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Post #669085

Author
Mike O
Parent topic
The Armchair Movie Critic thread
Link to post in topic
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/669085/action/topic#669085
Date created
3-Nov-2013, 8:32 PM

The Will Be Blood- Paul Thomas Anderson's epically ambitious tale about a giant oil magnate (Daniel Day Lewis). Showered in critical adulation and awards, it's easy to see why. The film tosses around many intriguing ideas-capitalism and religion bringing hucksters and con men, communication, the power of greed, etc. It' superbly shot and beautifully put together, but the central character is so repugnant, the movie's reach does exceed its grasp. It's a real shot at greatness though, and the ambition and intelligence are appreciated.

I Confess- Hitchcock yarn about a priest who refuses to reveal a murder's confession. Surprisingly talky for a Hitchcock picture, and not perhaps one of his finest or most suspenseful, but gorgeously shot, well-acted, and nice and lean.

A Knife in the Water- Roman Polanski's directorial debut, an austere, Bergmanesque piece about a couple who pick up a hitchhiker and take him with them on a boat trip, and the two men vie for the woman's sexual attention. Depending on your point of view, either nothing happens or everything, but as a beautifully shot, subtle, creeping psychological thriller with an ambiguous, arts ending, the film holds up pretty well. The film has an intriguing bit deal with the social conditions of the characters, but on the Criterion disc, Polanski says this is "bullshit," added to appease the Communist Polish censors. He amusing describes shaky-cam and Dogme, saying "I either think the cameraman has Parkinson's or is masturbating or some shit."

Man of Steel- Zach Snyder's much-hyped return of Superman to the big screen is sadly one of the most disappointing films in recent memory. Dour, joyless, dull, and no fun at all, it almost completely bungles one of pop culture's most beloved characters. Dated special effects and all, Donner's films look better and better with each passing year, and so does Bruce Timm's animated series.

Fast and Furious 6- More good-natured nonsense from Jusin Lin. Lightweight popcorn fare that isn't likely to age well, but does its job handily for the 130 minutes in the theater. Lots of things go boom with hilarious panache and gleeful disregard for any physics or logic. Lots of musclebound guys and hot girls beat each other up and make cars go really fast, causing as much destruction as possible everywhere. Still not a very good villain, but a post-credits stinger with Jason Statham indicates that the next installment might finally fulfill the quota. I'm never, ever forgiving Justin Lin for wasting the opportunity to have Gina Carano and Joe Taslim have a fight scene. I was robbed of an epic martial arts fan's dream. I wish Carano could come back for the sequel, but alas, this installment renders that impossible.

Jack Reacher- Screenwriter Chistopher McQuarrie (of many good Bryan Singer screenplays) takes another shot at directing with this pulpy Tom Cruise yarns about an ex-Army MP who get tangled in a spree killing that isn't what it appears to be. McQuarrie streamlines a bit of Lee Child's complicated plot from his novel One Shot, and as a writer himself, he takes more delight in the pulpy tone and chewy dialogue and acting than the setting (changed from Indiana to Pittsburgh) or any particular visual aesthetics. A decent but unmemorable nuts-and-bolts thriller, Werner Herzog has fun as a deliciously evil villain who chewed off his own fingers in a Russian Gulag. Vat iz zis?

Parker- Taylor Hackford tries to make Donald E. Westlake's ruthlessly amoral criminal into a vehicle for Jason Statham. Westlake probably wouldn't have appreciated some of the more sentimental aspect added to the character, but the ruthless unrepentant bastard from the novels is unlikely to ever show up in mainstream Hollywood films. Statham does what he can and brings his usual tough guy charisma. Efficient and a decent way to pass a rainy afternoon, but no more than that.

Mr. Nice Guy- 90s Jackie Chan Kong-Sang American vehicle directed ny the great Sammo Hung Kam-Bo. One of those internationally flavored movies, it has almost zero personality and jumbled nonsensical plot revolving around a VHS tape Macguffin, but some breathtaking set pieces, including a full-scale excavation loader destroying a real building. Chan never throws down with villain Richard Norton, almost as egregious an affront as the one above. Chan's usual charisma goes a long way in salvaging the film.


Voice of Moon- Fellini's final film, a madcap surreal odyssey. Visually stunning, endlessly inventive, surreal, visionary, and a bit exhausting. Caught it at a nearby art house, must've been a proper film print, can't imagine there's a DCP of this, and I don't know if it's ever been released on DVD.

The Black Death- The rare film that works viscerally and intellectually, Christopher Smith's dark medieval drama is that rare overachieving B-movie nearly that's extinct in the over-budgeted blockbuster climate. All of the requisite blood and gore, a surprisingly intelligent screenplay, great cinematography, and solid performances. Crackerjack genre piece, blend of raw viscera and scalding social commentary with a nihilistic? punch, a smart B-movie with a wicked backhand. Fantastic film.

Rebel Without A Cause- Dated, overcooked, but also fascinating 50s melodrama from director Nicholas Ray. Hugely iconic, well acted, and beautifully shot, with shades of Sirk and Minellei in Ray's operatic use of color and sympathetic characters. Dated, especially in an age when today's youth are caught in an increasingly post-modern malaise, but the film anticipates that in many ways, and features a hugely iconic, almost mythic performance from James Dean. The film doesn't entirely know what it's about, but as Roger Ebert says, that's sort of the point.

The Happening- M. Night Shaymalan thriller that continues his career's downward spiral. A promising beginning and an interesting premise-there's something audacious in his instance on making nature a villain, and ominous shots of swaying trees are kind of cool. But sadly, the film eventually collapses under the weight of inane dialogue, stupid characters, and environmental preaching.

After Earth- Another Shaymalan flick, this one scaled by critics, it isn't quite as bad as they said. A few nice set pieces, more flat dialogue, some nice camera trickery. Forgettable, but inoffensive.

Groundhog Day- Harold Ramis' wonderful fantasy about a weatherman stuck in an endless time loop is nominally a comedy, but has a subtle darkness under its surface and a deeply spiritual core. Bill Murray has a role nearly tailor-made for him, and he and Ramis work real magic, making the film's simple high-concept premise into a deep, intelligent, and philosophical classic. One of the best films of the 1990s.