Change Your Image
dromasca
living in Israel
makes a living out of computers and computer networks
best films ever - Casablanca, The Great Dictator, Citizen Kane
likes travelling, blues, rock and jazz music, reading, sports (especially football), and of course - films
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Reviews
Notes on a Scandal (2006)
dangerous relationships
I'm not sure why the creators of the film 'Notes on a Scandal' (2006) insisted on adding a disclaimer at the end of the credits that claims that 'any resemblance to real people or events is coincidental'. The disclaimer is standard, but it seems inaccurate in this case. The film directed by Richard Eyre is an adaptation of a novel by Zoë Heller, who in turn openly stated that the story is inspired by the real case of American teacher Mary Kay LeTourneau, a case that has also inspired other fiction and documentary films, including the recent 'May December'. It is true that the plot of the film is complex and the story is moved to London, but the basic premises of the case are very similar. Richard Eyre, a solid television and film director, does not shy away from difficult and delicate subjects, which he approaches successfully, as is the case here with the help of a dream cast.
'Notes on a Scandal' is the story of lonely people connected by the kind of relationships that society condemns morally and sometimes even by law. The stage is a high school in an area of London inhabited by not very wealthy families, many of them immigrants or their descendants. Barbara Covett is a rather elderly history teacher, severe with her students, distant and condescending towards her fellow teachers. One of her secrets is that she shares her experiences and feelings with pedantic writing in personal diaries. At least one full shelf has already been gathered, perhaps collected over decades. Her younger colleague, art teacher Sheba Hart, is new to the school, having returned after many years in which she had stayed home to take care of her son, an autistic teenager. Still beautiful, Sheba is married to a university professor, much older than her. A friendship develops between Barbara and Sheba, a relationship in which the two women see very different things. Barbara is manipulative and wants much more than just friendship. When Sheba starts a forbidden relationship with one of her students, a 15-year-old teenager, and after the affair is discovered, she confides in Barbara as to a good friend, the only one who can help her. In fact, the older woman's intentions are completely different.
In the good tradition of classic British cinema, dialogues and acting are decisive for the quality of the film. Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett are two formidable actresses (with one Oscar statuette and two, respectively, already in their records) and their screen meeting is carried out at the highest level. Both actresses give depth to their characters, lonely women each in her own way, one faced with the unfulfillment of previous relationships due perhaps to a tendency to excessive control, the other with the consequences of an early marriage to a much older man. The script and the novel that inspired it choose a different outcome than the one in the real case for the relationship between the teacher and the underage student. The script also contains a dose of social criticism, related to the public school that comes out with a not very positive image in this film and the sensational press that rushes in with the ferocity of predatory animals destroying any trace of privacy. Despite the calm British atmosphere, the film does not end on a very optimistic note. Neither of the two heroines will find peace and the problems that pushed them into crisis found no solutions. As viewers of this film, we are left with the meeting and interaction on screen, in a dramatic story, of the two great actresses.
Anora (2024)
the nightmare of Cinderella
'Anora', Sean Baker's film that won the Golden Palms at Cannes this year, begins as a romantic story whose protagonist is a Cinderella who is a stripper and prostitute, and continues as a violent drama that takes place in the Russian community environment of New York. This unique combination is made possible by the script by Sean Baker, who wrote and prepared this film for several years. The result is an engaging film, which nevertheless seemed a little too long at times, a film that overturns prejudices and refuses to embellish the sordid reality of a genre of stories that have already been brought to the screen many times, but with artificial sweeteners and polishes.
Ani / Anora is 23 years old, she dances and offers her services in a New York nightclub. Understanding the Russian language learned from an immigrant grandmother, she is hired one night by Ivan, a somewhat confused young man who seems to have unlimited financial resources. Ivan invites Ani for 'private services' in the super-luxurious villa where he lives. The two begin to like each other beyond the client-prostitute relationship, although Ivan continues to pay. He seems to have infinite resources, because he is the son of Russian oligarchs, who had sent him to study in America. Just like in 'Pretty Woman' (the quote is obvious) Ivan hires Ani for a week and then takes her to Las Vegas. There - whim or feelings, what does it matter? - they get married. Do the two young people start to take their relationship seriously? This will be tested when Ivan's parents, learning of their son's unwanted marriage, send the gangsters under their command to break them up. The fairy tale turns into a nightmare.
Several themes, none completely new in American cinema, combine in 'Anora', and it is precisely the way in which this mixture is made and the fluent style of the narrative that make this film attractive, a film that will disturb many, but will also attract fans of many different genres, from romantic comedy, through erotic thriller and even films with cartoonish gangsters (possibly Russian). Mikey Madison proves to be a formidable and courageous actress, because such a role can launch a great career, but it can also block it if the following casting opportunities are not as generous, but especially not different. Part of the cast comes from Russia, which is to be appreciated, because it is a type of collaboration that has become rarer in recent years. Mark Eydelshteyn seems to be a very interesting actor, although his role is a bit in the shadow of that of the main heroine. The one who dominates the screen in the second part of the film, one could say even beyond the dimensions of his role as a gangster hiding personal secrets, is Yura Borisov, a famous actor in Russia, whom we have already seen in the Finnish film 'Compartment Number 9'. The filming manages to be extremely authentic, the director and the cameramen feel good in all the environments where the story takes place: nightclubs, the New York apartment of the Russian oligarchs, New York, Las Vegas. The denouement of the narrative is somewhat predictable, because Cinderella is not exactly a princess in waiting here, and the prince does not exactly have the character of a prince. The final scene, however, leaves itself open to interpretations and is yet another reason to continue thinking about this film even after the screening has ended.
Een Schitterend Gebrek (2024)
the only true love of Casanova
I seldom get the chance to see Dutch films, and that's one of the reasons I chose to see 'Een Schitterend Gebrek' (2024 - the English title is 'A Beautiful Imperfection'). It's not a 100% Dutch production, but a co-production with Belgian and Italian studios, and it's spoken in English, which is convenient, because otherwise the film would have had to be spoken in about four languages. The director is Dutch, though. Michiel van Erp is a well-known name in his country, author of television films and documentaries, 'Een Schitterend Gebrek' being his third feature-length fiction film. It's a period drama based on a novel that in turn develops an episode mentioned in passing in Giacomo Casanova's memoirs, transforming it into a feminist plea and a meditation on love, beauty, and how we know how to discover and live them beyond appearances.
The story takes place alternately in 1742 and 1758. The young theology student Giacomo Casanova meets, at a wedding in an Italian castle, Lucia, a girl of modest social origin, different from others, with whom he falls in love. The young Lucia, educated and ambitious, dreams of traveling and seeing the world. The two young people promise to marry, but fate will intervene and separate them. 16 years later, Casanova, who has earned his reputation as a conqueror and destroyer of female hearts, meets a famous courtesan, always masked, in Amsterdam, who intrigues him because she seems to be the only woman who resists his advances. He is about to fall in love again. Are the two women the same person?
The story alternates not only two temporal planes, but also two destinies. The woman is forced to fend for herself in a world where women without wealth have as their only commodities for sale - through marriage or prostitution - youth and physical beauty. The man whose love story in his youth had destroyed his illusions about women seems to have become a serial conqueror out of disappointment and perhaps revenge. Can there be a second chance? The woman's story is in the foreground, especially thanks to the feminist message and the performance of Dar Zuzovsky - an Israeli actress with an international career whom I did not know, but who impressed me in this role. Jonah Hauer-King plays a Casanova who remains somewhat in the background (perhaps intentionally), but who nevertheless receives an interesting motivation for his actions. The historical reconstruction is detailed and precise, supported by cinematography that offers beautiful and appropriate images of the cities of the era - Venice, Amsterdam, Paris. The questions about love and beauty, appearances and feelings are valid at any time. The ending is a bit predictable, but if we have become attached to the main heroine, we are not dissatisfied with it being the way it is. Michiel van Erp's film is worth the time spent watching.
