Reviews

This is a film that I've known for a long time, but never got a chance to watch. Somebody Up There Likes Me is a film about the true story of middleweight champion prizefighter Rocky Graziano, played by heavyweight actor/movie icon Paul Newman. Rememberred as Newman's debutfilm (but actually his third) this film is a hell of a ride and a 'must see' for cinefiles and movielovers.

Director Robert Wise creates a work of intense realism and humanity. The streets of New York; the off-beat domestic social relations and envirements; the underground world of boxing; most of all Newman's impressive performance as Rocky, are all masterfully shaped into a piece of raw truth and human behaviour. Elia Kazan and Brando opened the door to this American cinema realism with Streetcar Named Desire ('51) and On The Waterfront ('54), but this movie is definitely one to mention in that category. Wise managed to create an even more famous movie seven years later with West Side Story ('61) in which he explores the New York streets and ganglife even further, but of course in the context of a musical - the coolest musical ever made, perhaps.

Also nice to mention is the fact that a young Steve McQueen playes a gangmember of Rocky's gang in the early days. Newman and McQueen later became 'friendly' rivals which resulted in the fact that they didn't do Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid ('69) together on account of the billing of their names. They couldn't agree which name should get top billing. The one movie in which they finally worked together is of course The Towering Inferno ('74), where McQueen got first billing but Newman's name was placed a little higher..! (watch the movie and/or poster) A concept that I first noticed on this film, and later saw again and again in other films with two major stars - Righteous Kill ('08) for example.

Rocky was Paul Newman's first great performance, and lead the way to even more iconic and masterful performances in films like The Hustler ('61/Rober Rossen), Hud ('62/Martin Ritt), Cool Hand Luke ('67/Stuart Rosenburg) and Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid ('69/George Roy Hill). Newman of course died recently (2008) and will remain a personal favorite of mine; a true actor, icon and cool guy. All the films I mentioned are personal treasures to me, and continue to be profound and touching examples of truly great cinema.

A not so well-known but beautiful film about the world after an atomic war. Not so much a science fiction flick, as it's a very human drama piece about why we are doomed to self-destruct. A somewhat unconventional film that progresses from a somewhat playfull and vivid feel to a dark and unsettling mood of loss and emptiness. Unlike most post-apocalyptic movies of the 50s, this is not a B-movie. It's a big Stanley Kramer production, starring Hollywood icons Gregory Peck, the devine Ava Gardner, Fred Astaire - as a tough guy racecar driver! - and Anthony Perkins (one year prior to "Psycho"). Stanley Kramer of course is most known for "Guess Who's Coming To Dinner" ('67), where he proved to be a social visionary. My favorite film of his is probably "The Domino Principle" ('77) with Gene Hackman, but "On The Beach" might be a new winner.

The film follows Captain Towers (Gregory Peck), the commander of an American submarine. He and his crew who find safety in Australlia. This is merely plot though. The film is actually a portrait of four people who deal with loss, death, and 'the end of time'. Why are we all looking for love, meaning and human connection... and at the same time responsible for the destruction of all existence? That's what this film really deals with. It raises big questions and issues, but in a very subtle and human way. In a way, this a film about nothing really happening while everything is being touched. Very hard to accomplish that as a filmmaker.

Next to the humanity and meaning, for me one of the most beautiful aspects of this film is the cinematography by personal hero Giuseppe Rotunno - famous from his work with Italian masters Federico Fellini, Luchino Visconti, Vittorio Da Sica and Robert Altman, Bob Fosse. Although it's a Hollywood movie it looks and feels like a European (sometimes even Russian) artfilm. Not unlike movies by Jacques Tourneur, like "Cat People" ('42),"I Walked With A Zombie" ('43) and particularly "Out Of The Past" ('47) this film looks very 'unamerican', in a very beautiful and elegant way. Gorgeous.

As I'm a passionate admiror of cinema of the 40s and 50s I would love to write pieces about lots of great films of that time. But, since I love watching films more than writing about them I won't. Still, sometimes I'd like to make an exception. In this case, it's because of the unusual beauty and unconventional style of this not so famous but powerful film. My great love for cinema - especially obscure, unconventional and not-well-known films - feels richer and more alive when I take the opportunity to tell about it, in the hope that someone might be interested and touched. I recommend "On The Beach" to anyone who's truly interested in cinema, not only pop-cinema.

