Celluloid #35

In Theaters

The Class (2008) Cantet - France's contribution to the Oscar's Best Foreign Film category is an interesting mix of fiction and documentary style. The film is based on a novel written by Francois, the teacher who also plays himself. The school itself exposes us to the diversity of urban France and tackles the current state of attitude towards immigrants. This movie is pretty much the opposite of every "inspirational teacher film." Francois is extremely human, makes mistakes, and there are no real tear jerking or overly dramatic transformations. Somehow, it still comes off as a fairly engrossing film. 4/5

In Home

Diary of a Chambermaid (1964) Bunuel - A Parisian girl goes to the country to become a maid. The "monsieur" wants to sleep with her and the old man wants to indulge his foot fetish with her assistance. Amusing the old man, but denying the "monsieur", she decides to quit, until she hears news of a local girl's rape and murder. She is convinced that the head male servant is responsible and wants him to confess and has little scruples in her means of trying to get him to do so. A very abrupt and unresolved ending. 3/5

Fog of War (2003) Morris - Robert McNamara was the Secretary of Defense for seven years, and a notable figure in deciding whether to go to war in Vietnam. He was considered extremely smart, if not a little arrogant. A bundle of contradictions: studied Ethics at Berkeley, then describes himself as a "war criminal." Was responsible for putting seat belts in cars, and becomes teary-eyed in describing his role in the firebombing of Japan prior to dropping the bomb. A compelling figure whether you hate him or can find some sympathy for him. 4.5/5

the Order of Myths (2008) Brown - Margaret Brown herself was a Mardi Gras queen in Mobile, Alabama, so her documentary is undoubtedly very personal. She examines the twin Mardi Gras celebrations that occur in Mobile: one for the whites, and one for the blacks. The whites justify the continued segregation as the ties to "tradition and roots." The blacks are obviously a little less stoked about the South's "traditions." The Mardi Gras parades are viewed as the last stronghold of segregation by the locals, but the younger generations seem to take deliberate actions to mingle more and to be more attentive to racial issues. 4/5

Scum (1979) Clarke - Scum is a controversial film about the English equivalent of juvenile detention. It's like a strict school where the students beat each other up, often from racial motivation. There is extreme violence committed in order for one "trainee" to become the "daddy" over all other trainees, and meanwhile even the staff even participates to a degree in the power game being played. There is a horrifying rape scene that made me nauseous (and I consider myself pretty desensitized at this point) and multiple suicides as a result of the environment. Lastly, a very young Ray Winstone helps this film become memorable, for better or worse. 4/5

Vampyr (1932) Dreyer - I think silent films often lend themselves to eeriness and a certain creep-factor, all though often unintentionally. This film is one step removed from being silent as it has some dialogue. I wasn't always entirely sure what was going on. I know some dude was messing with a book about vampires and Satan and another girl is "damned" but her soul gets freed when two men stab a corpse. The scenes in the fog are mesmerizing. A worthwhile film for anyone interested in classic horror. 4.5/5

the Wild Bunch (1969) Peckinpah - Considered one of the best Westerns and noteworthy for the amount of violence and bloodshed. A group of outlaws are looking to make "one last score." Their burglary goes awry and the group is forced to take on the "Generalissimo." The film is pretty racist and sexist, but I guess not any more so than one would expect from this genre. I suppose the amount of violence was shocking for the time, but feels a little dated now while still entertaining. 3.5/5

Celluloid #34

In Home

Doubt (2008) Shanley - A priest takes a young black student under his wing, but the mother superior believes their relationship to be of an improper nature. Throughout the film we are never given hard evidence to prove his guilt or innocence...a greyness that I appreciated. The mother superior represents the old way of the church while the priest champions progressive evolution. She's a huge bitch, but that doesn't necessarily make her wrong. While Philip Seymour Hoffman, Meryl Streep, and Viola Davis all put in pretty great performances, I'm convinced that Amy Adams exists merely to have big eyes and look perpetually on the brink of tears. 4/5