Gladiator II (2024)
the old gladiator is still in the arena
My generation of cinephiles has the great opportunity to see some of the great directors we have followed since the beginning of their careers, who we have seen grow up, become celebrities and make good and interesting films, and occasionally masterpieces, still active, in their ninth and in some cases tenth decades of life. Now they are towards the inevitable end of their careers, but they continue to be relevant, sometimes breaking longevity records with new films and they entertain artistic dialogues with younger generations of filmmakers and especially with themselves throughout their own careers. One of these living masters of cinema is Ridley Scott, who at 87 is active and dynamic. 'Gladiator II' (2024) is his fourth feature film in this decade (and he also has short films and TV productions in his cinematography these years), and he has six other films in various stages of preparation. It is a remake of his own 2000 film, winner of 5 Academy Awards. Ridley Scott knew he was risking comparisons with one of his best films, but he accepted the challenge. In part he won, in part he lost.
The story, written by David Scarpa, follows the same plot pattern of the first film, a generation later. It takes place around 200 AD. The main hero is a fictional character, but around him are numerous historically attested characters, including the pair of brother emperors (called twins, although they were not exactly twins) Geta and Caracalla. Their reign, in fact a bizarre and decadent tyranny, was marked by some of the bloodiest games in the Colosseum arena. Here, a formidable gladiator is brought, prisoner from Africa, whose accomplishments in the arena win him glory, and whose deeds will shake the corrupt order that dominates the empire. Bloody fights in the arenas alternate with political intrigues. Everyone plots around the emperors, including Lucilla, the daughter of Emperor Marcus Aurelius who had tried to reform Roman society, and Macrinus, the owner of the gladiators.
The cinematic vision is exceptional. Ridley Scott does not avoid computerized visual effects, but to reconstruct the Colosseum, where many of the most spectacular scenes of the film take place, he resorted to old-school cinema methods, building a 1:1 scale arena. The result is impressive, and 'Gladiator II' joins the scope of historical reconstruction of the best films of the genre. Paul Mescal manages to enter the main role very well, even if he cannot make us forget Russell Crowe completely. The best acting creation, however, belongs, in my opinion, to Denzel Washington, in one of the best roles of his career. Connie Nielsen is also superb, her Lucinda being the only survivor - as a character and as a role - of the original film. 'Gladiator II' will satisfy fans of historical films, especially those who accept fiction and do not demand excessive rigor of what we see on the screen. Personally, I think that the reference to an idealized Roman Republic was exaggerated, its values rather allude to the present, but historically the Roman Republic was a slave-based order and a democracy for the few, not for all. After all, however, history is learned in school, not at the cinema. Even Shakespeare was not exact in the details of his historical plays. The success of the show cannot be denied, however. Old gladiator Ridley Scott is still in the arena, and if the rumors are confirmed, he is already preparing 'Gladiator III'.
Steeltown Murders (2023)
DNA solves old crime mysteries in Wales
When they're good, BBC crime dramas are very good. This is the case with 'Steeltown Murders' (2023), a 4-episode mini-series created by Ed Whitmore. The story is inspired by a real case, an investigation that took place in two stages separated by 29 years. The crimes committed in 1973 were initially investigated for many months, but in the end the cases, unsolved, were closed. In 2002, advances in investigative techniques based on DNA analysis confirmed a connection between two cases considered separate and the investigation was reopened. The perseverance of the detectives, two of whom had also been involved in the original investigation, led to the cases being solved.
The story takes place in Wales. In two different cases investigated by different police teams, three young girls are murdered and raped. The case traumatizes the victims' families and the entire peaceful community of the small Welsh town. The young police officer Paul Bethell, who is part of one of the teams, suspects that the two crimes were committed by the same perpetrator, but his boss does not allow him to continue on this trail. The investigations, based on forensic techniques from the 1970s and on the interrogations of suspects and witnesses, lead to nothing. 29 years later, with the introduction of DNA tests, it becomes clear that it was the same criminal, possibly a serial killer and rapist. Paul Bethell asks to be entrusted with the investigation, but receives minimal resources (only two investigators). He will continue it and will get closer to the truth, with tenacity, also using the DNA technology that is in its infancy in forensics. He will also find some of the parents of the victims and witnesses from the past, still haunted by the trauma of the events, unreconciled because the cases had remained unsolved.
I'm used to BBC detective series, well-written, with plots that are related to the life of British towns or villages, with authentic characters leading seemingly banal lives, but who often hide dark secrets. The police officers in these series are also often more complex and interesting than in similar productions from other places. This is the case here, and the team of actors do a very well job, with a special mention for Philip Glenister, an actor I've appreciated in other television series as well. The film, made in 2023, takes us back to two different time periods - in 1973 and in 2002 - and does it with great precision and attention to detail, from hairstyles and mustaches to sets, cars and the music the heroes listen to (the one from 1973, obviously, is much better!). I would also like to mention the cinematography, aesthetic and expressive, and I think it is worth noting the name of the cinematographer - Sam Thomas. Bringing real cases to screen is a challenge for series creators. Many viewers may remember the denouement, so the lack of suspense related to the identity of the murderer has to be compensated. The human dimension of the tragedies behind the crimes is excellently exposed and at least as interesting as the cases themselves. 'Steeltown Murders' is a series that is worth seeking out and watching.
The Substance (2024)
feminist horror
David Cronenberg and Quentin Tarantino have a heir and her name is Coralie Fargeat. Coralie Fargeat is not afraid to shock. In fact, I think the purpose of her films is to shock. She's doing it to get attention and maybe to attract an audience that wouldn't otherwise come to her movies, but it's just a tactic to gain more people watch for the message. And the message is shouted with the shrillness of 'horror'. 'The Substance' (2024) is her second film. The debut film made seven years ago, 'Revenge', managed to catch my attention in a genre that most of the time leaves me indifferent. With 'The Substance', Coralie Fargeat amplifies her means of expression. Apparently we are dealing with a film that combines the genres of horror and science fiction. For many viewers, that's all and enough. But 'The Substance' is much more than that. It is a film with a strong feminist message and is a scathing critique of misogynistic and ageist television entertainment. Everything is dressed up in the form of a movie with an 80s aesthetic, quoting and paying homage to the 'class B' movies of that decade. Viewers who can't stand violent films will do well to avoid viewing it, as it includes many scenes bathed in blood and a massive dose of 'body horror'.
Elisabeth, the main heroine of the film, is a former movie star with a star on Hollywood Blvd., whose youth and prime have passed. At 50, she has a fitness show on morning television, which is canceled because the producer (who happens to be named Harvey) wants a younger screen presence. Desperate because age is catching up with her, she cannot resist the temptation to respond to an ad promising a revolutionary genetic treatment, a kind of self-cloning into a younger version constructed from her own DNA. The procedure has restrictions and conditions that must be strictly followed. Everything that can go wrong will go wrong.
This movie could have ended about half an hour earlier than the 2 hours and 20 minutes running time. Many of the commenters have noted this, but in this case I think it's not just about conforming to a Hollywood trend, which I don't really like, by the way. It is precisely the last part that seems to me to have been most important to director Coralie Fargeat (who also wrote the screenplay). The sensation-seeking audience that gathers towards the end to see a New Year's show are us, the ones who have resisted the screening of the film in the cinema theatre or at our homes until then. We are hearing the desperate scream of the creature who was once a glorified star and then a woman who, in the eyes of the misogynistic society around her, was losing value as she inevitably advanced in age. As for the visual effects, I think the choice of makeup and prosthetics that could have been done in the 80s is intentional. In fact, the whole concept and cinematography are a tribute to the action, horror and sci-fi films of 35-40 years ago, but with a very different message, perhaps even contrary to the mentalities of that time. Although she has only made two feature films so far, it can be said that the director has created a recognizable visual style of her own, constructing sophisticated architectures for the buildings where the action takes place, where the modernity of the exteriors is combined with corridors that shrink the action in crushing perspectives. Some scenes quote the films that influenced her ('class B' films, but also Kubrick from 'Space Odyssey' or 'Shining' for example). More than once the director quotes herself, meaning scenes or details from 'Revenge'. Demi Moore plays with commitment and courage a role that she knows can bring her an Oscar or destroy the rest of her career. Dennis Quaid is also excellent as the obnoxious producer Harvey, who offers a counterpoint of sarcastic satire. There is, by the way, quite a lot of humor in this film, but the atmosphere is dominated by screaming and despair. 'The Substance' will become, I believe, a cult film, but there will always be a need for viewers to be warned about what they are about to see. For Coralie Fargeat, this is the second achievement in a career that promises to be formidable.
