Celluloid #75

In Theaters

the White Ribbon (2009) Haneke - A beautiful and stark black and white film about a small village in pre-WW1 Germany. A series of strange events occur, usually violent and retaliatory in nature, but inflicted for unknown reasons. The kids are creepy, but the adults aren't much better in their treatment of other townspeople. Haneke still tackles human nature and its relationship with evil, but he seems more restrained than ever before. Maybe I've become too desensitized from watching the rest of his filmography, but the shocking scenes seemed milder, and Haneke cuts away from scenes that we would have been forced to endure in the past. 4/5

In Home

By Brakhage (1959-2000) Brakhage - This volume of short films encompasses the output of experimental filmmaker Stan Brakhage. Many are bursts of color and shapes coming at you at a frenetic pace, and I'm not sure what to say about them, but they are beautiful in small doses. While none of the films are particularly narrative, some are slightly less abstract (a film about drunk teenagers, another about sex, etc.) The two most graphic are definitely the film The Act of Seeing with One’s Own Eyes, comprised entirely of footage from actual human autopsies, and the film Window Water Baby Moving featuring scenes of a very pregnant woman in the bathtub followed by scenes of the actual birth. His entire interpretation of the life cycle is really great, and it will be a long time before those two films dim in my memory. 4/5

Desperado (1995) Rodriguez - The sorta sequel to El Mariachi, but with a higher budget, polished look, and exchange of Antonio Banderas for Carlos Gallardo as the protagonist. This time around our mariachi is out for revenge of his lover's death. He teams up with Carolina (Salma Hayek's breakthrough role) to stack up a pretty high kill-count. The story gets a bit messy and lives in the grey area of morality, but I think that only adds to the enjoyment and entertainment value of this film. 4/5

the Devil Came on Horseback (2007) Sundberg - Documentary about the tragic and frustrating situation in Darfur. We follow Brian Steidle, a retired Marine, who has an assignment to "monitor the ceasefire" in the region and ends up photographing a genocide. The documentary is hard to watch because it shows how the American public and government never react much or do anything about the situation, despite compelling visual evidence. 3.5/5

El Mariachi (1992) Rodriguez - This was the week of Robert Rodriguez films. I started taking my Latino film class again, and he's our first director. This was his low budget debut, and for the most part it looks fine, but the sound is way off. A loner mariachi arrives in a strange town and becomes the victim of mistaken identity. Another man, dressed in black, who also carries a guitar case, has killed a bunch of men in revenge for not getting paid. The gringo is the villain for once...fun, even if the action gets a bit cheesy at times. 4/5

Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) Leone - A gritty and pretty spaghetti western, complete with Morricone soundtrack. A woman has recently married and has travelled via train to join her new family. Upon arrival, she discovers that her new husband and his children have all been massacred. Instead of turning right back around to New Orleans, she stays put and gets embroiled in the affairs of the town, and in the middle of an ongoing feud between two aging gunslingers. 4/5

Sin City (2005) Rodriguez - Very dark, stylized action film told in episodes. In one, Marv is out to avenge a prostitute's death...mainly by inflicting damage to genitals. Another centers around a young girl, saved by a cop who goes to jail for eight years. In another, a crew of prostitutes have to defend their corner of the city from crooked cops and sleazes. Totally a guy's film, pairing scantily-clad young ladies with grizzled old dudes. (Clive Owen provides the only attractive male presence). While Rodriguez seems to always put a lot of feminine flesh on screen, it doesn't really bother me on a feminist level because the female characters seem to have just as much depth (or lack there of) as the guys, and they kick a lot of ass...which is really the main point of this whole movie...3.5/5

Celluloid #74

In Home

Batman (1989) Burton - The students I work with often have nothing to do at lunch, and stranded on Treasure Island, there's little in the way of entertainment for them. Out of kindness, and self-serving interests, I've started a little "cinephile club" for them. Each month we are going to pick a theme, director, genre, etc. and watch films during lunch on that subject...this month is Tim Burton. I vaguely remember seeing this as a kid, but certainly did not remember the Prince soundtrack. Burton's version is totally gaggy compared to the newer Christian Bale vehicles, but interestingly, both versions involve chemicals causing widespread panic amongst Gotham's citizens. 3.5/5

Bring It On (2000) Reed - The cheerleading movie that spawned all other cheerleading movies, not to mention a rash of snarky teen films. The plot centers around two Southern California teams; one is white/suburban, the other black/urban. For years, the white team has been stealing routines from East Compton, however, Torrance is the new captain, and she wants to make things right. Admittedly this movie is totally ridiculous, but it makes me laugh and I like that the students and characters aren't really being made fun of. 3.5/5