A not-so-well-known but great movie by Martin Ritt starring Paul Newman. Famous for their collaborations on "Hombre" ('67) and "Hud" ('62), Ritt and Newman first worked together on the jazz-movie "Paris Blues". The story of jazzmusician Ram Bowen (Newman) and his friend and musical partner Eddie (Sydney Poitier). A truthfull and intimate depiction of a passionate musician hanging on to his beliefs and principles when he finds himself in a romance with a beautiful woman who wants them to be together. Like Ram says: 'music is my life, everything else is just the icing on the cake'. But of course things seem to be a little tougher when confronted with the reality of life, in a situation where he finds himself very much attracted to this girl.

A great picture about a man who is so passionate and involved with his music; his art, that all the ordinary needs and desires of life seem to pass him by. A somewhat tragic story of a talented man who dreams of making it big, but in the course of the movie comes to understand that he is a lightweight, and will never be a heavyweight. Paul Newman is 'on top of his game', but so is Sydney Poitier, who even surprised me more with his minimalistic, real approach to his acting and the character. Another leadcharacter is the great jazzmusic that almost fills the picture wall to wall, but is never in your face when it doesn't need to be. This is most definitely one of my favorite jazz-movies, of which there aren't much, I might add. Spike Lee's "Mo' better blues" ('90) was always my favorite and seems to be heavily influenced by this picture. So is Clint Estwood's "Bird" ('88). Ritt might be the first director to do a real and worthy depiction of a musician with this wonderful picture. All the acting is great, the black & white cinematography is gorgeous, the music is great, the locations/sets are very romantic and dramatic, and the story is tragically beautiful and very human.

I just found there's one more film collaboration of Ritt and Newman, "The Outrage" ('64). Their first take on the western genre; very eager to see that picture...

This truly is a masterpiece, lost in the wind of obscurity. As a big Luis Bunuel fan I've seen almost all of his films - that is, except the ones you just can't seem to find anywhere anymore. This is one of those, and I finally found it. What a great and powerful picture. This is Bunuel's second and last film in English; an American/Mexican production mostly known as "The Young One".

The entire film takes place on an almost deserted island; a place of solitude that represents the deep south of America. A game warden named 'Miller' lives on this island with the teenage daughter of his recently departed partner, a pretty girl named 'Evalyne'. Slowly 'Miller' is starting to notice that young 'Evalyn' is not a child anymore, at least in his mind. He finds himself very much attracted to her, and starts to 'act out' his forbidden but true desires. The plot thickens when a black man - on the run for being accused of raping an older white woman - enters the world of 'Miller' and 'Evalyn'. The old game warden turns out to be a racist, and wants to kill 'Traver', the black man. However, with young and innocent 'Evalyn' in the centre of the situation things make a different turn, and 'Traver' starts to work for 'Miller', even if he might still be a racist at heart. Then the plot thickens even more when a preacher and another racist are joining in. The preacher finds out there's sexual sin going on between 'Miller' and the young innocent, and he decides to baptize her and confront 'Miller' with his sins. Eventually he shows 'Miller' a way to redeem himself, by 'saving' the girl and the black man.

This film is as pure and human as they come. It takes us on a journey to a place where we are confronted with themes like sin; sexual sin, ethnic sin, and existential sin... religion, guilt, mercy, and redemption. In short, all the famous Bunuel obsessions. Yet, this is definitely not an average Bunuel piece. It's very realistic, pure and extremely human. No impressive surrealistic cinematic tricks here. A straight up story about the demons of everyday humanity in modern times. And, I might add... one year prior to Kubrick's "Lolita", which of course has obvious parallels.

A forgotten masterpiece that's finally found and available again. A cinefile's dream.

One of Fellini's purest films. Never less poetic than let's say "Otte E Mezzo" ('63) or "Il Casanova" ('76), but it's a more subtle and human piece in a way. It's smaller in scope and style, but with a lot of heart and soul. Fellini tells the story of a traveling entertainer called 'Zapanó' (memorably played by Anthony Quinn) and the girl he bought to 'assist' him in his life and act, called 'Gelsomina' (a magical performance by Guiletta Masina). The film is a depiction of their life on the road. It's about 'man and woman', love, the human condition and it's painful complexities. In essence it's a film about the mysteries of our human emotions; uncontrollable and tragic. Or even more to the point: a film about a man who's heart is opened by the loss of his true love.

