Set in a post-apocalyptic winter, Robert Altman's Quintet tells the story of Essex, a man who along with his wife, wander across the desolate, frozen landscape of this apocalyptic nightmare. Searching for Essex's brother, Francha, the couple finally locate him in a frozen city where survivors seek refuge. The people of this city live day to day off of scavenged firewood and a minimal diet with their only solace being in Quintet, a innocuous board game for six players. When Francha is killed, Essex seeks to find the men responsible, only to see him drawn deeper into the lethal competition of Quintet. It's hard to say any film from Robert Altman is terrible, but Quintet certainly puts this ideal to the test. Quintet is certainly self-assured, featuring a slow pace, incredibly detailed production design, diverse cast, and plenty of philosophical musings. It's a film that without question has something to say but together with tepid pacing, and Altman's lethargic cinematography, it grows tiresome fast. Quintet seems to be some type of allegory possibly targeted towards bureaucrats who too often forget about the true power of life and death, but unfortunately the film so muddled, making it hard to make out Altman's true voice. The strongest aspect of Quintet would be it's production design, along with some of the photography, but almost everything else misses the mark. Paul Newman's performance as Essex deserves consideration for the worst performance every committed to celluloid, making me begin to question whether he had any idea what was going on during filming. Robert Altman's Quintet is a rare miss from the highly influential filmmaker that at times tries to mimic the equally opaque, allegorical, Last Year at Marienbad, but sadly misses the mark. 4/10
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Johannes, a young adult, carries out his alternative national service at a large hospital on the outskirts of a small city in the middle of the Thuringian forest. Johannes has recently fallen out of a relationship with the head physician's daughter, leaving him lonely. One fateful day he meets Ana, a lively albeit direction-less individual, with the two of them becoming entangled in a love that feels destined for failure. Christian Petzold's Beats Being Dead is a love story that uses the backdrop of an escaped convict to deliver a truly unique and suspenseful tale of romance. Ana and Johannes are from incredibly different sides of the tracks. Johannes is a responsible young man working for the sole purpose of moving to Los Angeles to pursue medicine. His counterpart, Ana, has no sense of direction and before meeting Johannes, resorts to thievery as a way of survival. The two couldn't be more different but when they begin to fall for one and other, nothing else matters. The town they live in is in a state of emergency, with a massive manhunt for a violent man, and yet, the two of them seem to be oblivious to this fact. For the viewer, this works to Petzold's advantages, with Beats Being Dead being very suspenseful throughout its running time. This leads me to believe that Petzold's Beats Being Dead is a film that sets out to show the power of connection between two individuals. The characters walk long distances, routinely alone through the middle of the woods, and Petzold takes advantage of this every chance he gets. Using some voyeuristic cinematography, we are constantly reminded about the threat of this escaped man even though our two protagonists don't seem to notice. Armed with a tragically beautiful ending, Christian Petzold's Beat Being Dead is a fascinating film examining human connection and the inevitable jubilation and heartbreak which follows it. 7.5/10 Gru, everyone's favorite super-villian returns in Despicable Me 2. Gru has left the super-villain lifestyle behind to raise a family, opting to make an honest living in the jam production business. While this lifestyle adjustment hasn't been easy, Gru is very happy with his new lifestyle. When a top secret Artic laboratory is stolen, the AVL (Anti-Villain League) recruits Gru into the investigation, needing someone with inside information on how to spot a super-villain. Together with his eccentric partner, Lucy Wilde, Gru must determine who is responsible for the stolen Artic laboratory which enviably ends with Gru saving the world from this new villain threat. Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud's Despicable Me 2 is exactly what one would expect from a sequel. This film understands what the strength of its predecessor was, the Minions, and it uses them in spades to seduce the viewer with their cuteness and likeable stupidity. They are very prevalent throughout the film's running time, and quite frankly I found them carrying stretches of the film. I wasn't a major fan of the first film and honestly Despicable Me 2 wasn't much better. The narrative of Despicable Me 2 feels oddly small and contained to me through much of is running time, with the whole undercover Mall storyline feeling extremely odd and out of place. I guess I just expect more epic set-pieces for an animated film in which the world is set among superheroes and supervillains. The film pretty much feels like every other prepackaged animated film coming out of Hollywood these days and while it has a cute and simple storyline, it simply didn't resonant with me on any level. Despicable Me 2 isn't a bad film but it just doesn't have anything unique or interesting to say, making it rather forgettable. 