4 out of 5. Yasujiro Ozu's minimalist approach continues to be timeless and expressive in letting characters breathe, especially in AN AUTUMN AFTERNOON. I haven't seen anything of his since TOKYO STORY. His strong locked camera choice is so signature that it showed me possibilities of characters and their relationship to the space around them. There was nothing wasted in frame and it all served the scene. The cinematography, costumes and production design are equally deft in illustrating this point. When you watch a simple story like this in the hands of an artist there's a lot more that is peeled back and revealed. In that is where Ozu truly shines.
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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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5 out of 5. THE BURMESE HARP by Kon Ichikawa
was a surprising film. There's a lot going on here and the backdrop of
Burma is well-suited to it. The male chorale aspect of the film is both
haunting and uplifting. I'm not a fan of
musicals but this was incredibly effective. The lone character of
Mizushima, the harp player was the antithesis of change brought on by
the conflicts of war. But how he changes is really intriguing and the
way Ichikawa films it is quite masterful. If you like the Apu trilogy or
Frank Capra films, you will totally dig this. Try not to weep too much.
;)
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4 out of 5. Jason Kohn captures the flavor and feel of a filmic bygone era in MANDA BALA. More than once I had to check the date because the cinematography and color-timing of this great little documentary had me thinking it was from the 70s. There is so much to like about this quirky film. From the players, connected to political crime bosses, to the framing of people on the extreme edges of the camera. There's an underlying threat throughout the interviews too from a plastic surgeon who makes ears out of rib cartilage to a guy who specializes in bullet-proofing vehicles. There's a few very unsettling scenes but if you can hold steady you'll be surprised by this film.
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3 out of 5. RAMPART by director Oren Moverman and co-written with James Ellroy should have been the sequel to BAD LIEUTENANT. Well, Woody Harrelson's character is not that depraved, but he plays a cop who can't help himself. His very nature is corrupt, manipulative, controlling and violent. This is a great role and it's nice to see Ned Beatty along with a veteran cast of very talented actors. The directing at first was off-putting but the camerawork and cinematography is unique and the voice of the story comes across loud and clear. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this character portrait.
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3 OUT OF 5. Paddy Considine's TYRANNOSAUR burns white-hot with some great acting It's interesting when good actors direct other good actors. The fidelity of truthfulness comes across with amazing texture. The story of this film is creatively veiled and reveals itself slowly over time. This in itself is quite rewarding. There's a terrific moment of discovery when your perception is rocked and things just come crashing down. Very raw and powerful stuff. The dialect is a bit strong and at times you lose a lot of what is said but it is well worth it. If you like the strength of Todd Field's filmmaking you'll really dig this.
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4 out of 5. Fatih Akin's THE EDGE OF HEAVEN seamlessly weaves together a Gordian Knot of words and pictures without making it look overly clever. Through careful cutting he shows us that we are watching the film in a different order than we realize. Or that we perceived it correctly and it served the through-line but that it was transmutable. Thus giving it a different meaning. The way characters are brought together make this story really interesting and unique. Luckily, would could have been a drastic coincidence is smartly avoided. The acting is really good, too. At times, many of the characters have such ferocity that the domestic setting they're in seems on the brink of destruction. There's good energy in the film even if there is a slow and easy pace. The movie is an hour fifty-five but feels longer. Beautiful ending.
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3 out of 5. Raoul Walsh would have given James Cameron a run for his money with his epic THE THIEF OF BAGDAD. The energy that Douglas Fairbanks brings to this film must have been how we feel watching parkour today. It had to have blown people's minds. If not that then the sets that were just out-freaking-standing. This film played with scale in so many ways. Incredible production design. It reminded me of other grandiose films like INTOLERANCE. Also, Anna May Wong's magnetism is hard to beat. She was execellent. The story is pretty epic as well to the point of collapsing in on itself. Even for a silent-movie which many may feel impatient about, I assure you there's a lot of great elements that do keep on moving. I had dreams of emotive hand gestures for the next two days.
