4 out of 5. Thomas McCarthy is a really fantastic director and THE VISITOR is just as good if not better than his other works. I think being an actor really helps if one sets out to direct. I generally see better performances overall and Richard Jenkins does great as the lead. Usually I find a lot of unique story situations come out of South East Asia or especially when they are culturally specific. This is a unique story where the recently widowed main character finds illegal immigrants living in his apartment. The setup is great and possibilities keep you guessing, making this film feel fresh and believable as everyone finds their way. It's a great film with deep repercussions.
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3 out of 5. Hong jin-Na's THE YELLOW SEA is a crazy, violent ride taken by a former taxi driver looking for his wife. The directing is really good and the stakes just keep piling on top of each other until they reach a very crazy apex. The lead, Jung woo-Ha plays a great everyman character whose mission is believable and who continues to surprise by his choices. Yun seok-Kim is also great to see as he brings real weight to the screen. He was great in The Chaser and is always fun to watch. South Korea has had a lot of violent films come out on Netflix, this one is little less violent and maybe not as pretty but it's still quite good.
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4 out of 5. It's hard to imagine it but Gavin Hood who just completed Ender's Game actually made an amazing crime/drama in TSOTSI. It was reminiscent of City of God with it's music and atmosphere. The cinematography was sharp and clear and I loved the palettes overall. But Presley Chweneyagae was the real diamond in this tragic storyline. Man, what a great performance. The subtle qualities and shifts of emotion constantly telegraphing everything he's thinking without saying a word. What a treat. The casting was excellent all around and the acting was really top-notch with clear defined motivations and character. There was only one technical hiccup for me that didn't make sense otherwise this was a near perfect film.
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4 out of 5. BLAST OF SILENCE, by Allen Baron is raw on every
level. I'll admit it I flinched a little, I'm not proud. Allen Baron is
not only ambitious but he portrays a really tough bastard of a killer
who takes on the world with equal
heavy-handedness. There's a lot of great scenes in this film and the
story is compelling. All of it combines if a very textural piece that
has a teeth-clenching finale that you won't want to miss. Universal
Studios buried this for years but now it's been finally released by
Criterion. There's a reason for it. This isn't polished hollywood
noir...it's the stuff crime novels are made of.
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4 out of 5. Fabián Bielinsky's THE AURA is a quiet minimalist crime thriller that gives you very little clues as to what happens next. It's austere atmosphere also helps to make this film very engaging. The main character, played by Ricardo Darin embodies all these elements as his dialogue and acting are both understated. His face reveals a man who is thinking through the decisions and yet he gives away nothing of what's to come.This is one of those films that are full of surprises in terms of acting, directing and overall filmmaking. There's a transition in here from Esteban's home to a traveling sequence that I've only really seen used in comics and works wonderfully here, too. If you want something different and evocative this would be it.
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4 out of 5. David Michôd's ANIMAL KINGDOM was
beautiful surprise of cinema when I first saw it. The clarity and depth
of his characters was alarming. What I didn't realize, was like SLING
BLADE this was shot once before, but
from a different POV with many of the same cast. It was a short film, a
practice run if you will, that made this film feel so polished. If you
like crime and want a taste of something a little different check it
out.
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3 out of 5. David Cronenberg's EASTERN PROMISES is a small but impactful film. The cast is really good together
and direction is quite solid. I especially like the Art Direction and
costumes in this film. Viggo is a badass in this and has an amazingly
shot fight scene. Also Vincent Cassel is loose cannon and adds a lot of
tension throughout. Fun stuff.
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4 out of 5. Maybe recommending Nicolas Winding
Refn's film DRIVE is a bit out of character for me but I'd hate for
this to be missed. This is an excellent example of deliberate control in
filmmaking. This is an iconic tone poem
about the 80s. A love for Michael Mann films...like Thief and
Collateral...and an excellent blend of holding on shots. Waiting for the
right moments. Film school is open!
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4 out of 5. The stark timelessness of Andrew
Dominik's THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD is
both artful and refreshing. Thankfully Andrew Dominik has a way of
showing us a well-worn genre that offers
a meditative view of a legendary figure. The acting is quite
compelling, especially that of Casey Affleck. Knowing the ending ahead
of time certainly doesn't get in the way of the journey. This is perfect
Sunday movie watching. Contemplative and open.
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4 out of 5. Writing the previous review made
me think of this other easily forgotten gem by David Fincher, ZODIAC.
The sound design was rich, the film was dark and punishing. The
characters were almost as scary in their
intensity as the killer they were chasing. You can see how the tidal
wave of mysterious terror overtakes their lives slowly and pulls them
under before it's too late. Probably not an easy one to rewatch but a
great reminder of how compelling Fincher continues to be as a filmmaker.