'Zapanó' sees himself as a true artist. In need of his freedom to 'be'. Raw, uncompromising, tough, but totally not in touch with his inner-feelings. He's kind of a brute, without any room for the sentimentality's of life. He often screams that 'he needs nobody'. But, he needs a partner. For his act, and also for social purposes. That's 'Gelsomina'. She's an almost mute, tragic, strange but lively character. Emotional and sad, but also a clown. She's somehow 'connected' to 'Zapanó'; they seem to need each other in some sort of way. But, in the end - after a tragic incident whereupon she becomes too emotional an 'crazy' for the tough 'Zapanó' - he decides to leave her when she's sleeping. He never sees her again. Years later he finds out the sad truth about 'Gelsomina', and we see that he never forgot about her. He walks on the beach, in the dark, and remembers 'Gelsomina'. He starts to cry - very emotional. His epiphany. He's alone...

By the way, my entire synopsis is fully interchangeable with Woody Allen's film "Sweet And lowdown" ('99). His homage to Fellini's "La Strada". Also filmmaker David Lynch calls "La Strada" his favorite Fellini film next to "Otte E Mezzo".

One of my favorite things in life is finding or discovering obscure but great movies. Especially films that I've known about for quite some time, but was never able to find. Sometimes I'll cross paths with a film that is so unknown that I've never heard of it, yet so great that it feels like I should have known it forever. Recently I discovered "The Collector" ('65) by William Wyler. A film about a passionate but lonely butterfly-collector who kidnaps a beautiful girl, and holds her as a hostage in his cellar. Not to violate or sexually abuse her, but for the satisfaction of having her in his presence. And, the hope that she'll eventually fall in love with him.

This is a film that you should place in context. For the basic storyline and some of the more specific subplots are somewhat of a cliché at the present time in cinema, but where fresh and daring at that time. Prior to 1965 there already were movies about 'darker' characters, and even psychopaths of course. Films like "Leave her to heaven" ('45/John M. Stahl) and "Possessed" ('47/Curtis Bernhardt) were already pretty dark, but still in a certain Hollywood style. In 1958 Alfred Hitchcock's masterpiece "Vertigo" delved into some new cinematic territory. "Vertigo" was a film of which the essence; the core, was the human psyche of a man in trouble. A man struglling with his deepest and darker longings and desires. Then, in 1960 Hitch made another masterpiece called "Psycho" ('60) and Michael Powell in England made "Peeping Tom" ('60). Those two films were – at least in my humble opinion – the 'parents' of what is now known as the 'slashermovie' or 'psycho-movie'. A certain kind of genre was born. Films about sick, dark individuals were becoming more interesting and popular at the same time. This is the context in which you should place Wyler's "The Collector".

This film is full of great elements. The purity of the story, the style and mood of the film, the great performances by two leading stars Terence Stamp as Freddie and Samantha Eggar as Miranda, the great almost dreamy music score by Maurice Jarre, the wonderful cinematography of one of my heroes Robert Surtees. It's a film that uses lots of elements that are now being viewed as clichés, but never feels like a cliché itself. Of course this is because of the year it was released, but also because of the great and daring choices of director William Wyler. I was very happy to have found this great and obscure picture, and recommend it to anyone who likes the darker side of cinema.

Joan Crawford gives a great and almost hypnotic performance as Louise, 'a woman in trouble'. One of the first films to explore the dark but realistic psychological territory of humanity in a certain way. A film where the inner demons of an individual may be the protagonists of the piece. A concept that subsequently brought such classics as Hitchcock's "Vertigo" ('58), "Psycho" ('60) and "Marnie" ('63), Bunuel's "Belle de jour" ('67) and Bergman's "Persona" ('66). Later these themes and concepts found it's way into the work of filmmakers like Stanley Kubrick, Roman Polanski, Brian De Palma, Andrei Tarkovsky, David Cronenberg and David Lynch. Especially the work of Polanski and Lynch seems to be influenced by Curtis Bernhardt's "Possessed". Films like "Repulsion" ('65), "Mulholland Drive" ('01) and "Inland Empire" ('06) are idiosyncratic variations on the same concept and theme.