La Cocina (2024)
Modern Times (Square)
'La Cocina' (2024), the bold and unusual film by Mexican director Alonso Ruizpalacios, immediately reminded me of Charlie Chaplin's 'Modern Times'. Both films have one memorable scene that visually and symbolically represents all that is wrong with the dehumanization of work. As a whole, both films present scathing and fearless critiques of abhorrent aspects of the capitalist system, of course in different centuries and at different stages. 'La Cocina' combines this theme with that of illegal immigration in America today. Movies about immigration in America have a tradition, you could say they represent a separate genre. What is special about Ruizpalacios' film is that the point of view is that of immigrants. The director, most of the producers, the technical crew, the actors and the heroes of the film are mostly non-American. The director is also the author of the screenplay, adapted to the realities of America and today from a play (which also became a film script) by the English playwright Arnold Arnold Wesker.
The story takes place in a restaurant called 'The Grill' in the center of Manhattan, somewhere near Times Square. We never enter the front door, though. From the first scene, we are directed to the back entrance, and we will only see the restaurant itself, with its local or tourist customers, twice in the movie. The rest of the story takes place in the kitchen where dozens of dishes are prepared at a hellish pace for the hundreds of customers, or in the side streets or inner courtyards where the huge garbage bags permanently generated by the junk machine are stored. Estela, a (probably illegal) immigrant, who doesn't speak one word of English, is hired to work in the kitchen alongside Pedro, also an illegal immigrant, who has already been in the place for several years. Pedro has a relationship with the waitress Julia, who is pregnant. The woman wants to terminate the pregnancy, the man - who maybe loves her or maybe just wants to sort out his legal situation somehow - would like her to keep the baby. When $832 goes missing from one of the cashier machines, the entire staff, composed mostly of immigrants, comes under suspicion. The temperature is rising in the inferno that is already the restaurant kitchen.
'La Cocina' is not an easy film to watch. It is quite long and has moments when the story drags and the dialogues suffer from an excess of rhetoric and repetitions that add nothing. Fortunately, there are many other excellent scenes, inspired directorial decisions, and something cinematically interesting happening on screen all the time. Perhaps fearing theatricality, the director Alonso Ruizpalacios seems to constantly remind us that we watch a production of the art of film. The cinematography uses black and white, with rare spots of color at key moments and towards the end - a procedure if not invented, then made famous by Steven Spielberg in 'Schindler's List'). The scene at the core of the film, which lasts about 15-20 minutes, is filmed in one long shot and manages to convey the infernal dynamics of the activity in the restaurant's kitchen. The combination of the neo-realism of the attitude and the diversity of the cinematic means works very well. Unlike many other films whose stories take place in the kitchen, in 'La Cocina' the preparation of food is not (with one exception) appetizing, nor did the screenwriter and director really care. We are not in a temple of gastronomy but in a rather expensive junk food factory. The atmosphere of confusion that is transmitted to the viewers is what the heroes of the film feel as immigrants faced with the American realities, with hellish working conditions, with language barriers and mentalities. The diverse, multilingual and multicultural human landscape is excellently supported by a team of actors and extras, some amateurs, others professionals who enter the roles very well. Raúl Briones plays the role of Pedro exceptionally, although I could not fully decipher his character. Rooney Mara is cast in a very different role than the ones in other films I've seen her in, and once again demonstrates remarkable acting qualities. I am seeing, I think, for the first time Anna Díaz, who plays the role of Estela, and I hope to see her many more times in the future. Expressive and aggressive, 'La Cocina' is one of the good movies of the season, a film that takes us almost by force behind the scenes of the false shiny world that some of us enjoy and among the people who make it possible, with their dramas and sufferings.
Une ravissante idiote (1964)
BB at best
Looking for a comedy to improve my mood, I came across a gem of the genre - 'Une ravissante idiote', the 1964 film by Édouard Molinaro. Many of the French comedies of that period are among my favorites, and now I am adding one more. 40 years before the films of the 'Legally Blonde' series, Édouard Molinaro offers us a parody of spy films with a blonde that gathers in her all the stereotypes of jokes about blondes and adds a few more. If this movie were made today, pretty much everything would work perfectly, except maybe the original title that wouldn't pass the filters of political correctness. But then, in 1964, the role of the blonde was played by Brigitte Bardot.
The story takes place at a time when the cold war was in full swing and spies were prowling the streets of London, where the action happens. Harry Compton is a freshly fired bank clerk who is head over heels in love with the beautiful Penelope "Penny" Lightfeather. However, Harry is also the son of a couple of Soviet spies, and when he expresses his desire to emigrate to the Land of the Soviets, he is entrusted with a special mission - the theft of NATO naval plans in the event of a war. Back then such secrets were kept in real paper files with the code name of the plans on the cover! Penny also turns out to be a communist with a party card and as a seamstress she is well placed to break into the house of the high-ranking officer who keeps the plans in the safe box in his working room. The two lovers will soon have on their trail the agents and killers of the Soviet intelligence services, the police and agents of several British counterintelligence services. Their incompetence as amateurs and lovers will prove a formidable weapon. Their only weapon.
I liked the movie. The script emphasizes the comic scenes and highlights the two protagonists. Brigitte Bardot - BB - is in fantastic form, and Anthony Perkins demonstrates the nice guy qualities that made him one of the highest-rated film actors on the international stage at the time. The pairing of the two works well on screen - both comically and romantically. Around them swarm a lot of characters played by lesser-known actors, but all of them well chosen. Édouard Molinaro films with inventivity, playing with the camera, occasionally inserting freeze-frames or speed-ups. Everything at the right time and in good taste. The movie gave viewers of yesterday and today almost two hours of quality blonde entertainment.
Megalopolis (2024)
Coppola's Metropolis
'Megalopolis' (2024) is Francis Ford Coppola's life project. He started working on it and talking about it while filming 'Apocalypse Now.' He read scripts and discussed castings with entire generations of great actors. Many of them left to the stars in the sky and did not live to work on the project. Over the course of his career, Coppola produced three films on his own dime. The first two left him in debt and he had to make other films and sell wine for several decades to pay off the debts and raise money to make 'Megalopolis'. This is a monumental and mad movie, spectacular and pathetic, personal and brilliant, full of so many qualities and flaws that no one but himself would have accepted or risked financing it. It's a movie that will probably lose money, but one that Coppola could not give up making. And no one else could have made it.
'New Rome' is an alternative vision of our not too distant future. Most of the filming was done with New York in mind. The characters are dressed and their hair cut in a way that combines Modern America with Ancient Rome. In this retro-futuristic Rome, the visionary inventor Cesar Catalina and the conservative mayor Cicero face each other. Cesar has invented the material of the future and plans to rebuild the city according to plans that may be the only ones that could save the metropolis and the planet. Reconstruction from the ground up, however, means shaking the order that allows the rich to live a life of luxury and debauchery, but also the destruction of the houses and the way of life of the plebeian crowd. At the head of the opposing forces is the town's corrupt mayor. When Cesar falls in love with Julia, Cicero's daughter, the plot gets complicated. Where is the city and the world going in the film? What is the role and power of love? Is the New Rome our world?
The Shakespearean structure and ambitions are obvious. The conflicts recall the treacherous labyrinths of the Bard's historical plays, while the narrative structure and parables draw inspiration from dramas about ancient history. Visually, the film is impressive. The overflowing imagination of the screenwriter and director Coppola build a city-world, where the debauchery of antiquity meets the lights of New York or Vegas. The director of cinematography is Mihai Malaimare Jr., who has accompanied Coppola in his productions for almost two decades. The cinematic model cannot be, I think, other than Fritz Lang's 'Metropolis'. The list of actors who wanted to participate in this film and managed to enter the credits is very long. Outstanding creations make, in my opinion, in this film Adam Driver - a Cesar who acquires, loses and regains through love the power to control time -, Giancarlo Esposito as the enemy or Cicero, Nathalie Emmanuel - beautiful and expressive as Julia -, and Jon Voight as the old tycoon Crassus, a character who brings together and combines Roman and American corruption. I can't help but notice the presence of Dustin Hoffman. Every role he adds to his filmography is a treasure, even if here the role is not too generous. The script sometimes forgets some of its narrative threads, but in the end the spectacular show overwhelms. 'Megalopolis' has so far had a rather negative reception from critics and part of the audiences. I am convinced that its appreciation will grow over time and that in not many decades it will become a cult film. At the press conference after the world premiere in Cannes, Coppola assured us that this would not be his last film. I hope so. Utopia doesn't always have to end in dystopia.
