Det_McNulty

Ken Park is Larry Clark's second collaboration with Harmony Korine, following the success of Kids in 1995. Although it does not match the continuing social relevance of Clark's controversial debut, Ken Park does merit viewing. Returning to themes that can be found in his earlier photography work like Tulsa, Clark presents an extremely unsettling image of a skateboarding subculture struggling to overcome the monotony of their existences. By exploring the lives of a group of troubled teenagers and their dysfunctional backgrounds, Clark offers an insider's look into a community troubled by sexual abuse. Beginning with a suicide in the middle of a skate park, it then charts the lives of four different people who knew the individual who killed himself. Whilst there are moments of dark comedy to alleviate the bleak mood, this is mostly a painful study of fractured human relationships and bad parenting.

Struggling to acquire distributors for the film, Ken Park has permanently situated Clark outside of the mainstream film community. As before with Kids, Clark's intentions have been deemed suspect because of the film's explicit nature. In addition to this unfortunate assumption, Ken Park is sometimes wrongly labelled as 'pornographic' and although there is, admittedly, a voyeuristic aspect to the director's style, this cinema vérité approach is necessary when considering the context of his work. Clark is offering viewers a chance to see the unseen side of teenage life and gain an insight into the roots of moral corruption prior to adulthood. Many viewers are often bothered by Clark's lack of overt condemnation towards the decadent lifestyles of the characters in his films, but I feel this misses the point, as it is not for the director to be some kind of moral crusader; it is for him to execute his artistic vision. Providing viewers are aware of the challenging nature of Ken Park's content and are willing to watch it with an open mind, they might end up finding a highly perceptive vision of alienated American youth.

Little known director Christopher Nolan almost instantaneously claimed his place as one of modern cinema's most innovative directors when he released Memento to almost unanimous recognition. It caught the attention of many critics and filmmakers alike, establishing itself as something in the realms of "cinematic literature." It was a work that marked the appeal of new-wave noir, more commonly known as neo-noir. Not only this, but its alternate take on nonlinear narrative storytelling was a breath of fresh-air to the overuse of non-linear concepts that had aroused during the 1990s.

Starring Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss and Joe Pantoliano, Memento tells the story of Leonard Shelby (played by Guy Pearce), a man suffering from short-term memory loss following the murder of his wife. Following his wife's tragic death, Leonard begins seeking revenge on whoever murdered his wife, slowly piecing together clues with the help of a mysterious "detective" figure, named Teddy (Joe Pantoliano). Due to the memory condition he suffers from, Leonard has great difficulty collecting information and relies on tattoos and constant note taking to record his findings. Soon after, another questionable character is introduced, this being Natalie (Carrie Anne Moss), and like with Teddy her origins are practically unknown. A web of ambiguity and distrust soon entangles Leonard, never knowing if either Teddy or Natalie are genuine.

The narrative carefully revolves around these three central characters, playing out incidents in seemingly alternate realities and reverse chronology. It is the editing that enables the viewer to experience a similar sensation as Leonard, by essentially jumbling scenes, splicing colour footage of his investigation alongside black and white moments where Leonard is discussing an insurance case of a man who also claimed to suffer from short-term memory loss. It is these moments specifically, which reveal the characteristics and idiosyncrasies of Leonard, essentially painting the man's past. Memento cannot be classed as a mystery, such a term sounds far too throwaway; rather, it is more a vengeance/chase flick, but even placing it in such a category seems somewhat derogatory.

As noir goes, Memento does incorporate many of the distinctive elements; including voice-over, noticeable use of shadow, nihilistic themes and low-key lighting. The characters are very noir, as each one has a certain shady quality to their personality and hints at having ulterior motives. It is these things that make the film so thrilling, even on any revisit. Still, there are a few gripes I have, such as the reverse narrative being somewhat of a gimmicky disguise for a simple plot. Additionally, the plot becomes almost too convoluted at times, with a sense of repetition resulting in moments of complete perplexity. Then again, the perplexity is arguably a great feature for it allows the viewer becomes increasingly more agitated, and almost begs for your concentration.

