4 out of 5. This is one of those movies from the 70s I remember as a kid. A stranger in an even stranger small town and things just go wrong. Ted Kotcheff is bold and daring in WAKE IN FRIGHT. Gary Bond as the lead is great but Donald Pleasance somehow gets under your skin. There's some excellent cinematography and lens choices that really create paranoia and fear. I have to admit though, it's a little rough around the edges, especially during the kangaroo hunt which was relentless and real. There was a real mix of that relentlessly male dominant culture verging on the edge homoerotic and then obliterating that line. It's raw, it's rough and it's a significant Australian film worth a watch.
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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. 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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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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5 out of 5. Juan José Campanella's Academy Award Winning THE SECRET IN THEIR EYES is a very smart and masterfully shot film. Again, actor Ricardo Darin, pulls you right into the story of an unsolved crime that he's started writing about. Like any good mystery the closer he gets to the truth, the more danger he puts himself in. The directing and cinematography is stunning and sharp. And the ending is deliciously satisfying while leaving a pit in the bottom of your stomach.
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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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4 out of 5. While I"m at it Alejandro González
Iñárritu's AMORES PERROS is worth mentioning as yet another film where
he uses connectivity of circumstances to retool our perception of story.
The acting is terrific in this and Gael
García Bernal really stood out for me. At times it was quite hard to
watch but as a whole I think it's visceral quality drew you into the
characters state of mind, raising the stakes both internally and
externally.
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3 out of 5. Philip Ridley's THE REFLECTING SKIN is a richly textured piece of filmwork. There's a lot of metaphor
running around in the barren fields of the young Seth Dove. There's a
cruelty and the debauchery of childhood innocence that permeates
throughout and feels right for some reason. The acting is just okay, but
the photography and art direction is really great.
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3 out of 5. Antonio Bird's RAVENOUS was a surprising treat if
you like horror films. This was smart, darkly funny at times with great
cast that included GUY PEARCE and ROBERT CARLYLE. I don't watch horror
films like I used to but if they were as
well done as this I would. The horror in this shifts from situational
to one of acceptance by the characters. It's when they cross the line
that things really get interesting. If you liked THE PROPOSITION for
it's left of center western themes you'll like Ravenous just the same.
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