River of No Return (1954)
Marylin Monroe in the Far North-West
I chose to watch 'River of No Return', a 70-year-old western film for a few reasons. First of all, because Marilyn Monroe, who has the opportunity to demonstrate her talent as an actress in addition to her physical beauty and singing skills. Her partner is Robert Mitchum, also a rising star in 1954, when the film was made. Finally, because the film direction is credited to Otto Preminger (who worked under contract with 20th Century Fox studios) and Jean Negulesco, a polivalent film-maker born in Craiova, Romania, who worked in France before moving to America, a name unjustly forgotten today by histories of cinema in the country where he was born and the countries where he worked. The film also experimented with the new widescreen and color film technology called CinemaScope, the latest in filmmaking and image projection techniques of the era.
The story takes place in 1875 in the American Northwest. Widower Matt Calder returns after years spent in prison for killing a thug who threatened the life of a friend. He retires to an isolated farm in the mountains with Mark, his 11-year-old son, from whom he had been separated for a long time. Their idyllic life is disturbed by the appearance of Kay and Harry, the bar singer who had been looking after Mark in the absence of his father and her crook husband. Harry attacks and robs Matt, taking his rifle and horse in order to get to Kansas City, where he plans to collect a card debt (possibly won by cheating). Matt, Mark and Kay will set off, unarmed, down the river in his pursuit.
The intention of producers and directors to extract the maximum from the visual possibilities offered by CinemaScope technology is evident. Most of the nature shots are spectacular and inspiring, and we can feel when these are combined with scenes shot in the studio. It is one of the first and most spectacular films of a subgenre that we could call 'river films', combined with two melodramas - one with a romantic triangle, the other depicting father-son relationships. The script of this seemingly conventional Western includes two scenes related to Matt's relationships that would be delicate and questionable even in the context of screen morality today, or perhaps more so today than 70 years ago. The bond between Matt and his son develops in the shadow of the father's guilt and the child's understanding of what he has done. The relationship develops between Matt and Kay that also has its problematic sides. The presence of Marilyn Monroe is electrifying and the erotic tension also succeeds to ignite Robert Mitchum, an actor who (in my opinion) was not really great in expressing his feelings. Her character being a bar singer, we also get to hear her sing on four occasions, two of the songs being very good. Acting talent? She is not phenomenal, but she has spontaneity and naturalness which are remarkable, taking into account that the conflicts between Preminger and the private acting coach who accompanied Monroe to filming sessions during that period of her career have remained significant in history. The reasons why audiences were drawn to this film in 1954 remain much the same today.
Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975)
the magic mountain
I very rarely re-watch movies. I made an exception today, watching again after almost half a century 'Picnic at Hanging Rock', the 1975 film directed by the Australian Peter Weir, about a decade before he began an international career that would bring him some notable successes. It was probably the first Australian film I saw in my life. It was at an Australian film festival, a rather rare event in Romania in those years. I had been very impressed then and on re-viewing I understood why. 'Picnic at Hanging Rock' is a magical and powerful film, both visually and musically impressive. Some movies are said to 'age beautifully'. In the case of Peter Weir's film, it's more than that. It is a timeless creation.
'Picnic at Hanging Rock' is inspired by a novel that relates events that may have taken place in reality. In 1900, on Valentine's Day, which in the southern hemisphere is celebrated in the middle of summer, the students of a girls' boarding school go on a trip to the Hanging Rock area - one of those rock formations that break the monotony of the endless Australian desert. The 'mountain', as it is called by the locals, has a magical reputation. Perhaps it is about magnetic phenomena, certainly about legends related to the original inhabitants of the continent, not seen in this film. Three of the girls and a teacher go exploring the cliffs and disappear without a trace. The whole community - the school, the police, experts of all kinds - look for them and the case becomes famous throughout Australia. One of the girls is found alive a few days later, but is in complete shock and has no memory of what happened on the day of her disappearance. Nothing is known about the fate of the others to this day. Will this mystery ever be solved?
We can look at 'Picnic at Hanging Rock' as a combination of a period film and a thriller and the film works well from that point of view as well. Viewers will quickly realize, however, that this is not what the filmmakers seem to have been primarily interested in. Peter Weir builds an atmosphere of mystery wrapped in magic, using the cinematography designed by Russell Boyd in the style of Jean Renoir's paintings and the pipe music played by Gheorghe Zamfir. The first scenes introduce us to the world of teenage boarding school students, who are preparing for the trip. A secondary plot describes the conflict between the headmistress of the boarding school and one of the students, with a more rebellious character, the only one who is forbidden to participate in the trip. Victorian discipline seems to be reinforced by women's heavy clothing. It is a social commentary specific to the literature of the Victorian period (Dickens, Thomas Hardy, Charlotte Brontë, etc.) but also a political one. The way the characters dress does not harmonize at all with the climate of the continent, and the institutions imported from the capital of the empire do not resist the confrontation with a mystery that seems to have its solution beyond the accepted logic. Behind the appearances created by corsets and well-kept hairdos, the characters are fragile and hide dramas they are not allowed to share. Or suppressed dramas often end in tragedy. 'Picnic at Hanging Rock' is a beautiful, sensitive, poetical, disturbing film. Today's spectators will not escape the magic of the Mountain.
Appaloosa (2008)
three men, one woman and many guns
Ed Harris, an actor I admire a lot, has stepped behind the camera only twice so far, to sit in the film director's chair. His third film is now in pre-production. The second one, which I saw last night, is from 2008 and is called 'Appaloosa'. It is a western in which Harris casts himself in the lead role, as he had done in 2000 with 'Pollock', a very different film. Appaloosa is the name of the town in New Mexico where the story is set in the 1880s. There is no such town on the map, but there is a breed of horse with that name. The film is special and different, one of those Westerns that follows the rules of the genre by providing a respectable amount of gun duels, battles with Indians and stories about justice on the moving frontiers of America at the time, but at the same time tries to say more about real life and the feelings of the heroes. It's actually quite a modern story of friendship and love, which could very well have taken place in another place or century.
Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch are two guns-to-hire who are on the good side of the law. Appaloosa notables hire them to defend the town from the actions of rancher Randall Bragg, a thug who terrorizes the peaceful residents and who assassinated the previous sheriff. Establishing the rule of law is not easy when laws do not really exist in the frontier territories of those times. Things get even more complicated when the beautiful Mrs. French appears, a poor but sophisticated widow who hides secrets in her past and who will awaken the passions of the three men. Will the friendship between the two heroes last?
The denouement will come after many adventures and gun duels that will satisfy fans of the genre. 'Appaloosa' is filmed like a classic western in which the atmosphere of frontier America of those times is very well brought to the screen. Of life. The dialogues between Virgil Cole - the fearless but sometimes lacking words sheriff - and Hitch - the more cerebral and well-versed deputy - take up a large part of the story. Men who have been through wars and the adventures of conquering the West seem clumsy precisely when it comes to relationships with women. Ed Harris and Viggo Mortensen (the later with an impossible makeup though) are very suitable in these roles. On the other hand, I was surprised by Jeremy Irons, who makes one of the less inspired roles of his career, in my opinion, failing to nuance his 'bad guy' character enough. Renée Zellweger, also, failed to reveal the motivations of her character - Alli French. When is this woman honest? Who does she really love? The feminine mystery, you will say. Maybe. Anyway, in the end we are left with the same dilemmas as the male heroes of the film. But also with enough reasons to think about this film and its characters even after watching it.
Emilia Pérez (2024)
from narco-thriller to musical soap opera and back
Jacques Audiard has never disappointed me before. Many of his films have as their main theme (or one of the main themes) the search for identity and changes of identity. Many of the memorable characters in his films search for their identities or hide under false identities or have at the end of the story in the film a different identity than the one we had known them under earlier. This is also the case with 'Emilia Pérez' (2024), one of the films that made a sensation and also collected awards at this year's Cannes Film Festival. It is an interesting and original combination of a film about the Mexican mafia and social and political criticism, of soap opera and musical. The story takes place most of the time in Mexico, but the filming took place in France. The cast is international and the film is spoken and sung in Spanish, although the director is not fluent in the language. 'Emilia Pérez' is a film that divided the opinions of critics and also divides the opinions of the audiences to extremes. I am one of those who liked this movie a lot.