Nashville (1975) Altman - This time Altman's ensemble cast plays country singers (or wannabe singers), politicians, or businessmen surrounding the Grand Ole Opry. It's a typical Altman film where often many people talk all at once and the audience cannot possibly pick up on all of the conversations. The actors wrote and performed their own songs, and throughout the movie, a van painted with "Hal Phillip Walker: Replacement Party candidate" drives around spouting off conservative propaganda and slogans. 4/5

Yi Yi (2000) Yang - For a decade or so, Edward Yang and Hou Hsiao-Hsien pretty much comprised the entirety of Taiwan's New Wave of film. This particular film is a long, serious, family epic. The wife feels that her life lacks meaning, and leaves for a mountain retreat. The grandmother enters a coma. The father acts as the main protagonist and revisits his first love. The daughter feels responsible for her grandmother's condition and suffers heartbreak of her own. And lastly, the young son brims with curiosity and precociousness. A beautiful and melancholy slice of life in modern day Taiwan. 4/5

Celluloid #33

In Theatres

Donkey Punch (2008) Blackburn - What can I say? It's February and the movie choices in the theater are growing slim, and John and I wanted to watch a trashy film. This one qualifies, but the actual "donkey punch" itself happens pretty early in the movie followed by gory scenes of Boy vs. Girl violence. I thought it was hilarious that out of the 15 or so people in the theater, with the exception of me, John, and two other dudes, everyone in the audience was a middle-aged male sitting by themselves (I was the only girl at all)...I think they may have expected a different kind of movie. I wouldn't necessarily recommend that anyone seek this film out, but if you enjoy Japanese-style gore thrillers (all though this film is British) this one is not without merits...it's pretty-looking and has a decent soundtrack. 3.5/5

In Home

the Burmese Harp (1956) Ichikawa - A Japanese troop is stationed in Burma near the end of WW2. They are aware that Japan has been heavily bombed and seem a little relieved when they are ordered to surrender. Another troop, also stationed in Burma, refuses to throw up the white flag, so a soldier from the original unit is sent to convince them to stop as they are more valuable to rebuild their country alive than to pointlessly continue fighting. That soldier becomes a monk and decides to wander Burma, burying the dead. A really beautiful film that is obviously anti-war without being preachy, instead proclaiming that as humans "our work is to ease suffering in the world." 4.5/5

Casablanca (1943) Curtiz - So I finally got around to seeing this classic...it's romantic, but not in a way that makes me groan or want to puke. During WW2, many Europeans made their way to Morocco to obtain exit visas to escape to America. Bogart plays "Rick", an American that owns a bar when the love of his life reemerges with her husband who are one of those who need visas. 4/5

Dazed and Confused (1993) Linklater - It's the last day of school in 1976. There's some hazing of incoming freshmen, but also the befriending of them. It's a small town, so there's plenty of driving around, drinking, smoking weed, and rock music. Pretty silly, but an interesting look at a day of rituals and transformations. Also, because it's a Linklater film we get the requisite characters with "deep" monologues or dialectical conversations. 3.5/5

Match Point (2006) Allen - A former tennis pro of a poor Irish background, finds himself among the upper classes of London. He marries the daughter of a wealthy businessman, but secretly has a passionate affair with her brother's fiance. She becomes pregnant and wants him to leave his wife. Chris feels trapped and has to juggle a variety of lies. A Hitchcock-style thriller where you can't help but root for people to do bad things. 4/5

WALL-E (2008) Stanton - In the near future, Earth will be full of garbage to the point that humans will abandon the planet to live in a spaceship. WALL-E is a little robot whose job it is to compact and stack blocks of trash. Eve is another robot sent from the humans to detect the presence of organic life. WALL-E falls in love with Eve and returns with her to the ship. A cute selfless love story and apt environmental tale for the youngsters. 4/5

