On Golden Pond

Henry Fonda, Katherine Hepburn, Jane Fonda

Family melodrama whose principal value was in providing a showcase to two of Hollywood's great veteran stars. They both acquitted themselves admirably although the script called for Fonda's character to be a bit too much of a shit. But they're interaction on screen was lively and fun.

Interesting watching the real-life drama of Henry and his daughter played out on camera. The sub-plot of the 13 year old boy was OK as filler but seemed peripheral to the story.

Solid.

5

The Snake Pit

Olivia deHavilland

Groundbreaking film from 1948. When it was released the topic of mental illness and psychiatric hospitals was not mentioned in polite company...they were dumping grounds for troubled people of all sorts who were kept hidden from public view. This film was a serious attempt to depict realistically what went on inside these places.

Brilliant performance by OdH...easily the best reason the film holds up so well today. She slides from one mental state to another mercurially while never overacting or alienating the viewer. The staff isn't demonized...they seem to be trying to help the patients even though they have no idea what will work.

This was an intelligent treatment of a taboo subject and showed courage and commitment by all concerned.

7

Bill Cunningham New York

documentary

Very nice piece on the guy who bikes around NYC photographing people's outfits. He came across as likable and hard-working...a bit of an odd duck but totally dedicated to his work.

Pleasant and informative.

5

Submarine

Wales

Charming, fresh take on the coming-of-age theme...first kiss, etc. Both leads look refreshingly realistic and are nerdy/quirkish enough to endear...not enough to sicken.

Wonderful supporting cast led by Sally Hawkins and a wildly over-the-top Paddy Considine.

Proof that even a little bit of originality can take a tired idea and make it a winner.

6

Drive

Ryan Gosling d/ Nicholas Winding Refn

Conventional but oddly compelling crime drama. Very violent. RG underplayed his part which for a time seemed artificial but as the story opened up he loosened some and became more believable. His character had no backstory which hurt.

Great supporting cast...Carey Mulligan who has one of the most expressive faces in film...Albert Brooks in a strong bad-guy role...Ron Perlman...

Unusual sound design, use of slow motion and choice of music gave the film an off-kilter air.

This was a step up by Refn...more polished than his previous films. Nor for everyone though.

6

Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo

documentary

At times interesting doc on the Japanese fascination with collecting and studying insects. There are several reasons given for this...mostly mythical/mystical. I dunno. Insects are intrinsically interesting and who knows what cultural forces moved them in that direction?

Film was much too long...they had maybe a half hour of material. Also it was badly hurt by hyper-kinetic camera work and editing.

So-so.

3

The Silent House

Uruguay

Nifty horror thriller shot in one continuous take. A young woman and her father are hired to clean an abandoned house...and there their troubles began.

Striking cine...all hand-held, lit by lanterns or flashlights in the scary dark house. The cast quickly reduced to the woman and she spent most of the film whimpering...which got old...but late in the film there were revelations which gave the story some substance. And the final, post-credit sequence rocked.

Nice variation on an oft-used theme.

6

Alps

Greece

Poor follow-up to the intriguing Dogtooth. This one has the same flat, affect-less acting, plain locations, abstract central premise, emotionless sex scenes and general degradation of its players. But this one has no compelling subtext pulling you in which made watching it an ordeal.

Oddly enough this film like other recent Greek attempts at "art" featured female actors with dirty greasy hair tied in unkempt tails. Is this supposed to mean something?

Dogtooth had deep resonance. This didn't.

2

In Time

Justin Timberlake w/d Andrew Niccol

This film was based on a neat idea...that in the near future wealth would be measured and traded in time...minutes, hours, etc. The structure of the story was conventional but the premise forced me to continue comparing what was on the screen with present day reality.

The action/chase scenes, pretty tiresome at this point in most films, were given new life by being integral to the fabric of the world created. JT is just barely adequate as a lead but his female co-star...Amanda Seyfried...is a real star and helped carry the film...even though she had many scenes running in high heels.

Niccols' previous film Gattaca also had a good premise but fell short in drama. This one corrected that fault and ended up a winner.

6

The Last Mountain

documentary

Coal...the ugliest of all the fossil fuels. Very disturbing treatment of the raping of Appalachia, its mountains and its people by corporate slime and their enforcers. This film presents predatory capitalism at its worst. Something's got to go...or humanity won't survive.

Effective and well done.

6

A Cat in Paris

anime

Juvenile adventure involving burglars, little girls, police detectives and a group (gaggle) of clownish bad guys.

This may have appeal to young folks but it's an ordeal for their parents. Lovely drawings though.

3

Birdemic

amerindie

Reviewers have called this one of the worse movies ever. They have a point. The script could have been written by a ten year old, the "effects" were ludicrously awful, the main actor terrible, etc. But I grew up watching cheesy 50's monster movies and this was just like one of those but in color. Plus the female lead was quite good...even reading idiotic lines.