The film begins as a narco-thriller, continues as a sci-fi musical, moves into melodrama with social overtones and ends as a narco-thriller, coming full circle. Along the way, we will have the opportunity to follow the transformation of two main characters: an insecure lawyer who cannot make her way in a world dominated by men, and a gangster who wants to lose his trace and identity. Both characters want to transform into something else entirely. The transformations are radical and there is no going back.
The main criticism leveled at the film is perhaps justified. Apparently it's about Mexico, with the violence of a society based on drug trafficking and kidnapping, but the rendering seems to be based on stereotypes about Mexico rather than reality. There are plenty of other films, including those by Mexican filmmakers, that present a much more humane, more complex, more nuanced picture. The director's attention is focused on the relationships between four women who love and hate, suffer and try to realize themselves in a world that oppresses them. We are witnessing a family drama that does not shy away from melodrama, but we are definitely in the land of soap operas. Of the four characters and performers who received an interesting collective award for female performance at Cannes, that of the lawyer Rita played by Zoe Saldana and that of Karla Sofía Gascón as the gangster Manitas del Monte turned Emilia Pérez I think stand out. Characters from Almodovar's films immediately come to mind, but here I think both the story and the character are much more complex. Can gender transformation also lead to a complete personality transformation? It is the central question related to the heroine of the film, and I think the answer will be given by each of the viewers. The artistic vehicle of this question is an emotional captivating story, told in an original and engaging style. "Emilia Pérez" is the second film in a few months that proves that the musical genre is alive. The other is 'Joker 2'. Both movies have their fans and their critics. Proof of vitality.
Appointment with Death (1988)
Hercule Poirot in the Holy Land
Michael Winner's 'Appointment to Death' (1988) is the sixth and last film in the series of adaptations of Agatha Christie's novels starring Hercule Poirot and starring Peter Ustinov. In several places I read that it is also considered the weakest of the films in this series, a kind of exemplification of the fact that the studios rely on previous successes and do not stop until a film is made too much and too weak at the end of the series. I don't really like classifications of this kind, and I confess that I didn't suffer at all when watching this film, which has qualities, it has flaws, but it also has a cast and a production that make it interesting for cinema fans and viewers of today.
'Appointment with Death' depicts a crime typical of the 'whodunit' formula of Agatha Christie's novels and the films inspired by them. Emily Boyton is a rich man's widow who fraudulently appropriates his entire inheritance at the expense of his and her children. Everyone around her seems to have reasons to kill her, and the only wonder is how late the murder happens, about halfway through the film. Until then, viewers are invited to follow the heroes (Emily and her family and entourage) on a trip to the Europe of 1937, on a cruise on the Mediterranean and to the Holy Land, then under British mandate. The crime takes place under the burning sun of the Judean desert, on the shores of the Dead Sea. The characters (almost all suspects) will be gathered by Poirot in a final scene where the name of the murderer will be revealed. The classic formula is respected.
Bringing Agatha Christie's novels to the screen is not easy, Kenneth Branagh can testify. Her detective stories are intellectually stimulating yet theatrical in their lines, characters and setting. Those who dare must create a natural and believable setting, or emphasize the theatricality and mystery. Actors have to give life and individuality to characters that sometimes seem like multiplications of stereotypes. The producers of the film were Yoram Globus and Menahem Golan who, in the 80s, tried to revolutionize the film industry with productions that were both spectacular and economically viable, making films with an appeal to the public, mostly action films, with tight-controlled budgets. Using their relationships with Israeli cinema, they organized the filming of 'Appointment with Death' on location in Jerusalem, Jaffa and on the shores of the Dead Sea. Qumran replaces ancient Petra from the novel (located in present-day Jordan) as the place where the final part of the action takes place. This is a historical license, as large-scale archaeological excavations began there only a decade later, after the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls. With this exception, noticed only by history buffs, the atmosphere is of truthfulness as the context of the era is rendered very well. Surrounding the drama in the film are historical dramas of major proportions in Britain (the abdication of Edward VIII and the accession to the throne of George VI), Europe (the story passes through Mussolini's Italy) and Mandatory Palestine. The cast brings to the same screen several famous actors. Peter Ustinov is at his last appearance as Poirot and seems a bit settled into the routine. Two great female stars of the past - Lauren Bacall and Piper Laurie - receive beautiful end-of-career roles and play them with charm and elegance. Carrie Fisher and John Gielgud, two other actors I really like, have rather thin roles and do everything to fill them with some content. Even if the rest of the cast is far below their level, the ensemble works satisfactorily. Solving the mystery in the novel is based on putting together, as in a puzzle, the testimonies of various witnesses who had seen something, each from his point of view. This intellectual exercise is recreated in the film through flashbacks that bring Poirot's interpretations to the screen. 'Appointment with Death' is not the best of the films inspired by the Hercule Poirot novels, but not one to be avoided either.
Shaun of the Dead (2004)
a pub and an end of the world
How many times have you said 'It's not the end of the world!' lately? Next time you do, be careful, because there might even be a version of the end of the world happening beyond the walls of the room you're in. This is what happens to the characters in the British film 'Shaun of the Dead' (2004), directed by Edgar Wright and written by him together with Simon Pegg, who also plays the main role in the film. It's a slapstick comedy, - which is the only formula in which I could stand a movie with zombies -, a parody and homage to 'classic' films of a genre that is far from my comfort zone. Still, I enjoyed and thoroughly enjoyed 'Shaun of the Dead', which was just the right movie for my Halloween night.
Five young Londoners are the heroes of this film. Shaun and Liz are a couple, but Liz seems to have had enough of the lack of ambition and intellectual mediocrity of Shaun, who doesn't know better than to spend every night at 'The Winchester' pub, named after the shotgun hanging above the bar. Dianne and David, a somewhat more 'normative' couple and Liz's roommates encourage her to break up. To top it off, Shaun's roommate Ed is a goofball incapable of anything other than making bad jokes, playing video games, and lounging on a couch. A kind of end of the world is happening in London, but these TV sitcom-like heroes notice nothing for a couple of days being too absorbed in their own conflicts, and not realizing that the behavior of those around them it's a different degree of zombification than usual. When people begin to be devoured, their only escape plan is to take refuge in the pub that is the center of their Universe. The Winchester rifle will also play a role.
The themes of the pub as a fundamental institution for his heroes and that of the end of the world will be explored by film director Edgar Wright together with his accomplice, the actor Simon Pegg, and in a film made almost a decade later - 'The World's End'. The success has several reasons. First of all, the characters in the film are real and familiar. Real and familiar, not necessarily like our neighbors, but certainly like TV sitcom heroes. Each character is well-defined, the pace of the story and the jokes flow freely and there are almost no dead lines in the film. The horror side is treated with humor and an indifference to political correctness that makes any excess acceptable. Even the creatures called zombies are filmed in such a way that they become flags in the comedy slalom and not obstacles to entertainment. The confusion between their world and the 'real' one is a nice social commentary. I saw 'Shaun of the Dead' on Halloween night, but I bear witness that it's a delicious movie any day of the year.
Elle s'en va (2013)
wonderful Deneuve shines in an undecided movie
Three of the four films made in the last 11 years by Emmanuelle Bercot have Catherine Deneuve as the star. Bercot is one of those film directors who, being also an actress, knows very well how to highlight the actors who play in her films. I think that they appreciate and enjoy the freedom of expression and the collaboration with a filmmaker who understands their experiences and feelings well. 'Elle s'en va', the first film that brought the two together in 2013 (the title in the English distribution is 'On My Way') is a good proof of the advantages of such collaborations. Catherine Deneuve creates one of her good and consistent roles, and for Bercot this is one of the most successful films of her entire career as a director.
The opening scenes describe one of the most catastrophic days in the life of Bettie, the main heroine of the film. She is in her 60s and lives a secluded life, running together with her mother a family restaurant that is in danger of bankruptcy. The most important memory of her life is participating in a Miss France beauty contest that had taken place some 40 years ago. The sweetheart of her youth is dead, so is the husband she may or may not have loved, and she is just now finding out that her lover has left her for a much younger woman. Nervous, she starts smoking again and gets into the car, driving where the roads take her. Her journey gets on a purpose when her daughter calls asking her to take her 11-year-old grandson to his other grandfather, whom she has never met. Traveling by car from one end of France to the other helps her get to know a world from which she had been cut off, her grandson and ultimately herself.
