Filmcap: The week of July 3-10

This week I discuss the weakest Almodovar film I've seen yet but still comment on how good he is, and I also compare apply the lessons of a Kubrick classic to the recent London riots. 

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (Pedro Almodovar, 1989): The first Oscar nomination for Spain's Pedro Almodovar came from this very funny and enjoyable farce-comedy. I watched this film a few weeks ago (you can tell I'm quite behind on this blog), and it seems that it hasn't been a very memorable movies in the long term. That's something that wouldn't have been able to tell you if I reviewed right after I watched it. As I was watching, it certainly was nice, enjoyable, and a fun time, but there hasn't been much that has stuck out in my mind since then. This is one of those films I watched and enjoyed mildly, some parts of it more than others, but didn't think about much afterwards. Mostly because it didn't quite take me anywhere on an intellectual level.

Almodovar certainly is great at creating real female characters, and that comes across really well in this film. The film is essentially about how women go crazy worrying about men (the same can be said for men I think), and it could have been easy to make the women seem like crazy women in a bad way, but instead they're all real women that have problems that are familiar (and pretty crazy) so the craziness doesn't take away from any empathy towards the characters. The downside to this is that there is so much going on that there is not a whole lot of time given to really get to know all of the characters, but at the same time I'm not sure Almodovar even tried to do that. It seems it's more of a comment on the dealings of women and men in general. I understand why this film got the Oscar nod (it's charming, fun, and never boring), but I like the other two Almodovar films I've seen ("Talk to Her" and "Volver") much more than this. Those films had crazy plots and also featured to an extent women going through nervous breakdowns, but they were more focused and paid more attention to the issues of one main character. Having seen three of his films so far, I feel that Almodovar is a better screenwriter than director (but he's a very good director as well) whose scripts are always either really funny, or have superb plots. He's also a filmmaker who I think benefits from the audience being familiar with his other work (similar to Woody Allen). Seeing more of his films seems to help gain a better understanding of what he's trying to do and what his characters are going through in his other films. Despite the fact that I have not yet fallen in love with anyone of the three films (though it's been a while since I've seen "Talk to Her"), I still greatly look forward to seeing more.
Grade: B-

A Clockwork Orange (Stanley Kubrick, 1971): After making his famed "2001: A Space Odyssey," Stanley Kubrick followed up with another science fiction film, but one that could not be more different from "2001". This film is violent and filled with horrible sensations. I've seen this film multiple times which is beneficial if you want to write a review, because the first time you watch it you won't notice anything except the shocking, intense sex and violence. You also notice the futuristic world the characters live in, a world in which the young people rule and respecting your elders is a forgotten virtue. It's a unique world that doesn't look like any familiar future, but one that is a bit weird. There are no flying cars and robots, instead there are odd and colorful clothes, face make-up for men, and a brand new slang vocabulary.

Alex, the main character who is a leader of a gang of troublemakers, is not a good man. The first act of the film is spent showcasing the horrible things he does, including rape and murder. The second act is spent on his experience in jail and an experimental rehabilitation procedure. I won't say what exactly happens in the last act, but the rehab doesn't work like a charm. Despite the fact that this kid is pretty horrible, you feel bad for what he's been through as a result of the government's extreme measures to fix society. But the ending of the film is left a bit ambiguous in regards whether it is a happy ending or not. Kubrick plays with your sympathies, you never know who to root for in this film. Everyone makes mistakes, the troublemakers and so does the government. The prime example of this is when Alex starts singing "Singin' in the Rain" while beating and raping a woman. It's a violent and horrible image but a song that is synonymous with happiness. Kubrick never makes it easy when it comes to telling you what to think.

This film is even more relevant today as evidenced by the riots in London recently. The story reminded me of the London riots because the young people involved in the riots are also British kids making trouble. They think they rule the world they live in and abhor authority. "A Clockwork Orange" serves as a reminder as to how bad things can get if we don't do something about these troubled young people soon. But the film also serves as a warning for what the government should not do when trying to fix the problem. The government must choose the solution wisely, because we've seen in "A Clockwork Orange" how a seemingly great rehab program may not actually be so great. This film is the opposite of a feel-good movie, you won't come away with happy thoughts, but you will come away with a better grasp on the problems of society. Our problems are complex and the solutions must be too. Kubrick is one of the most talented directors of all time, he is someone who has something to say in everyone of his movies but he never ever makes it clear. He has opinions, but he wants you to work to find them out. It's incredibly effective because if you find that message, you will truly believe it. There are few people who can watch a Kubrick film, understand the message and then refuse to agree. In this case, and paradoxically, not telling people what to think is the most effective way of telling people how to think.
Grade: A