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3 out of 5. John Hillcoat's THE PROPOSITION
expands on the Western even though it was filmed in The Outback. The
landscape of Australia is brutal hell on Earth and it's characters are
tied to it by their deeds. Even the
innocent is guilty of something and no foul deed goes unpunished by man
or element. All this comes across in a fairly poetic manner with nods to
Peckinpah other directors of great Westerns.
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5 out of 5. I'm sure mostly everyone has seen
this by now but Fernando Meirelles has a goldmine in CITY OF GOD.
Everything about this film is high-voltage energy. I'm not one to watch
too many films more than once, but
especially hard-biting dramas like this but man, I have to see it again.
Maybe it's because the soundtrack comes up no my Ipod quite a bit and I
start thinking about the editing and shots and story...and before I
know it I'm feeling the vibe of Brazil. If you ever liked the grit and
rawness of THE WIRE...this one is a dynamo.
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3 out 5. John Boorman's POINT BLANK with Lee Marvin and Angie Dickinson is a bad-ass
flick. If you like the era of tough no-nonsense guys who take care of
business and don't take lip from a woman. This is exactly that kind
of film. Watch this back-to-back with Lee Marvin's remake of THE
KILLERS and you'll need to send your loved-one away on vacation just so
you can man-out. Solid filmmaking, nothing fancy and it delivers the
goods with sand in your teeth. Also Steven Soderburgh and John Boorman are on the commentary track. Fascinating stuff!
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3 out of 5. You might have missed this little
gem by director Paul McGuigan, but if I were you I'd put down my money
on LUCKY NUMBER SLEVIN. Everything is not what it seems here and the fun
opportunity of mistaken identity goes
awry. Killer performances all around. Smart writing and stylish
directing make for a rollicking good time. So if you want a good Friday
movie and something with the energy of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking
Barrels check it out.
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3 out of 5. THE LIMEY with Terence Stamp and Directed by Steven
Soderburgh rises to the occasion through the simplicity of plot and
style. It avoids the cliches of the genre and feels fresh and appealing
throughout. Stamp owns the picture and maybe that's why I gave it a 3
instead of a 4. It's not groundbreaking cinema but it's still cool,
stylish and worthy a watch. If you like your revenge quiet and
cool...this is the movie for you.
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4 out of 5. Ben Affleck's GONE BABY GONE is another one of those films that sneaks
passed you and you wonder why you missed it. Casey Affleck is easily
likable in this role but it's the very real people they use for extras
that ground this film. It feels "salt of the earth" and when you're
talking about a girl's kidnapping you want to feel the grit in every
frame. There's a voracious energy that seers through this film as we get
closer to the answer. The power is in the performances and the
relationships and the direction doesn't get in the way one bit. Finally,
Ben can affect us in ways his acting sometimes falls short of. If you
liked Mystic River you'll surely enjoy this.
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4 out of 5. What's great about Alejandro
González Iñárritu 21 GRAMS is that the rewiring of time was a great way
to challenge our perception. Many films after this messed with the
concept and many of them came off cheap
and gimmicky. He wasn't the first but still it reminded us that editing
is also the art of storytelling and that once you've done the artistry
of writing and directing a story...that a story can be conceived at a
whole other level. Would loved to have scene the shooting script for
this.
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3 out 5. ROAD TO PERDITION by Sam Mendes might
be a movie you missed the first time around, but it's a real gem. What I
liked about it was it's dark quality. For a color film to be a
traditional noir that's tough to
achieve, but I think it's pulled of well. Secondly the story by Max
Allan Collins, based off his graphic novel series of the same name, is
very well-grounded and doesn't have that inflated Hollywood-feel.
Nothing is over-dramatized and what's there is pretty raw. If you like
movies like Unforgiven or Miller's Crossing, this would suit your taste.
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3 out of 5. Stacy Peralta's CRIPS AND BLOODS: MADE IN AMERICA is a tour-de-force of directing and editing. Beautifully
shot and incredibly educational. If you like Gangland this is by far a
slicker rendered version of L.A.'s gang history. The story is less
shocking but really educational.
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4 out of 5. Ted Demme's film, BLOW was a stylish and intriguing.
It had the sass of Soderburgh but with a soft, less intrusive approach.
Ted Demme's use of various film stock and processing along with a great
costume designer really brought this
intriguing story through the decades with an easy aesthetic. Johnny Depp
does a great job for the most part too capturing the real life
character of George Jung. Highly entertaining and highly recommended. If
you liked Scarface but wouldn't mind a lot less violence or if you
liked Donnie Brasco, you will not be disappointed with this.
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