In 'Elle s'en va' we see two films. One of them is a 'road movie' set in 'Deep France' seen from the perspective of a woman who chose (or fate chose for her) to spend four decades in an isolated corner of the country. The other is a family drama spanning four generations. I really liked the 'road movie' part. Wanting to distance herself from the American or German models of the genre, Emmanuelle Bercot presents a diverse and positive human perspective and landscape. With one exception, Bettie meets good people, even if some are strange, people who jump in to help her rather than rob her, and at no point does she feel threatened as a single woman traveling alone. It is perhaps also a reflection of the other drama he is experiencing, the personal one. Viewers will never find out if her isolation was voluntary, if her relationships failed more because of her own fault or not. Some interesting themes are rather sketched out than developed, such as the repeated failure of women in every generation of the family to live independently, away from or without the men they loved. The scenes of the reunion after many decades of the participants in beauty contests of the last century would deserve a separate film. The ending is far too conventional to be believable. Catherine Deneuve is, of course, amazing. Not only does she seamlessly play the part of a woman ten years her junior, but she does so with sensitivity and depth, filling the screen with beauty and personality, just as she did 50 years before and will do 10 years from later. The role is written for her, the camera follows her from far and near, and the actress enters the role and imposes her persona and personality on her. Here, however, is the problem and perhaps the weakness of the film: Deneuve is so dominant that everything that happens around her character is overshadowed. It is as if we are in the central square of a city in the middle of which a superb statue or fountain absorbs the eyes of the visitors and does not allow them to see the beauty of the surrounding houses.
Le diable par la queue (1969)
the merry castle
'Le diable par la queue' (1969) is part of a series of successful films that Philippe de Broca made in the 60s and 70s. Most of them combined comedy with action films, and the casts included some of the best-known actors of the era, which ensured them immediate and constant success with audiences. Revisited half a century or more after release, we can see that many of these films have not only 'aged beautifully', but are still enjoyable entertainment for today's viewers and have something special and interesting to say in addition. This is also the case for 'Le diable par la queue'.
The film's premise might as well be that of a thriller. In a corner of France, a noble family runs a hotel in a semi-ruined castle. They attract their customers in complicity with the local garage and gas station owner, who sabotages the cars of passers-by. Arriving at the castle-hotel, these are greeted by the family composed of counts, countesses, barons and marquises, who ensure a stay full of special services. Things get complicated when one of the customers forced to spend the night at the castle turns out to be a burglar, who had just committed a robbery and tries to leave the area with a hard case bag containing the loot of the heist.
The French love castles and movies set in castles. 'Le diable par la queue' was made at the end of a decade in which several of the successful 'serious' films had castles as a setting. This time the romantic vein and social commentary are almost completely replaced by the naughty and sexy humor of many comedies of the same period. Although the film is not a parody, we can guess that Philippe de Broca and his screenwriters had in mind the mentioned French models, but maybe also horror films like 'Psycho'. The result is very nice. The ladies of the noble family, from the marquise mother of the family played by Madeleine Renaud, the countess daughter (Maria Schell) and the baroness niece (Marthe Keller) flaunt and use their charms with aplomb. We can also see Jean Rochefort, at an age when he was more of a cuckolded husband than a standard of French pronunciation. Of course, however, the bulk of the feast is provided by Yves Montand, in a role in which he makes extensive use of his showmanship talents. A viewing of this film is likely to appeal to spectators looking for nostalgia, as well as to those who just want to be amused by a sparkling comedy.
Un amour de Swann (1984)
twilight of an epoch
One of the most useless intellectual exercises, in my opinion, is to compare a book and a movie, even if the movie is inspired by the book or is an adaptation. Literature and cinema are as different arts as dance and painting, for example. Each has its specific materials and means of expression, and comparing two works from different arts, even if they approach the same theme, seems ridiculous to me. 'Un amour de Swann', the 1984 film by Volker Schlöndorff starts from the characters and plots described in the first volumes of the monumental series of novels 'In search of lost time' by Marcel Proust. If nothing else, at least the complexity of the Proustian text should be sufficient as an argument to avoid comparisons. 'Un amour de Swann' is a period film, adapted for the screen by Volker Schlöndorff, with a screenplay written by Peter Brook among others, which uses characters and settings from Proust's novels and partly rewrites, for the screen, one of the many story lines in the books. It is a story of obsessive love, of social conventions, of feelings confessed in manners dictated by the social rules and the etiquette of a world that was in its twilight, but was not aware of it. It's a film that deserves to be judged as a stand-alone work.
Charles Swann, the hero of the film, is a rich bourgeois living in the last decades of the 19th century. He is rich enough to afford to do nothing, to maintain a not very spacious apartment but with an appearance and agglomeration of objects of a museum in Paris, a personal servant and a two-horse carriage. He has access to a high society that is a mixture of bourgeoisie and nobility, although the Jewish origin of his family is not forgotten by those around him. He has all the time in the world to occupy himself and describe in a private diary his own feelings, the center of his self-centered universe. When his best friend introduces him to Odette, a luxury courtesan, falling in love with her puts him in front of difficult dilemmas. First of all, he is terribly jealous and needs to come to terms with the woman's feelings and his own. Then, he must decide whether to formalize the relationship through marriage. A second social barrier created by his marriage to a former courtesan risks isolating him from the circles of high society in which he revolves. Everything will be played out and decided in one day and especially one night.
Volker Schlöndorff succeeds in recreating on screen the atmosphere of 19th century Parisian finery, with its decadent sophistication, with its masked social prejudices, with its feelings dressed like the characters in corsets and layers of sophisticated fabrics. Every now and then we have, for a fraction of a second, clues to the cruelty of the real world around the heroes: a silhouette in rags on the streets on which the carriages gallop, a look or a word that alludes to the contradictions, exploitation of women, anti-Semitism or homophobia that gnawed at the social edifice that it would collapse at the outbreak of the Great War. The characters, however, are narcissistically concerned with their own feelings, and the conflicts are drowned in the loaded aestheticism of the settings and self-concerns of the big bourgeoisie. Jeremy Irons is the ideal actor for the role of Swann, bringing to the screen a passion that is intended rather unsuccessfully to be controlled by social conventions. Ornella Muti is the beautiful and mysterious Odette, and each of the viewers will have to decide, like Swann, what her true feelings are. Alain Delon is counter-cast as the Baron de Charlus, a rather unusual role for his filmography, but further evidence, in my opinion, that he was a much more complex actor than the one known from his very commercial films. Fanny Ardant is also on screen in the role of the Duchesse de Guermantes, reduced in importance in the story, so that we do not have much opportunity to enjoy her formidable talent. The finale puts events into perspective and concludes a solid, well-acted period film that I greatly enjoyed and that will only disappoint those who insist on making comparisons. For Volker Schlöndorff this film is, I think, another study of a decaying society, one of the main themes of his filmography.
Down by Law (1986)
a Jarmusch-style escape
'Down by Law' made in 1986 is Jim Jarmusch's third feature film. The previous film, 'Stranger Than Paradise' had enjoyed an unexpected success. To a large extent, 'Down by Law' continues the same creative line, taking a classic theme and treating it in a personal manner, ignoring the rules of cinematic genres to focus on the heroes and their relationships, but also on the landscape that surrounds them. Like the previous film and like the vast majority of those that will follow in the film director's career, it is an independent movie, made outside the system of the great studios. From the creative freedom thus acquired resulted a unique style, then in full formation, which already gave Jarmusch the status of a promising, talented and interesting filmmaker.
The story begins in a New Orleans that looks more like a post-apocalyptic movie landscape. Zack is a pimp whose business isn't going too well, Jack is a serially fired radio DJ. Separately, Zack and Jack are arrested by the police and thrown into jail on what appear to be framed accusations. The two small thugs convicted of crimes they did not commit meet in the same prison cell, where they will have to put up with each other and find a way to survive together. When they've barely gotten used to the situation, appears Roberto, an Italian convicted of murder, though from the looks of it and the way he acts, his worst crime seems to be that he speaks rudimentary English. The ever-optimistic Roberto will not only change the mood in the cell, but also discover a way to escape. The adventure of the three is just beginning.