6/10 14-year-old Duncan is headed on summer vacation with his single mother, her domineering new boyfriend, Trent, and his daughter, Steph. The idea behind the vacation is to get away and hopefully become a stronger family but for Duncan, things couldn't be worse. Duncan is an introverted young man and is having a lot of trouble fitting in. That is until he meets Owen, the manager of the Water Wizz water park, an unlikely friend who teaches Duncan a valuable lesson about himself and life in general. Nat Faxon and Jim Rash's The Way, Way Back is a funny and poignant coming of age story that succeeds because of ifs strong cast and well-intentioned screenplay. While Duncan is unquestionably the main protagonist, Sam Rockwell's Owen and Allison Jenney's Betty really steal the show. Duncan is a young teenager who is really struggling to find a place where he belongs and the film never forgets that this is his story. Many of the character's which surround Duncan feel like they come from an exaggerated reality from Steve Carrell's full-of-himself Trent, to Trent's daughter Steph, among others. While this sounds like a major problem, I didn't really mind it too much given that this is a film completely from Duncan's point-of-view. Liam James does a great job as Duncan, really nailing the socially awkward aspect of the character. My main problem with The Way, Way Back is that many of the dramatic beats are too direct or on-the-nose for my liking, lacking any real semblance of subtlety. The Way, Way Back wears its themes on its sleeve, announcing how important it's to be yourself, no matter what society or outsiders want you to be. At the end of the film, The Way, Way back rightfully doesn't feel the need to wrap up all of the dramatic conflicts of the film, and because of this, I found it be far more resonant in its conclusion. 7.5/10 Veteran 911 operator Jordan is experienced but when she makes a crucial error in judgement that leads to the death of a young girl, Jordan finds herself rattled, unsure if she can continue this lifestyle. All that changes when Casey, a young teenager, is kidnapped. Calling from inside the kidnapper's trunk, Casey connects with Jordan who must call on all of her experience help Casey escape the grasp of this serial killer. Brad Anderson's The Call is a moderately effective film that sets out to capture it's main character's path to redemption. Halle Berry's main protagonist doesn't have a lot of depth, but she is written well enough to serve the purpose of this thriller's narrative momentum. It's really strange to me that Brad Anderson made this movie but he really is the strongest aspect. Using a nice array of camerawork (handheld, tracking shots, etc) he creates an effective tone that does an adequate job of putting the viewer into this terrifying situation Casey finds herself in. Some critics seem to have much disdain for the ending of The Call and while it does feel a little forced or tacked on, I personally have no moral objections to the idea. Besides Anderson's direction, Michael Eklund's portrayal as the serial killer really steals the film. His performance is creepy, trashy, and very entertaining in that sick sorta way. For the most part, Brad Anderson's The Call doesn't pretend to be something it is not, being essentially high quality trash entertainment that is streamlined and relatively engaging. 6/10 Before Midnight is the final film in Richard Linklater's acclaimed trilogy which follows the exploits of Jesse and Celine. Taking place nine years after its predecessor, Before Sunset, we find Jesse and Celine on vacation in Greece with their twin daughters. We learn that they are now very much a couple, with Jesse separating from his wife. While they seem to be a happy couple, the external forces of growing old and selfishness threaten to pull them apart. Richard Linklater's Before Midnight feels more mature than its predecessors, dissecting the ideas of love, while exploring all sorts of interesting themes and dynamics. By now Linklater has such a strong understanding of these characters to the point that the dialogue feels incredibly organic, flowing freely almost like a poem. Linklater's direction is simplistic but assured, with long stretches of the film consisting of a single static frame. This doesn't make it any less engaging, with Linklater clearly understanding that these two character's interactions are all that truly matters. Similar to some of Godard's intellectual banter, Before Midnight has tons of interesting discussions throughout its running time touching on feminism vs. masculinity, the ever-increasing role of technology in our society, and individuality, among others. Before Midnight's most important statement lies in its dissection of love being not something magical like a fairytale but something that must continuously be worked at. Linklater seems to almost suggest that people are selfish individuals by nature (I agree), and this selfishness of humanity can only be beaten by one's compassion for another individual being greater. I can totally understand how something like this may sound boring to some, but Before Midnight is actually one of the funniest movies of the year. The whole last act of the film which finds Jessie and Celine at odds with each other is as comedic as it is profound. Richard Linklater's Before Midnight is the perfect end-cap to this beautiful trilogy, being not only the most mature but the funniest of the three films. 8.5/10 A team of investigators are sent to a haunted house by a wealthy benefactor to prove or disprove the presence of supernatural forces, most notably ghosts. The team is made up of Mr. Barrett, a physicist- and paranormal investigator, his wife Ann, and two psychic, Florence, and the only man to have ever returned from the house alive, Benjamin. A long time ago the house was owned by Eric Belasco, a man who committed notorious and unspeakable deeds in the house where he died presumably alongside his fateful followers. Everyone whose attempted to visit the house has either ended up dead or raging mad, and the investigators are to spend a week, isolated and alone. A character in the film refers to this house as "The Mount Everest of Haunted Houses", and what John Hough's The Legend of Hell House achieves may very well make it the Mount Everest of Haunted House films. This is a film that wastes no time getting to the point, with one simple expositional scene in which the benefactor gives Mr. Barrett the