Superman

Richard Donner, UK, 1978
Two and a half stars

I know this film is generally well-regarded, but I can’t help but think that this is because of what it was at the time, rather than how well it stands up now. I’m sure it was quite revolutionary to have a film come out that showed a superhero as an adult, best indicated by the scene where he goes flying with Lois and makes the Peter Pan comment. I’m sure this went a long way to erasing all those “bam, pow” notions that the television adaptation of that other DC property put into the heads of non-comics fans. And even though the effects aren’t perfect, it’s fun to see Superman pick up helicopters. In fact I’d say all the parts where he is flying are probably the best

Nevertheless, most of this movie doesn’t work. The adaptation of Superman’s origin is really weak. If you know me, you know I’m not saying that because it’s “not faithful.” It’s actually quite similar to Batman Begins in that they took bits and pieces from everywhere, but making that comparison shows you how far they fell short here. The Marlon Brando floating head thing is no substitute for his parents actually playing some part in his decision to become a superhero. In fact, we don’t even see any kind of decision! It’s really astonishing how many things are conveyed in sloppy shorthand considering how long the film is, at least in this director’s cut.

That would of course be because the film spends too long with its stunt-casting. Hackman’s Luthor is atrocious, absolutely unforgivable (especially his “comic” sidekicks). And the aforementioned Brando head (as well as the Brando on Krypton prologue) is pretty rotten too. I do like the portrayal of Clark Kent for the most part; it’s overdone, but there’s a point to it. Overall though, the plot is very shoddy, and not really up to Superman’s standards. Here’s looking forward to the next installment!

Source: Warner DVD
27 March, 9:25 PM

My Neighbor Totoro

(Tonari no Totoro)
Miyazaki Hayao, Japan, 1988
3.5 out of 4 stars

The only trouble with this movie is that it’s too good-natured. Absolutely nothing is at stake. The nicer way of say that is that it’s very charming, and certainly perfect for children (although video-game playing boys might not think much of it).

What it has going for it is the magical weirdness of it all, and the fact that this “charm” is very sincere and well-executed. It would be disingenuous of me to say there’s “no conflict,” of course there is one, but it is something of a Miyazaki hallmark to not have things be so overblown and predictable. I suppose what I’m saying is, this is a very good film that, in anyone else’s hands, would have been an utter mess.

Source: Buena Vista DVD
27 March, 1:50 PM

The Squid and the Whale

Noah Baumbach, USA, 2005
3.5 out of 4 stars

This kind of movie is, I would think, particularly difficult to pull off right. There are some abhorrent behaviors depicted (okay, almost every behavior depicted here is abhorrent), and one critic dismissed the whole thing (and every one of his peers who liked it) by saying it was just bourgeois self-indulgence. Of course, that begs the question as to whether this film depicts bourgeois self-indulgence in a valuable manner or is just another diseased product of bourgeois self-indulgence.

I don’t know if I’m qualified to respond to that, and although I grew up with parents that didn’t split up and at least, compared to these characters, behaved normally, I still felt involved in (and repulsed) by this picture. The camerawork definitely seemed spot-on, quirky at times without being overbearingly “artistic.” I was really fascinated by the surprising and disturbing ways the two children backed up and imitated their respective “preferred” parent. My main criticism of it is that I really knew Jeff Daniels' character by the time the film was over, but I was a lot less clear on Laura Linney’s character, who gets a lot less lines in general. I felt like they made it easier to take her side because most of her transgressions were merely referred to by other people, whereas Daniels is always, constantly incriminating himself (and Jesse Eisenberg's performance is a very effective partial mimicry of his own). That said, that might actually be the intended effect… I’m not entirely clear on that. Definitely worth a rental, in any case.

Source: Sony DVD
25 March, 7:26 PM

V for Vendetta

James McTeigue, USA / Germany, 2005
3 out of 4 stars

Engaging if not necessarily flawless. Hard to put my finger on what its flaws are, there do seem to be too many lulls. Perhaps this is one of those adaptations that suffers from the “too faithful” bug (I’ve read Alan Moore’s comic, but I did seem to have forgotten all the plot points until I saw them happen again). It is amusing considering that Moore went postal on the filmmakers because they misquoted him as having given official approval, because I can’t really see what beef he would have with this version. I feel like they wouldn’t have kept it in Britain if they weren’t hoping to get his seal of approval, as it does make the whole Bush criticism thing a little peculiar.

