To Rome With Love (2012)

Director: Woody Allen

 I don't think you can technically call this an "omnibus" film because the film has one director, but the short stories within this film are all unrelated enough to the point that you could actually think of it like that. There are four stories, and the only thing connecting the four is that they're set in the same city and they're all written and directed by Woody Allen. Critics rarely find these kinds of movies masterpieces because they like the movies to work as a whole and for there to be a reason that we're seeing them all in one sitting. While I do agree, I find that attitude to be more nitpicking. In my view, I'm quite glad that I get to see four new short films made by Woody Allen and starring some wonderful actors all for the price of one movie.

And it's certainly a bonus that all four of the stories are really well done. Allen fully flexes the Italian influences that have been scattered throughout his career (Rossellini, Fellini, Antonioni to name a few). Italian films of the 1960's were especially obsessed with upper class and celebrity culture, and Allen comes up with a story in which Roberto Benigni becomes famous literally overnight involving exactly those themes. But perhaps the best story of the film was the one involving Alec Baldwin as some sort of subconscious stand-in giving life advice to a character played by Jesse Eisenberg. It's a unique story about recognizing wisdom from elders but being unable to accept it. The other two, one in which Allen himself stars as an opera director and another where Penelope Cruz is a hooker pretending to be a wife are not as insightful, but are very funny and show that Allen knows humor like he knows the back of his hand. Allen is an incredibly prolific filmmaker, but more impressive is that he rarely has a misstep. To Rome With Love continues this consistently solid tradition.

Grade: B

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)

Director: Sergio Leone

 On the page this film is basically an average Western, but with Leone's direction it becomes a fantastic piece of cinema that is one of the most memorable Westerns made. This is a film with some spectacular directing. The shot selection and control of tone by Leone in this film is accomplished flawlessly. Leone uses such a wide array of shots, from intense close-ups that show each drop of sweat to wide-ranging shots of desolate landscape where the characters are just specks in the frame, and somehow it all seems appropriate. Then you've got the now iconic music by Ennio Morricone that sets the stage during all the suspenseful showdowns. This is a film that can only be described as epic.

This film is one of the best examples of how a great director can elevate a pretty bland and average story into something with tension and excitement unlike any other. I do like my films to have some greater meaning, and this one doesn't quite accomplish that too well, but it is impossible to ignore the level of talent that is needed to successfully pull of a film like this. Though I'm not saying all the writing is bland, there are some individual sequences in this film that are quite clever. I wasn't quite impressed with the two previous spaghetti westerns Leone did, but this is the one where everything really came together and where Leone's trademark style really comes into fruition for me.

Grade: A-

La Notte (1961)

Director: Michelangelo Antonioni

 This feels like an average offering from Antonioni, but even average from him is way beyond so much else. The story is simple and the theme's aren't groundbreaking in any way, but filmmaking and Antonioni's direction is what makes the film as effective as it is. The movie follows an upper class couple around whose marriage is clearly on the rocks. Antonioni has such patience with the two leads and really allows them to find honest moments that speak volumes about where their characters are. The slow pacing can be a little too wandering at times, but the patience is highly respectable.

The story is about the illusion of love in the lives of the rich and comfortable, and how their dissatisfaction is most realized in their love lives. This theme is realized with just one this one couple, so it's a small movie, but like I said, it has some very effective, genuine moments. It's also a very modern movie, especially in regards to the incredibly high divorce rate in the Western world and in the world of the rich. Despite the fact the movie is from the early 1960's, it could have been about people who are living in 2012.

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

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

Filmcap: The week of Dec 11-18

Meek's Cutoff, Poetry, and Circumstance are a few of the films reviewed this week. I took a look at a couple 2011 releases that were some of the best I've seen of the year. Also included are a couple films on social issues, one is physician-assisted suicide, and the other is gay rights in Iran. Only one was successful. Many many more 2011 movies coming up.

Filmcap: The week of Oct 9-16

Rumble Fish, Germany Year Zero, and the epic fourth season of Breaking Bad. Only three things this week, but they're all very top notch. Only one week after the long Deadwood Season three post, I come back with an even longer post that is almost as long The Tree of Life post, but still not quite. The review of Breaking Bad has no detailed spoilers at all, and there are some statements about the trajectory of the show, nothing should be that bad. If you want to be completely pure of any and all spoilers, like some of the complex characteristics of Walt, then you may want to stay away. Otherwise I hope it will convince most of you to watch the show. For those who have seen the show, I point you towards the last paragraph for my thoughts on what the show is about on a macro level. 

Filmcap: The week of May 1-8

Yes I am still very behind on these, you should probably get used to that now. In this post I include a great TV show that I've now caught up with, a spaghetti western (right when "Community" had their spaghetti western episode), a Woody Allen film, and brand new superhero movie of cosmic proportions. 

Filmcap: The week of April 17-24

So I am officially about a week behind on these because of finals. Though I think I'll be able to catch up soon once finals die down. This week I finally finish Band of Brothers, some Italian World War II stories, one very artistic Iranian film, one very Hollywood-ish Iranian film, and two movies about bank robberies.

Filmcap: The week of April 3-10

This week saw a whole lot of stuff, much more than usual. We've got the end of a television show, two Italian films from the 50's, an impressionistic Terrence Malick-like film, a meta Iranian film, two films from Joe Wright, and a tale of a recent election. It's a lot, but I'm only preparing for what I assume will be less film watching in the summer. Have at it. 

Filmcap: the week of Mar 20-27

In this post I've got a couple superb realist post-crisis foreign films, one from post-war Italy, and another is post-revolution Iran. A couple recent films, one brand new and horrible, the other from last year and amazing. Then there's a little-talked about film from a great director, and a much-talked about genre film I have finally watched. Also, links to two very good short films.

Filmcap: The week of Jan 23-30

(Could be a picture taken this week, but it's actually a still from a freakishly relevant movie made 40 years ago)

I watched two Italian films this week, one that features an American actress playing a Russian speaking Italian, and the other features no Italian at all, only French and Arabic. I also watched my third John Ford film thus far, the breakout dwarf movie, and a very unique addition to the growing neo-noir genre.