The film starts out with a woman in a trance-like state, roaming the streets... calling the name 'David'. When she's hospitalized it turns out she's a schizophrenic, struggling with the fate of drowning in insanity. The film explores all kinds of cinematic 'realitybending' and often plays with the line between reality and fantasy. Not to the extend as such filmmakers as Jean Cocteau or Luis Bunuel did prior to this film, but in a more subtle and refined way. Maybe somewhat more Hollywood, but nevertheless very profound and original at the time. This film even reminded me of my own film "Voorbijgangers" ("Travelers"), since this also is a film that explores the darker side of mankind. People struggling with what's real or illusion; struggling with their inner demons...

I deeply recommend this film to anyone who enjoys some of the films I mentioned in the above.

Jim Jarmusch - one of my six favorite directors of all time - creates his most epic small film. The Limits Of Control is his eleventh feature film and, unlike any other of those six directors, Jarmusch never made a minor or lesser film in his entire oeuvre. At least for me. Every film that he made is a personal masterpiece. And as a filmmaker Jarmusch never stopped growing and evolving without ever loosing his purity, essence and sense of self. What sometimes happens is that an artist who works at such a profound level looses his connection to people, by surpassing their perception and intelligence. Not unlike Kubrick with "Eyes Wide Shut" and Lynch with "Inland Empire". Both respected and admired films, but also very criticized, attacked and rejected by people who couldn't grasp the truth of the pieces but only saw their own shortcomings, mostly based on lack of depth or bourgeois shortsightedness. I never heard anyone criticize one of those films for what they are but only for what that particular viewer missed and lacked from his/her perception. This seems to be the case with The Limits Of Control. The things I read and heard about this film are mostly astonishingly negative, but always rooted in people's own 'lack of'; their subjective shortcomings and naivety. "Dull", "Self-indulgent", "Pretentious", all expressions from lack of understanding and naivety, and not very poignant and bright. It's like criticizing sports for being "active". Film is a personal expression that the artist in question finds worthy and necessary for the world to see. Therefore, self-indulgent and pretentious by definition. But not at all negative, but hopeful, idealistic and rooted in beauty and human involvement and participation. But on the other hand... if you just don't like this film, there's nothing wrong with that of course.

For me, this film is once again a masterpiece of existential beauty and human perception. A both poetic and philosophical piece filled with pearls and treasures to be taken or 'inhaled' and cherished for life. Jarmusch might be known for his quirky humor and somewhat funny characters and dialogs, but he is definitely one of the most 'heavy' filmmakers. All his films pertain 'death', 'emptiness' and 'relativity'. 'Dullness' or the silences in between two nothings are often up front and essential in his work. Films like "Dead Man", "Ghost Dog", "Broken Flowers" (working title: "Dead Flowers") are all explorations and variations on some concept of 'death'. 'Death' (or emptiness, meaninglessness, relativity, chance and boredom) is the main trigger in the art of Jim Jarmusch. But not necessary in a depressing or negative way. But as an inevitable and inconceivable truth, that might be the core of all existence.

The Limits Of Control is a film about a man who is in total control of his life; of himself. He controls his life by not 'being alive'. He's a man with a mission. His mission is death. The film envisions his path to his goal. He travels 'the world' following the 'codes' he mysteriously receives from colorful people he encounters on his mission. They are 'connected' to his mission, but he is not connected to them. He is not connected to anything. Like he says: "I am among no one". The mysterious people he encounters are all elements of life. There's 'sex' (Paz de la Huerta), 'film' (Tilda Swinton), 'art' (John Hurt), 'science' (Youki Kudoh), 'truth' (Gael Garçia Bernal) and then some. He's not interested in any of those, and there's no understanding and connection whatsoever. Life/they cannot touch him. His mission is inevitable and pure... death. They are all somewhat transparent to him ('sex' wears a transparent raincoat, 'film' has a transparent umbrella, 'science' drinks tranceparent water, and so on). Throughout the film he seems to be followed or following a helicopter. 'The all seeing eye from the sky', disconnected from the world, high in the heavens above. God? When the chopper lands in the end of the film the 'God' turns out to be human after all. A fake. The great mysterious wizard of Oz, hiding out in a desolate bunker of solitude and alienation. An American (played by Bill Murray). His death is the end of the long journey. The man takes off his pretty and shiny clothes, puts on his relaxing colorful sweat suite and disappears in the human crowd... among us. The camera loses the shot - The End.