Director and screenwriter Jim Jarmusch doesn't seem too concerned about the credibility of what's being told on screen. Why were Jack and Zack framed for crimes they didn't commit? How does the escape happen? There are 'details' that Jarmusch does not feel obliged to clarify. A story is a story. He seems more concerned with presenting us with the natural and economic setting in which the story takes place, and he does it masterfully, on black and white film and with the help of cinematographer Robby Müller, who shoots terrifically both in New Orleans and in the swamps of Louisiana. John Lurie plays the role of Jack and also composes the music, Tom Waits is Zack, but the show is stolen by Roberto Benigni, already famous at that time in Italy but practically unknown to the American public. His character, with an innocence and a humor that defies the harsh reality in which he finds himself, predicts the hero of his own film 'La vita è bella' which he would make 11 years later. Benigni, who had already made three films as a director by that time, admired and learned a lot from Jarmusch. Some fans of the adventure or escapist genres may be displeased. 'Down by Law' is before all a Jim Jarmusch movie.
We Live in Time (2024)
Love Story 2024
Since the first scenes of 'We Live in Time', the 2024 film by the Irish director John Crowley, I had a feeling of 'déjà vu'. After about a quarter of an hour in the movie, I suddenly remembered. Of course, I had seen a similar movie before, a romantic story about a young and handsome man who loves a young and beautiful woman, a story in which the two face hardships because of those around them, in which their love overcomes all obstacles until they are hit by the serious illness that risks taking the life of the young and beautiful heroine. The film - directed by Arthur Hiller - was called 'Love Story' and was written by Erich Segal. Released in parallel with the novel of the same name, it enjoyed enormous success. The year was 1970. I was 17 when I saw 'Love Story', now I'm 71. How do the two films compare? 'We Live in Time' uses exactly the same romantic melodrama formula and the main characters are very similar in typology. I think what deeply moved me then works well now - a love story written honestly and intelligently and well served by a couple of handsome, talented and well-cast actors.
If the formula, theme and main characters are similar, the narrative structures of the two films are very different. For about two-thirds of 'We Live in Time' the script written by Nick Payne lets viewers witness a sequence of episodes that take place over several years and are presented in seemingly random order, requiring the reconstruction in the mind of spectators of the love story between Tobias and Almut. The meeting between them happens as in the movies: he is almost newly divorced and wanders at dawn on a highway in a hotel bathrobe, she runs over him with a car. The pieces of the puzzle fit together and the picture we reconstruct is that of a love story between two of the nicest and most attractive young people we've seen on screens lately. To formalize the relationship in a marriage, to have children or not, to succeed in their respective professions (she is a very talented Michelin-starred chef) - everything is approached with love and humor. When the so often merciless disease strikes, Tobias and Almut will try to deal with it in the same way, but how far can living lives to the fullest postpone the blows of fate? The final part of the film uses linear narrative, building a crescendo towards a somewhat expected ending.
From 1970 to 2024, mainstream cinema had time to accept scenes with nudity and sex only to kind of abandon them in the name of a new yet unwritten code of decency. John Crowley reintroduces them without hesitation, integrates them well into the plot and adds a dramatic childbirth scene. I have nothing but praise for the two actors who play the lead roles with talent and intensity. Andrew Garfield builds the character of a charming and sensitive man, radiating empathy and with a sense of humor present at all times. Florence Pugh is strong and beautiful, and very well embodies the dilemma of the women who succeed in their professions, but for this they must constantly adjust the balance between their professional lives and their feelings. I would have liked the script writer and director to have described her culinary creations in more detail, and not just because I'm a fan of movies with and about food, but it would have given more motivation to the decisions made by the chef character at key moments. I also want to mention the appearance of Lee Braithwaite in a debut role on the screens, with a special physiognomy and expressiveness. 'We Live in Time' proves that well-written and well-made films that express feelings and emotions honestly and authentically have a chance in any era of cinema history.
Ordinary People (1980)
the breaking of an ordinary family
Americans don't really use the expression 'cinema de papa', invented by critics and French filmmakers followers of the New Wave to define everything that characterizes the film-making ways of previous generations, from which they wanted to move away. It would be about productions filmed mostly in studios, elaborated scenarios which were often adaptations of novels or plays, a style of directing very attentive to detail and relying on the quality of the actors, avoiding improvisations. According to these criteria, 'Ordinary People' (1980) would be a classic example of 'daddy's cinema'. It's also an example that this way of making films can generate remarkable, deep creations with heroes that stay with their viewers long after the screening is over. It was Robert Redford's directorial debut and remains to this day one of the best, if not the best, film he directed.
The title is justified from the first scenes. We see the comfortable home of an American couple somewhere near Chicago. The Jarretts are an ordinary family, but we quickly understand that things are not going well, and that this is due to the trauma of losing their elder son in a boating accident. Conrad, the younger brother, has feelings of guilt and is in recovery from a suicide attempt. Calvin, the father, displays a permanent and fake contentment, while Beth, the mother, emotionally represses her feelings, if she has any. The three do not want or cannot communicate with each other. For Conrad the only way to express his thoughts and anguish is through the psychiatric therapy sessions that he attends with Dr. Berger. The teenager's return to high school studies, friends and the activity of a performance swimmer or the start of an idyll with a girl he meets at church choir rehearsals are constantly threatened by the trauma he cannot leave behind. The family, far from being a refuge, amplifies the anguish through non-communication.
Robert Redford moved to the director's chair after two decades of acting in which he had become one of the most famous and highest paid stars in Hollywood. Understanding and guiding actors was his strength and his main quality as a filmmaker. All the actors in this film give strong and believable performances and for many of them it is one of the best films of their careers. This is certainly the case of Timothy Hutton who won theAcademy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, as Conrad. The classification is debatable, the teenager Conrad being the main character of the story in my opinion, but the award is justified. Donald Sutherland may apparently seem a miscast, with an atypical role for an actor often ready to go to extremes, but here, he finds resources of sensitivity little explored in other films. Mary Tyler Moore transcends her television star status in the mysterious and complex role of mother incapable of emotions or expressing them. Judd Hirsch takes on the role of Dr. Berger, a key character in a plot that can also be seen as a film advertising and promoting the profession of psychoanalyst. Finally, we have in this film the debut on the big screen of Elizabeth McGovern, young (at the time), talented and sensitive. The psychological depth of the story reminded me at its best moments of Ingmar Bergman. Even if today some dialogues seem a bit long and a bit theatrical, 'Ordinary People' is a smart and deeply moving film that successfully launched Robert Redford as a director and won four Academy Awards, all of which were deserved.
Emily the Criminal (2022)
an anti-heroine to remember
'Emily the Criminal' (2022) is one of the most exciting feature films directorial debuts that I've seen in the recent years. As John Patton Ford also wrote the screenplay, my guess is that we're dealing with a talented filmmaker who has a lot to say and enough time ahead of him, even if this film was made after he crossed the 40-year-old barrier. It's a seemingly simple story about a modern-day young woman's slide into crime, which both manages to say a lot about herself and about the world she lives in.
Emily is a graduate of an art school for which she has fallen head over heels in debt. A minor crime left her with a criminal record that makes it difficult for her to find suitable jobs that will allow her to pay the installments. When she can no longer cope financially, she agrees to take part in a credit card fraud scheme. She meets Youcef and becomes more than his accomplice in crime. But with the money comes the risks of getting deeper and deeper into the world of crime. Surprisingly, Emily will find in herself the resources to survive and even succeed in the world of crime, where violence cannot be for a long time avoided.
The screenplay is not perfect, especially towards the end, but John Patton Ford managed to realistically describe the social environment and economic pressure in which his characters live. Present-day Los Angeles is the perfect setting for this personal and crime drama. The quality of the film, however, is primarily given by the superb acting performance of Aubrey Plaza, in the role of the anti-heroine turned unlikely criminal. I had noticed her in a previous film where she stood up brilliantly to Michael Caine. Here she has Theo Rossi as her partner, and although he is also an actor with many qualities and charisma, he seems to be in her shadow here. Looking forward to the next John Patton Ford and Aubrey Plaza movies.
Anul Nou care n-a fost (2024)
the last two days of non-liberty
'The New Year That Never Came' tells stories from the last two days of non-freedom for the Romanians. It is, incredibly, the debut feature film - at the age of 50! - by director Bogdan Muresanu. A solid, mature, emotional film and a history lesson for those Romanians - alas, too many - who do not know or have forgotten the past of the communist dictatorship. In my opinion, in the history of Romanian cinema, it is a significant film, as was Lucian Pintilie's 'Reconstitution' from 1970. That one was only the second film of Romania's most important theater and film director in the second half of 20th century.
