A really cool concept on the thriller genre about a toddler who witnesses a gang murder, leading to the hitman shacking up with the boy's mother in an attempt to figure out what the toddler knows and see if the young boy is capable of identifying him. Typical of Larry Cohen, this is an offbeat thriller that has some great atmosphere and mood, but it's a really tight story of the moral repercussions and consequences which unfold beautifully. Cohen really uses the young boy to his advantage, focusing on the boy's face during key sequences to illicit this sense of uncertainty to what exactly the boy recalls/knows about the murder. There are some great off-kilter sequences between the boy and the hitman, where he tries to explain the situation to the young boy, being scenes that are simulataneously hysterical and mentally exhausting, at least for the hitman who is trying to figure out what to do with his toddler witness. The mother is also a great character, who clearly is trying to be a strong women, and I really found myself invested in her journey as a character, though most of the film is definitely from the Hitman's perspective. Hell, every character in this film is very multi-dimensional and developed, the mom, the ex-husband, the hitman etc., and the film beautifully comes together in a wonderful finale. Larry Cohen's Perfect Strangers uses the New York locations to great effect, paired with some great sound design to create a nice little time capsule of 80's New York. This has got to be Cohen's most emotionally resonant film, consisting of his most accessible narrative, that is tighter and easier to embrace than some of his more off-kilter work.
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Koji Wakamatsu's films are not for the faint of heart, with the relationship between sex and violence being prevalent in many of his stories. As this man slowly murders each of these woman, Wakamatsu reveals a man fearful of his inadequates around woman, taking control through violence for not being wanted or desired. Apparently inspired by true events in Chicago, Koji Wakamatsu's Violated Angels tells the story of a man who infiltrates a nurse dormitory in the middle of the night, intent on killing every nurse in the building. This man is never given a name by Wakamatsu, and the viewer never receives any information into his characters intentions, but from a phenomenal opening sequence with Wakamatsu's patented use of still photography, it is apparent he is haunted in some way by female sexuality. As this man begins to slaughter these women they plead for their lives, as we are shown into this character's psyche, a man who wants someone that will fulfill his needs. He is fearful of his inadequacies around woman, taking control through violence. Unable to drawl the eye of a woman's gaze, this is the man's way of lashing out and being noticed, doing so in his own depraved, sadistic way. Wakamatsu's film is a violent and sexual journey into the masculine consciousness, affectively showcasing man's sexual nature towards woman from a hyperreal perspective. Wakamatsu's uses overlaying images to great effect in attempting to capture this character's psyche, injecting still photography into the film at just the right moments, amplifying the emotion. A black and whie film, Wakamatsu also sparaingly uses color as a device,amplifying the violence but also ampllifying the passion in towards the end when one of the Nurse agree to fulfill the mans needs and desires. The opening sequence of the film is a chorus of sound and image, with Wakamatsu using his still photography to create a vivid image of a sexual depraved man. Revelaing the male sexual ego in a beautifully photographed and truly powerful way, believe it or not, VIolated Angels may be one of the filmmakers more accessible films, though it's still going to be a little intrusive for some more fragile viewers. Comparing Billy Wilder's The Front Page News to Howard Hawk's 'His Girl Friday' just seems unfair, but considering they are based on the same material, the comparison has to be made. While His Girl Friday has a perfect lyrical flow, Wilder's The Front Page feels more like comedic set pieces strung together by this rather shallow commentary on media. The film is very uneven from start to finish, with Wilder seemingly far too concerned with having a witty and fun script. It is quite funny, with Lemmon and Mathau doing their thing, but the film misses the opportunity to be a great deconstruction of cynicism as it relates to media, with the commentary instead coming off simply as superficial, feeling paper thin and under-developed. Jack Lemmon and Walter Mathau are great, as always, and they do supply some great moments with their comedic timing but it's not enough for me to ignore the film's faults. The same could be said for the screenplay, which is indeed funny and has a few memorable lines, but I couldn't help but feel underwhelmed, with Wilder's screenplay lacking the overwhelming energy and quick-wit of His Girl Friday. Billy Wilder's The Front Page isn't a bad film per se, but a pretty forgettable one, tackling a subject that has been tackled much better in other, greater films. Paul Del Moral, the sheriff of a small town in San Francisco, is driving home through the dense fog on night when he accidentally strikes a long Japanese pedestrian. Held up at the hospital, the Japanese man has no identification, and before he can be questioned by the authorities, he flees from the hospital into the dark night. While Sheriff Del Moral attempts to pick up the pieces, across the bay, acclaimed Japanese crime novelist Aki has just arrived in San Francisco, desperate to escape her press tour for her latest book in her famous 'Inspector Takabe" series. For all the acclaim and prestige, there is a sadness and vulnerability to Aki, which lets mysterious Japanese traveler into her bed, who may or may not have some connection with Sheriff Del Moral's mysterious Japanese man. Dave Boyle's Man From Reno is an engaging Neo-Noir that features strong characterizations and a unique blend cultural influences. For the most part, The Man From Reno avoids typical genre conventions, keeping the viewer involved from start to finish but making it basically impossible to figure out the mystery of the narrative until the final ten minutes or so. Aki and Sheriff Paul Del Moral don't fill the typical roles of the genre, with Aki being a character typically reserved for a male actor, being an individual who lets her guard down, falling victim to the exploits of a "Femme Fatale", or in this case a "Homme Fatale", while the elderly Sheriff is far from Aki's "Knight in shining armor". While the actual mystery of the narrative is compelling, I particularly found myself impressed by the film's use of narrative, with the Sheriff and Aki having dueling narratives that don't even intersect until about 70% through the feature. This approach can be difficult and dangerous but The Man of Reno pulls it off beautifully, building up mystery and giving each of these characters enough time apart to fully develop into three-dimensional characterizations. Packing a strong noir-type ending, Dave Boyle's Man From Reno features a very strong script and solid direction, making it a memorable recent effort in the Neo-Noir sub-genre. Wim Wenders' The Salt of The Earth is a biographical documentary of Sebastião Salgado, a social photographer, whose been spanning the globe for over 40 years, chronicling the human condition through his photographs. The Salt of The Earth is a powerful journey through this man's photography that manages to be both an intimate portrait of an artist and a grand commentary on humanity and it's role in nature. This is a film that is worth the price of admission alone for the photographs that are displayed, with all of them striking in their beauty and sure to evoke an emotional response. Chronicling some of the darkest times in history over the past few decades, The Salt of The Earth can be a hard film to stomach at times, exposing haunting imagery of conflict, starvation, and death. Wender's technique in this film is simple but effective, with the filmmaker overlaying the voice of Salgado with a striking image of his work, letting the viewer soak it in as Salgado details the experience and offers a window into his intimate viewpoint. Salgado's story itself is poetic - a promising economist who threw it all away in an effort to do what he loved, with his photography capturing his own deep empathy for the human condition. Salgado Is a man who fled his home of Brazil at an early age due to the Military dictatorship, and I particularly loved how the film draws a parallel between him and many of his subjects, with Salgado being a man who can empathize with the vagabonds and the less fortunate. Poetic and profoundly human, Wim Wenders' The Salt of the Earth captures the essence of Salgado's work, being an intimate and heartfelt love letter to not only the human condition but nature itself. |
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June 2023
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