There are lots of truly great filmmakers in cinema history. Great films have been made everywhere in the world in the last 115 years. But true masters who fundamentally influenced and changed cinema are but a few, relatively speaking. Of course it first started with the 'fathers'. The people who participated in the birth of cinema, and help build cinema from the foundation up in early 1900, like D.W. Griffith in the United States, Giovanni Pastrone in Italy. And then in the 1920s filmmakers like Sergei Eisenstein in Russia, F.W. Murnau and Fritz Lang in Germany, Alfred Hitchcock in England, Cecil B. DeMille and King Vidor in the United States. Then in the 30s cinema had surpassed it's 'birth' stage, and was starting to evolve; grow. The format, the language and technique of a film were set and familiar. We knew what 'a movie' was, so now let's make them better and better. The final essential evolution was sound. From this point on the form was ripe. That's when the true masters of cinema slowly started to appear.

Hitchcock is one of the most unique ones of the true masters, since he also was one of the fathers of cinema. He started in the mid 20s all the way up to 1976..! There are few to none other masters that can claim to have a number of classics in every decade from the 20s up to the 70s. But there are more, and even more interesting masters in cinema. People like Orson Welles, Akira Kurosawa, Federico Fellini, Stanley Kubrick, Ingmar Bergman and Jean-Luc Godard seem to be regarded as the greatest masters in general. Next to Kubrick, my favorite in this group is Ingmar Bergman.

The cinema of Ingmar Bergman consists of films about people... struggling. Bergman is famous - and infamous - for his so called 'depressive movies'. But, for me it's so obvious and essential that they're not depressive at all. They depict the darkest and bleakest themes and subjects, but Bergman films are often very hopeful in the end. Lots of characters in his films are depressed; or struggling with anxiety and fear, sure. But depression is never his main goal. Bergman depicts, disassembles, analyzes and explores the human psyche. The soul. Meaning. And always in/near the context of the greatest existential concepts and ideas. The meaning of life might be rooted in emptiness in his work, but it's what we as humans do with life and ourselves that creates the existence of beauty, love and spiritual connection (which is my personal vision as well). Bergman is masterful in creating the most beautiful moods ever made in cinema. His films sometimes feel like the wind; sometimes like a mirror burning with fire; sometimes like an angry clown. But he touches you, from deep within.

"Ansikte mot ansikte" (aka "Face to face") is a film about Jenny (played by Liv Ullman). Jenny is a psychiatrist who is confronted with one of her deeply disturbed but tragically endearing patients called Maria. A woman lost in an erotic spell of insanity and troubled thoughts. A mystery. As the film progresses Jenny slowly but surely seems to go in the same direction as the enigmatic Maria. We learn about her inner-demons and outher-troubles as she falls into the abyss of the human psyche. When she 'breaks' in the centre of the film, the film goes inwards - we experience her world of troubling thoughts and experiences in a beautifully confusing dreamlike innervision (think "Lost Highway" without the modern/pop element). In the end it all turns out to be...

This was the one Bergman film I had yet to see for a long time. Brilliant and beautiful!

Tragic but redeeming film about a fallen movie star called Margaret Elliot, played by the incomparable Bette Davis. Once one of the great Hollywood faces, her face now seems to be a cynical mirror of disillusionment. A 'washed up' and 'over the hill' actress's struggle with life, identity and human alienation is the story of this very moving and poignant film. Wat struck me about this film are more things than I could mention, but in particular the way this film plays with reality and illusion; fact and fiction. For the film is about a vain, self-absorbed, older movie star struggling with the loss of her appeal and beauty. And, her confrontation with the new young stars that have taken her place in the publics perception. All things that Bette Davis herself must have been dealing with at that time. There for it's a very brave and dramatic film and part for her to chose in that phase of her career. I truly admire her for that. "The Star" has obvious parallels with Billy Wilder's "Sunset Blvd" (1950), but this film is a little more raw and down to earth. Less stylish but a little more human and dramatic perhaps. Some of the metaphors and uses of symbolism are beautifully sharp and touching at the same time. I love the scene where Margaret in her desperation steels a bottle of her famously worn expensive perfume 'I Desire', and then has an awakening when the bottle turns out to be odorless; a display bottle - an illusion; empty and meaningless. Watching this picture gave me another great title to put on my list of favorite films about film. Also a true recommendation for fans of classic cinema, in particularly Bette Davis fans.