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4 out of 5. Director, Majid Majidi's CHILDREN OF HEAVEN is a deceptively small film with big talent just under the surface. For the two Persian child-actors, who have never acted before or since, to carry this film was amazing. Their sincerity rang true. As brother and sister, their characters were genuinely caring of each other, which I haven't seen the likes of in a very long time. Maybe, because it lacked the cynicism of the west. The cinematography had me wondering time and again whether this was shot in the 70s. The lighting was gorgeous and the film grain grounded us in reality. Nothing slick here, except for the smart engaging script and storytelling. The ending asks a lot of the viewer but really, we all know the outcome.
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4 out of 5. Hirokazu Koreeda's NOBODY KNOWS constantly walks the line between documentary and ficiton. A single mother with kids from different boyfriend's is a great setup for a story that I'm surprised I have not seen before. The non-acting that is going on in their interactions and the handheld close-in camera-work makes it feel like a documentary. There's so much to like about this film and yet the crushing sensation of where the story takes you is really tough. Artistically, Koreeda's handle on the writing, directing and editing score really high marks. The believability of the situation and how well the kids handle it tend to be what pulls you back from the edge of realism.
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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. Director Steve McQueen's HUNGER shows an alarming skill as a filmmaker. Seemingly to come out of nowhere he's surgically crafted a rather beautifully shot, well-acted, gut-wrenching poem. The writing by he and Enda Walsh is verbose and yet spills over with story. The pacing is intense at times and then cold empty silence. There's one scene where the camera is locked in a two-shot of a prisoner and a priest that is essentially the bulk of the dialogue. It goes on far longer than you expect but what is revealed makes it necessary for the director to get out of the way. While the performances are quite good the emotional detachment is the elephant in the room and I think the audience feels it too. Smart and skilled...it'll be hard to do better. Because of the rough subject matter (think Midnight Express amped up) it was hard to fully "enjoy" it. Yet it's a must see for filmmakers.
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3 out of 5. ARMADILLO by Janus Metz Pedersen
is a beautifully crafted documentary almost to a fault. It follows the
lives of a group Danish soldiers to Afghanistan. Much in the same vein
as RESTREPO it balances the intensity of
firefight with the sheer boredom of nothing in between. Why this one
stands out is because it is so well shot and edited with post-coloring
effects that you sometimes forget it's real. It's still no less moving
and worth a look.
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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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4 out of 5. Director Benh Zeitlin found the right alchemy with people and place in BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD. As far as indie films go, which I do not watch many, this has opened my eyes to some fantastic possibilities. Perhaps it was his short film GLORY AT SEA that got me excited to see his feature. It's smart storytelling with an intensely successful DIY approach to just about everything. I say this because they get a lot of mileage out of so little. The Art Direction of this film is as textured and prevalent as the acting. Easily one of the best films I saw last year.
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4 out of 5. Kar Wai Wong's IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE reinforces the sensitivity of a director toward the interplay of
emotions and images. He gets relationships in their beautiful clumsy
ways that give Ang Lee a run for his
money. The costuming and casting is perfect. I love the two leads. You
literally ache for these people to be together without all the Hollywood
schmaltz that infects most things stateside.
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4 out of 5. Yôji Yamada's THE TWILIGHT SAMURAI
reminded me a lot UNFORGIVEN. The plot centers around a widowed samurai
who has lost any sense of self-worth. He's internalized a lot of the
pain and denies himself the opportunity
to move on. The acting is really good. The story feels like the last
samurai movie that will be made because of the introduction of guns and
the end of the Edo period. Slow, thoughtful and very good relationships
make it worth a look.
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4 out 5. Rainer Werner Fassbinder's ALI: FEAR EATS THE SOUL is pretty damn cool. He boldly faces every convention
available to him and makes a palpable story with characters that get
under your skin. I had no idea what I'd
expect after watching Fox and His Friends but I'm amazed by this
director's ability at clear and creative storytelling. It's almost
stylized in many ways from the art direction and clothing choices,
there's some heavy symbolism throughout. If you like to keep chewing on a
film after your done watching it...check this one 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. Akira Kurosawa's YOJIMBO is an
excellent template that many a story has hung on. Sergio Leone's A
FISTFUL OF DOLLARS took what Kurosawa pioneered and pushed it a little
further owning it in the process. But I give Kurosawa full credit for
some amazing shots and a great balance of comedy in a grim and
unsettling time.
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