The action of "The New Year That Never Came" takes place on December 20 and 21, 1989, at the end of the period of the communist dictatorship. The characters of the film, like most of those who lived those times, have neither the feeling nor the hope that they will get to live the change that will take place soon, the fall of communism that had already happened in almost all the countries of Eastern Europe. Even when foreign radio stations announce the protests that started in Timisoara, nothing seems to budge in Bucharest. The Securitate secret police seems all-powerful, the propaganda machine is in full swing, life full of shortages and dominated by fear continues. A Securitate officer manipulates his informants who surveil the lives of students and intellectuals. He also has a mother who is about to be evicted from the house she had lived in all her life, which will be demolished to make way for grandiose buildings in the new city center. A television crew has to urgently change a tribute film to the dictatorship scheduled for New Year's Eve, in which an actress who had fled to the West appears in the foreground, in a situation reminiscent of the collection of short films 'Memories from the Golden Age' of Mungiu. The replacement actress has a crisis of conscience when she is forced to participate in the show. A family enters a crisis after learning that their eight-year-old boy asked in a letter to the communist version of Santa Claus to see Uncle Nicu dead, 'because that's what dad wants'. The son of the television director plans to flee the country with a friend across the Danube, the border with Yugoslavia. In the music of Ravel's Bolero, the narrative planes alternate, the tension builds, the boiling point approaches. Will the mamaliga (Romanian polenta) explode?
I found the narrative construction excellent. At first, the viewer may be a little confused by the multitude of characters and situations, but quite quickly the common denominator (fear, hope suppressed in struggle with resignation, long-repressed anger) and the connections between the characters become clear. For those who lived through that era, the settings and cinematic style create a sense of immersion in the past. All the actors are formidable, but I can't help mentioning three names: Iulian Postelnicu (who had major roles in at least three good films I've seen in the last year), Adrian Vancica and Nicoleta Hancu. I found the reconstruction of those last days and hours of the dictatorship impressive, with only one major flaw related to the final scene, that of the rally in Palace Square, where a fictional intervention in the key detail of the start of the protest that changed history leaves room for a revisionist interpretation. Romanian cinema has returned, repeatedly, for 35 years now, to the final years of the dictatorship and even to the days when Romania's fate changed. Several of the resulting films were memorable. "The New Year That Never Came" is a remarkable creation, which adds to this list at a time when politically motivated revisionism fuels the pseudo-nostalgia of those who have forgotten or who did not know the dictatorship.
Joker: Folie à Deux (2024)
the rise and the fall of Joker
Scott Silver and Todd Phillips knew what they were risking when they scripted 'Joker: Folie à Deux' the way they did. The film also directed by Phillips 5 years ago enjoyed immense success with the public and critics, received 11 Academy Awards nominations and 2 statuettes. Part of the secret to its success was that it fit well into the Gotham mythology and expanded and enriched the Joker character. The screenwriters of this sequel made two decisions: they made the continuation of the story into a musical and returned the Joker character to the human dimensions of the tormented Arthur Fleck. The first decision was inspired, but the second was a surprise and disappointment to the masses of viewers for whom Gotham is an entire universe in which the Joker is one of the brightest stars. Most fan reactions have been devastating. But I'm not one of the fans of movies inspired by comics, I liked the original 'Joker' for its complexity of the characters, acting and its visual power, so this sequel had no many reasons to disappoint me. Moreover, the musical adaptation and the casting of Lady Gaga as Joker's partner delighted me. I enjoyed 'Joker: Folie à Deux' almost as much as the first film.
The beginning of the film is delicious: a cartoon that basically recaps what happened in the past and introduces the Joker to the very few who wouldn't know the character. From Disney-style animation, we move to realism and reality. Arthur Fleck, imprisoned on an island connected to Gotham by a long and winding bridge awaits his judgment among the inmates, overseen by cruel guards - sometimes sadistic, sometimes falsely friendly. A ray of light appears when, as part of a music re-education program, he meets Lee Quinzel, a girl who introduces herself as a childhood neighbor and tells him about a past almost as unhappy as his own. Is there still hope for the death penalty threatened murderer of five (or maybe six) victims? Arthur's lawyer prepares a defense based on split personality: the evil Joker would take over the peaceful Arthur who is innocent of the crimes he is accused of. But are Arthur and Joker two different personalities? Ultimately, the admiration of the crowds who made of him a vigilante idol and especially the love of Lee are for the Joker and not for Arthur. It will all play out at the trial, but what we're about to see is very different from any courtroom drama we've seen on screen before.
The formidable cinematography is signed by Lawrence Sher, with whom Todd Phillips already collaborated on the first 'Joker'. The collaboration with the Icelandic composer Hildur Guðnadóttir also continues, and the role of music is amplified by the fact that we are dealing with a musical. In fact, the songs are not only aesthetic interludes, but also play an important role in fleshing out the relationship between Joker and Lee. They are mostly taken from what Americans call their great songbook, hits from the '50s or '60s, many taken from other musicals. I'm a big fan of both Lady Gaga (as an actress) and Joaquin Phoenix and their presence together made 'Joker: Folie à Deux' a treat for me. Phoenix went to physical extremes to get into the role. I also noted Brendan Gleeson's performance as the security guard who guards and escorts the Joker. The film can be criticized for its length and some repetitions that could have been avoided, but this is an almost universal disease of Hollywood productions nowadays. In the first 'Joker' movie we witnessed the transformation of Arthur Fleck into the Joker. In 'Joker: Folie à Deux' he is brought back to his human dimensions. But what the crowds loved about him was the character and not the man, and thus, he loses everything in the process, including the adulation of many of his movie fans. For me, however, this film was not a disappointment.
Tegnap (2018)
the inescapable past
'Tegnap' / 'Yesterday' is the 2018 debut in feature film of Hungarian filmmaker Bálint Kenyeres. A late debut, he being already known as an actor, screenwriter and author of short films, and which has not yet been followed by a second film. It's a Hungarian film, but it has nothing to do with Hungary, not a word of Hungarian is spoken, the story takes place in Morocco and is spoken in French, English, German, Arabic. Vlad Ivanov, the huge Romanian actor, appears in the lead role. He is also the main reason why I decided to see the film. I was left with a lot of question marks at the end of the viewing, but that was probably exactly the intention of the screenwriters and of the director.
Victor Ganz is a European businessman, the head of a large construction company, who travels to Morocco to fix a project that seems to have some problems. He seems like a confident guy who controls everything that happens in his business and life. The trip is also a return, he had been to Morocco twenty years ago, he has friends and relations here at ministerial level. The evening before returning, unable to sleep, he goes to a bar where he had been many years ago. Here he seems to glimpse the silhouette of a woman he had known and had a love affair with, a woman with whom he was supposed to go back to Europe, but who had disappeared without a trace from a motel on the seashore and the edge of the desert. He goes in pursuit of her, and from here begins a journey in which the present and the past, reality and delusion will mix to the point of total confusion. Morocco is no longer the one he knew, people have changed, communication is difficult or even impossible, the language barrier is amplified by differences in cultures, mentalities and symbols. The man secure and in control of every detail of life gradually turns into an obsessed man, unsure if he is in the present or the past, in conflict with the surrounding people and the desert and the merciless sun.
Where many other filmmakers would use flashbacks, Bálint Kenyeres keeps the narrative all the time in the present. Victor, his hero, has few clues to the past - a few weathered photographs and unreliable memories. The story is told from his perspective, but the hero's insecurities about the time he is in, the fate of the woman he is looking for, and his own identity are conveyed to the viewer. He may feel confused at many moments, even at the end, when a possible solution to the mystery of the woman's disappearance is told in a language he does not understand and which the director chose not to subtitle. But the confusion is intentional. The return to the present is only apparent. He who has lived his youth intensely remains in part the prisoner of past - this seems to be the message. Vlad Ivanov is formidable, as we know him. When Ivanov plays a role, we cannot imagine the character otherwise or another actor in his place. He plays the part of the foreigner in three or four languages, and that suits him perfectly, for none of them is his home language. The overwhelming cinematography, signed by Ádám Fillenz, reproduces the atmosphere of ruin in the desert and transmits the merciless climate beyond the screen. 'Teglap' / 'Yesterday' is a film that will appeal to lovers of cinematic experiments and psychological dramas, a film that will intrigue and puzzle many.