end it all.

I've already reviewed a couple of films that criticize elitist culture in the past few months (The Rules of the Game, Smiles of a Summer Night), and this movie is definitely comparable to those great films. We have heard bourgeoise criticism before in the movies, but rarely from an American standpoint. Another great element is beautiful lush color photography that highlights the melodrama in the situation and the truly tragic nature of the romance. This is a wonderful film that is truly quite surprising.

Grade: A-

Contempt (1963)

Director: Jean-Luc Godard

 This film was Godard's first, and only, relatively big budget film with star power. Bridget Bardot stars in the movie, but Godard makes us ultra-aware of not only her star persona, but the big budget nature of the movie. He takes on commercial filmmaking while making a commercial film, and one of the ways he does that is in the opening scene, which plays on Bardot's physical beauty and his producers requests to objectify it. He also parallels his own story with the director of the film-within-the-film played by Fritz Lang (playing himself). The main character is also a screenwriter worried about selling himself out, but needing money.

But the movie still works as a pure emotional experience as well. The break up between the two leads is one that is done thoughtfully and authentically. Almost the whole second act takes place in an apartment where an argument between the couple is taking place, and while that scene is unusually long, it feels completely honest. Both of them have real problems that real people would have, and the way they argue is also completely accurate in the way that they are arguing but do not completely hate each other. Godard proves himself with his ability to capture genuine emotion and issues, but also can comment on commercial filmmaking with his experimental filmmaking techniques. It is a marvel to watch.

Grade: A