Celluloid #32

In Theatres

Revanche (2008) Spielmann - A few weeks ago, John and I went to see this movie as a part of the Berlin and Beyond Film Festival that was screening at the Castro Theatre. This played on "Austrian night" and also happens to now be in the running for Best Foreign Film in the Academy Awards. Anyway, this is undoubtedly an Austrian film in its style, themes, intensity, and always counted on disturbing factor. A man and his girlfriend decide to rob a bank and flee to the countryside, but the getaway is botched and the girl is shot by a cop. The man stays at his grandfather's farm where he plots his revenge on the cop. The story could have easily become very absurd and even soap opera-like, but instead remains memorable and well-done. I am curious to check out Spielmann's filmography. 4.5/5

Wendy and Lucy (2008) Reichardt - I haven't seen Into the Wild but this film is lazily labelled as the feminine version. A young woman is on her way to Alaska with only her backpack, her dog, and her car. Unfortunately, when she reaches Oregon, everything that could go wrong pretty much does. A minimal plot, but rather an interesting representation of a lot of young women...strong, independent, yet vulnerable. I also enjoyed recognizing the setting of Lombard, Columbia, and Highway 30 in far north Portland. 4/5

In Home

Beckett on Film (2003) various - Four discs of filmic representations of 19 of Beckett's plays. A different director and set of actors tackles each one. Unfortunately, I tried on multiple occasions to get through these, but so many are shot really stagnant, boring, and flat that they served as a reliable sedative...and I can often sit through some really slow stuff. 2.5/5

Dreamgirls (2006) Condon - Oh man. So, I am in the middle of a ten day fast/cleanse right now...the same one that Beyonce went on to prepare for her role in this movie. John and I figured that we should probably just stay at home this past weekend to conserve energy and distract ourselves from our hunger so we picked up a bunch of movies. The library had slim pickings, and this film did seem apt given our state, even though I pretty much can't stand musicals as a genre. Anyway, it's a musical fictional retelling of the story of Diana Ross ("Deena" played by Beyonce) and the Supremes (or "the Dreams"). It's really polished, some of the songs are pretty bad, and it goes without saying...pretty cheesy, however, I didn't hate it (but maybe that's just the hunger hallucinations speaking) 2.5/5

Even Dwarves Started Small (1971) Herzog - Easily the strangest Herzog film I have seen to date (and that's saying a lot), but also a prime example of Herzog's quote of a need for "adequate images." Very little discernable plot --an entire cast of little people, some of which seem to be staging revolt against some sort of mental institution by laughing and throwing things. Basically, bizarre scene after bizarre scene, including a processional subtituting a monkey for Jesus and an amazing ghostriding sequence. 4/5

Fishing With John (1992) Lurie - Not a film, but released with Criterion, John Lurie parodies cable access fishing shows. For each show he takes a special guest with him to a different location to fish. The cast of characters includes: Jim Jarmusch, Tom Waits, Matt Dillon, Willem Dafoe, and Dennis Hopper. Waits, Dafoe, and Hopper provide the most interesting conversations and Tom Waits even puts a fish in his pants! 4/5

Thank You For Smoking (2006) Reitman - A lobbyist for the tobacco company has to juggle the role of his job, the attacks from an anti-smoking senator, and the relationship with his son. Morality, talk of freedom, and satire abound. Reitman employs that style where there is a lot of narration and freeze frames, and I found the film overall likable, but tiring after some time. 3/5

Year of the Dog (2006) White - A lonely woman's dog dies from accidental poisoning which jumpstarts her downward spiral. Her love life is hopeless, she becomes a vegan, gets really obsessed with PETA, and finally becomes really crazy. This movie flails quite a bit and for a while seems like a film where the community or support network is going to pull together to help an individual out, but then takes a weird turn somewhere. Her actions wouldn't seem out of place for an early twenty-something, but for a character her age she'd have to be incredibly selfish and naive. Sure to be quite forgettable. 3/5