offer, a scene that's ominous in its own right. The fact that the House and it's haunted controller, Eric Belasco, can manipulate/possess any living matter which enters is a great device, giving the film's narrative even more to work with while making it less predictabe. If you are looking for a particularly violent film look elsewhere but The Legend of Hell House is a highly disturbing descent into madness that touches on religion vs. science while attacking the viewer throughout with a truly visceral experience. The film is expertly crafted, with shot compositions that do a wonderful job at evoking tension and suspense. Hough's composes dynamic shots using the depth of the frame to fullest, creating suspense in scenes that are merely two character's having a conversation. John Hough's The Legend of Hell House is a film that I'm shocked I hadn't heard more about in the past, and in my opinion it stands over most, if not all, haunted house films. 8.5/10 Mitamura is shy middle school student that grades out at the top of class. One day a unexplainable event happens, leading Mitamura to discover that she has psychic powers. Mitamura is not only able to move objects with her mind, she can also stop time itself and even see into the future. Soon after the discovery of her powers, a mysterious new student arrives at the school, possessing her own psychic abilities which threaten to change everything Mitamura knows and loves. Nobuhiko Obayashi's School in the Crosshairs is essentially his take on the Superhero sub-genre and it's as entertaining and insane as one could hope. The story of School in the Crosshairs unfolds in a very similar fashion to the modern origin story in superhero films. We have a shy and somewhat unappreciated character who discovers her special abilities. Then we have the character's realization that she is capable of doing much good for humanity followed by the inevitable final showdown between her and a powerful antagonist who puts no value on humanity. School in the Crosshairs is certainly a "child's film" by traditional standards but Obayashi's electric style is very prevalent from start to finish. Obayashi seem to utilize every cinematic technique to create a film that exudes energy, creating an epic story on what I would presume was a shoe-string budget. The film also showcases Obayashii's understanding of comedic timing with editing and transitions that maximize the comedic impact. When the main protagonist arrives, she uses her psychic abilities to steal the election and essentially create a dictatorship pver the school. This type of authoritative approach made me question whether the film is meant to be a social commentary but I'm honestly not familiar enough . Nobuhiko Obayashi's School in the Crosshairs is a rather conventional narrative, by his standards, but with Obayashi behind the camera he creates another truly unique experience. 8/10 Lon Chaney stars as Tito, an aging circus clown, who spends his life on the road, entertaining the masses with laughter. One fateful day he discovers an abandoned young girl on a river bed who he subsequently adopts. Years go by and the young girl, Simonette, grows into a beautiful young woman, with Tito falling in love with her in the process. Unfortunately for Tito, Simonette loves another man, leading Tito to perform a tragic act of love. Herbert Brenon's Laugh Clown Laugh is a deeply affecting character drama that has all the emotional weight of a greek tragedy. Lon Chaney is superb as Tito Beppi, capturing the violent transitions of emotion he lives with on a daily basis. Seeing this man go from one of the saddest human characters ever committed on celluloid to one of the most joyous, in mere seconds, is devastating to watch, and Chaney pulls it off masterfully. Probably my favorite aspect of Laugh Clown Laugh is how it portrays Tito's life as a performer. Th masses celebrate this man as a comedic performer and throughout the films running time we see how he is a servant to those masses. Laugh Clown Laugh captures how ones persona to the public can, and often is, very different than the true individuals soul. Laugh Clown Laugh is an emotionally exhausting journey through the life of a deeply depressed individual that should not be missed. Louise lives in a nice house in the suburbs with her lover, Remi, a city planner and noted tennis player. Their relationship has hit a major juncture though, with Remi wanting to get married. Louise is reluctant, not wanting to settle down and stop living the life of a party girl. Eric Rohmer's Full Moon in Paris is a searing portrait of the character dynamics which exist between men and woman. While this type of story and themes has been tackled by countless filmmakers, I'm not sure anyone has such firm grasp on human relationships as Rohmer. Full Moon is Paris is a film full of intellectual banter but what is most impressive for me is how genuine it is at capturing the almost primal emotions of jealousy, loss, lust, etc. The film beautifully captures the over-analyzing which takes place in so many relationships, the constant fears and subsequent paranoia that can consume one's mind when trust has been eliminated. Louise is a character who wants the best of both worlds - she believes she loves Remi and is comfortable with him, but at the same time she is desperate to be alone. This is Louise story from start to finish, and while some of her actions aren't particularly likeable from a moral point of view, Rohmer never demonizes her for being young and naive about what love truly is. The ending is rather devastating for Louise character, with her own suggestion turning against her but with this ending Full Moon in Paris does something impressive, it transcends the narrative, compelling the viewer to examine their own feelings about love, lust, jealousy, and the relationships in their own lives. 8/10 |
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June 2023
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