It would've been more fun watching this with a group of drunken friends. The laughs were there.

2

Blow Up

David Hemmings w/d M. Antonioni

The Italian master's intriguing mystery set squarely in the middle of swinging London. This time I found the lead to be an arrogant, self-absorbed jerk...insufferable for the first 1/2 hour. But when the story kicked in the tone shifted dramatically, his character was submerged in the plot and the film raced along toward its enigmatic conclusion.

This film was a major cross-over in 1966 and it's easy to see why. It's titillating, engrossing and leaves the viewer with an unresolved mystery that seems to have larger, more profound overtones.

7

How Much Does Your Building Weigh Mr Foster?

documentary

Stupid title to a routine biography of British architect Norman Foster. He and his huge firm are responsible for many amazing projects all over the world but I found the worshipful treatment here to be tiresome and irritating.

Shades of John Galt.

5

Salt of the Earth

H. Biberman

Great classic film from 1953 about a mining strike in New Mexico which was eventually won with Anglos, Hispanics and women working together to defeat the forces of greed. Done by a group of blacklisted writers, directors on location under extremely difficult conditions. Other that some poor sound and occasional bad cutting it looked great and still worked beautifully in rousing the audience.

Powerful, emotionally engaging and unforgettable.

7

Last Year at Marienbad

Alan Renais

Mysterioso puzzler from 1960. What the hell was he attempting to do here? This was my second viewing...this time I was able to focus my attention on the film for forty minutes...after that mego. I was intrigued by the card game/puzzle and might play with that some time but the elegant posing of elegant people in an elegant old hotel wore off half way through.

Brilliant camera work, stunning locations simply aren't enough to make a film. There must be some audience involvement. I suppose this was seen as ground-breaking at the time but at this point it's just an irritating curiousity.

4

The Girl

Sweden

A nine year old girl is left alone in a rural area while her parents are away. She explores her freedom, has several adventures typical of her age group, gets lonely and learns that she really isn't ready to take care of herself.

Quiet, sensitive, contemplative film. Nicely shot. Appealing lead. No melodrama...just real life.

Worth it.

6

Medianeras

Argentina

Sleek, intelligent take on the lives of several twenty-somethings in Buenos Aires. Nice visuals, voiceover(!), characters, music. These folks were frabbing around while the filmmaker teased us with the thought that eventually they would get together and complete the circle.

Unusual number of architectural shots and references gave the film a strong sense of place and time. A subliminal romcom.

6

Bobby Fischer Against the World

documentary

The sad story of America's greatest chess genius. After winning the world championship against Spassky in 1972 he went off the deep end, gave up chess and became a raging anti-semite and all around nutcase.

It is often said that genius is close to madness...it was in this case...poor Bobby.

6

Limitless

Bradley Cooper

The lowest kind of wish-fulfillment junk. Absurd cynical story should have great appeal to those unwashed, slovenly nerds sitting in their parents' basements knowing, just knowing that they are really supermen if only they had one little pill that would unleash their inner Ivan Boesky.

Ugly, violent...too much CGI. This film evidences the decline of western civilization. Or something.

2

The Narrow Margin

Richard Fleischer

Short tight film noir from 1952. All the action takes place on a train or in confined spaces lending a sense of claustrophobia to the viewer. Fast-paced, gritty with a couple of nice surprises. Everybody smokes, they send telegraphs, ride trains...a real trip into the past.

Film has historical value and holds up very well today.

6

Korkoro

France w/d Tony Gatlif

Excellent treatment of a story from the WW2 era that's not often told...the persecution by the Nazis of gypsies. Here we follow a traveling family of Romany who are forced to settle in a provincial town which brings them all sorts of trouble...from the Germans, the French bureaucracy and the ignorant townspeople.

Good locations and mise-en-scene. Outstanding direction and editing...unusual sound design, good music...up there in the first rank of world cinema.

7

Viva Riva

Congo

Ugly, violent gangsta garbage from Africa. Turns out that setting this type of low-brow trash in an exotic location doesn't raise it up one iota.

Really awful.

2

Senna

documentary

First rate telling of the story of a champion Formula 1 race car driver. Lots of footage shot from in the cars going around the tracks. He came across as fiercely committed, focused and dedicated...received incredible acclaim during his lifetime.

I knew nothing about this topic but the film held my interest all the way. It's a tough way to make a living.

6

Circus Columbia

Serbia

Very fine film set at the beginning of the break-up of Yugoslavia. Croats and Serbs reversed roles and those new to power used it to settle decades-old scores. This film dealt with some of the human wreckage that stress generated.

Excellent casting/acting, smart directing, pacing. The characters were aggravating throughout...acting like out-of-control adolescents but when the serious trouble starts the whole film snaps into place and becomes a moving, intelligent drama.

World-class work.

7