The multiple narrative techniques used in Memento allow the intrigue to expand as the story progresses, and in a relentless manner that does not eschew till the climatic moments. As films about memory go, this is definitely one of the best depictions of memory trauma and obsession in recent years. It pulls all the necessary gears that craft an absorbing cinematic venture, and not only that but it explores the psyche of a man whose perception of reality has been completely disfigured. Combining the thoughts and actions through a voice-over and reverse narrative is an exceptionally difficult thing to conquer through writing; therefore the screenplay deserves much credit. In fact, the story was adapted from a novella by Christopher Nolan's brother Jonathan, entitled Memento Mori that was essentially an essay on memory and the individual's perception of reality.

An important element of Memento is the idea of recollection and how we often subconsciously chose the way we recollect one moment from the next. During the film, there is a scene where Leonard expresses how humans cannot rely on memory. In addition, paradoxes such as the notion of Leonard not remembering to forget his wife are in effect an example of what would cure his grief. Performance wise, the film is pretty much incredible, with the exception of some moments of sketchy wit uttered by the actors. It is Guy Pearce who steals the show though, proving that he can hold a film together, in what is his best performance since 1997's L.A. Confidential. As a viewer, I could feel great empathy for his character, acknowledging the difficulties associated with memory loss and the way in which one conceals memories through tragedy. This is a contemporary work not to be missed and remains the most important role of Nolan's ever growing career. In my opinion, he has come close to surpassing the film with his excellent takes on the Batman saga, but that is a different story entirely.

Opening to mass public scrutiny and critical acclaim, Brokeback Mountain is easily one of the most controversial American films in recent years. The fuss surrounding the production and eventual release was baffling, with religious groups campaigning for boycotts and cinemas even threatening to not screen the film. Such notoriety backfired, sparking worldwide attention and leading to a surprisingly large box-office reception. In retrospect, the controversy was baffling; it was not as though it was the first mainstream feature to have a narrative based around a homosexual romance. What "appalled" the conservative and religious sectors was that the John Wayne, rugged and raw cowboy image had been shattered. Nevertheless, a western setting does not make a western.

Emerging two years after his Hulk misfire, Ang Lee was determined to return to his directional roots, while experimenting with a story more challenging than anything else he had attempted before. Upon completion, Lee entered his finished product into the Venice Film Festival line-up, and eventually earned himself the prestigious Golden Lion award. Then the Oscars arrived, where the film earned Lee a Best Director award, along with Best Original Score and Best Adapted Screenplay. The film, adapted from a short story by Annie Proulx, revolves around two down n' out, drifting cowboys who fall in love while ranching cattle together. From then on in the two men secretly maintain their thwarted relationship, visiting each other while both remaining married with children.

Performances are the key ingredient to Brokeback Mountain's overwhelming emotional power. The most notable roles are responsible to the two lead male performances by Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal. Both actors prove to be above and beyond the generic acting standards found in mainstream cinema. Respectably, it is Ledger's performance which is to be cherished; the gentle humanity he brings to his rough and troubled character of Ennis Del Mar is beautifully conceived. The feelings of guilt, the troubled expressions and idiosyncrasies are beautifully mastered by Ledger, showing his ability to capture a man struggling to accept his inner desire to escape with the man he so loves. It is bound to leave a profound impression of imprisonment, and almost any viewer will respond with empathy.

Further developing his directional craft, Ang Lee succeeds in establishing himself as one of today's most important and resourceful directors. After the success of grand period-pieces, such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Sense and Sensibility you would not have expected trashy flops like The Hulk. Fortunately, Lee ended up producing a fine counter-piece to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and also evolving his reoccurring theme of characters coping with suppressed emotion in the confines of a judgemental society. What I admire most is Lee's ability to demonstrate the utmost respect for each character, especially valuing the perceptive nature of his camera. His attention to detail is tender and cordial, displaying a much needed humanity rarely found in today's pictures. On the contrary, there are specific moments of episodic allegory which tests the viewer's interpretive skills. Such a device also increases the intimacy and speaks for the questioning turmoil of the characters.

With its gorgeous score, striking location footage and motivated acting, Brokeback Mountain does everything a masterpiece should. It is films like Brokeback Mountain that have the capability to make individual members of society become more aware and accepting of homosexuality. Yet, more than anything else it proves that love is an uncontrollable force, whilst holding testament to the beauty of cinema and its ability to captivate the viewer like no other medium.