Following (1999) Nolan - Bill likes to follow people around. Not for any malicious gain, but out of a compelling sense of curiosity. One day a con man realizes that Bill is following him, but instead of getting angry, he suggests that they team up to break into peoples' homes. At first I thought this film was being a little too nonlinear clever, but I warmed up to it, and even enjoyed the use of typical noir tropes. 4/5

Head-On (2004) Akin - A middle-aged suicidal man and equally self-destructive young woman meet at a clinic. They are both German citizens of Turkish descent, and upon initial contact, the woman suggests that they marry. All she wants is a sham marriage to appease her parents while maintaining the freedom to sleep around as she wishes. Cahit is a bit of a loser, but he feels pity enough towards her to agree to the arrangement. Their instability is what makes this love story so engrossing, and one of the best films that I have seen in quite a while. 5/5

Otto; or, Up With Dead People (2008) LaBruce - So we've all seen a ton of zombie movies, but I doubt many have seen a zombie movie like this...these zombies are gay, and this film is out of control. The music and sound is enough to make you feel crazy, but after many scenes of watching the undead eat roadkill, you are confronted with the wound-fucking scene. My goodness! This film pokes fun at arthouse cinema, yet still seems to have some sort of message about homosexual persecution, but that's all a little hazy...3.5/5

Sleep Dealer (2008) Rivera - This Mexican sci-fi film closely resembles Cronenberg's eXistenZ, down to the fusing of flesh and machinery via nodes that one can plug into. However, while Cronenberg's film centers around video games and virtual reality, this film uses the technology to enable workers in remote places to become part of the global economy. People can also sell off their memories. In the end, I'm not completely sure what is going on..it seems as though Rivera was really excited about this concept, but didn't know what to do with it. 3.5/5

Somers Town (2008) Meadows - Ultimately a disappointing follow-up to Meadows' last film This is England. A very simplistic story about a runaway who takes the train to London and gets mugged almost immediately. He befriends another teenage boy that has immigrated from Poland with his father. The two have a big crush on a woman who works at a cafe and engage in various shenanigans around town. 3/5

Celluloid #73

In Theaters

Broken Embraces (2009) Almodovar - A blind man recounts an affair from 14 years ago. He's a screenwriter and former director and the woman is his leading actress. However, she's already the mistress of a wealthy and obsessive man. Ernesto Martel (the rich dude) has recently died and his son, Ernesto Jr., wants to tarnish his father's name. The film has a lot of the usual Almodovar traits - melodrama, bright colors, a homosexual character, Penelope Cruz, etc. and was very enjoyable to watch, even if it did feel pretty middling in the context of his filmography. 4/5

In Home

Baader Meinhof Complex (2008) Edel - In the 1960s, Germans were still reeling from the previous generation's complacency in allowing the reign of Hitler. As a result, the mood seems to be one of hypersensitivity against fascism and politics done in the name of "the people." Baader Meinhof was a leftist extremist group that engaged in terrorism as a form of government protest. This film follows their ten year ordeal, including the trial and death of most original members. 4/5

the Girlfriend Experience (2009) Soderbergh - A personal trainer and a high class call girl are dating. Both jobs target wealthy people who pay for luxury services and the semblance of someone to care about them. The story is told in a nonlinear fashion and there seems to be an overabundance of references to the crappy economy. Interesting, but somehow lacking something. 3/5

Observe and Report (2009) Hill - Extremely dark comedy about Ronnie, a security guard with delusions of grandeur. He wants nothing more than to hook up with the makeup counter girl and become a legitimate cop. He's psychologically unstable and the film gets pretty uncomfortable in several scenes. 3/5

O'Horten (2007) Hamer - Slow-paced Swedish film about a retiring train engineer. Odd visits his mother who used to be a ski jumper and befriends a drunk old man. The whole film is physically a little hard to see because so many scenes are really dark. The moral seems to be cliched business about learning to enjoy one's life. 3.5/5

Revolutionary Road (2008) Mendes - I read the Richard Yates novel a couple years ago, and wasn't totally impressed. I think the story may have been controversial upon its release, but I don't think anyone today seriously harbors nostalgia about the 50s and early 60s. The film contains the same bleakness, but the character of April Wheeler is much less sympathetic than her book persona. I appreciated the aesthetic and lovely colors of the film, even if they did serve to lessen the blow of a huge downward spiral. 3.5/5

Rudo y Cursi (2009) Cuaron - Two brothers get attention from a soccer scout, but he can only manage one to begin with--sparking a hefty sibling rivalry. The brother that gets drafted first doesn't really even want to play soccer and has dreams of becoming a singer. The movie is pretty silly and has way too much voiceover narration, but it does avoid getting too cheesy and opting for a feel-good ending. 3.5/5