Source: Warner 35mm print
21 March, 3:30 PM

A History of Violence

David Cronenberg, USA / Germany, 2005
3.5 out of 4 stars

I appreciated it a little better this time, perhaps because I wasn’t expecting to be unsettled by the violence rather than the emotional clashes. David Cronenberg says in one of the special features that you’re supposed to be “implicated” by the violence, which indeed does happen. You do still need to sort of be prepared for what you’re gonna see ahead of time, as my friends showed me when they talked about how laughable they found the whole thing to be. Subversiveness is the eye of the beholder, perhaps?

Source: Warner DVD
18 March, 10 PM

As Tears Go By

(Wong gok ka moon)
Wong Kar-Wai, Hong Kong, 1988

Well, I have “Take My Breath Away” stuck in my head now, for what that’s worth. Conventional and innovative at the same time, but you probably could have guessed that if you’ve read anything about this film or know Wong Kar-Wai. If you haven’t, well, Wong is my own personal representative of the “auteur theory,” actually not very well regarded at the film websites and message boards I frequent, which isn’t really that bad because it makes me feel like I am developing my own wacky pseudo-art-film taste.

Source: Kino DVD
16 March, 8:30 PM

Monty Python and the Holy Grail

Terry Gilliam & Terry Jones, UK, 1975
3.5 out of 4 stars

I’ve decided that the funniest part is the bit with the killer rabbit, if only because I laughed the loudest for that. I was tempted to watch the whole thing with the subtitles borrowed from Henry IV, Part II, but that might get old I figure.

Source: Sony DVD
12 March, 11 PM

Unleashed

(Danny the Dog)
Louis Leterrier, France / UK, 2005
3 out of 4 stars

Actually I do like Jet Li’s acting in this, but sadly I might have enjoyed the American version better, because even though this international/European version is designated the “unrated” version, it apparently just has more quiet character moments, which here take up a very big middle portion of the film. I think these bits are good but after a while, you do want to see someone get beat up again. The film is very unbalanced in this regard, you’re either getting one or the other, at least until the film’s stellar closing bit. I mean, what are you supposed to do exactly when you’ve got an action film in which the protagonist must develop by refraining from violence entirely? I probably would have liked this movie better if Li’s father figure had been played by anyone other than Morgan Freeman. His shtick is definitely getting real old by this point, and actually sticks out more for me here than in something like Million Dollar Baby that pretty much has its schmaltz-level cranked up to Morgan Freeman the whole time.

Source: Universal DVD
10 March, 11:30 PM

Block Party

Michel Gondry, USA, 2005
3.5 out of 4 stars

I don’t know how much you’d like it if you’re not a fan of Dave Chappelle or the various artists in here, but I certainly liked it for those reasons. I wish there was more of The Roots and Common (and less of Dead Prez and Jill Scott).

Source: Universal 35mm print
5 March, 1:20 PM

The Beat That My Heart Skipped

(De battre mon coeur s'est arrêté)
Jacques Audiard, France, 2005
3 out of 4 stars

I thought I wasn’t going to like this at all at the beginning, but once the character’s arc gets off the ground it’s fairly involving. I found the status of the main relationship at the end to be very confusing, however.

Source: Genius DVD
4 March, 10 PM

Catwoman

Pitof, USA, 2004
1 out of 4 stars

Hilariously bad trash! Probably the best part of this movie is the dumbfounded looks on peoples’ faces when you tell them that you actually watched it. I wouldn’t make a habit of watching infamous flops, but a few here and there can be a good source of unintentional entertainment.

Source: Bootleg DVD
2 March, 9:30 PM

Forty Shades of Blue

Ira Sachs, USA, 2005
2.5 out of 4 stars

A nice effort but mostly moribund. Certainly lacks the beauty, or even the emotional resonance, of something like In the Mood for Love, although maybe this stuff just works better (for me) in subtitles.

Source: Capital DVD
26 February, 10:15 PM

The Big Sleep

Howard Hawks, USA, 1946
3.5 out of 4 stars

I love Bogey! I can’t imagine what the 1945 version would be like, because when you’ve got a film where (as anyone will tell you) one of the murders isn’t even solved, it’s definitely all about the central relationship. Something I hadn’t picked up from The Long Goodbye (which I definitely should’ve watched after this, damn Blockbuster) is that Phillip Marlowe is a James Bond-esque player! Several women throw themselves at him, and he gets it on with at least one of them during a stake-out, then gives her a pretty callous brush-off when she pretty clearly wants at least to hook up again. I don’t think he had time for any more, but I imagine he did in the book (and all the action probably wasn’t contained off-screen, either). It does put a different spin on the whole relationship when you realize what a player he starts out as.

Source: Warner DVD
25 February, 10 PM

Bubba Ho-Tep

Don Coscarelli, USA, 2002
2.5 out of 4 stars

It’s really a bad sign when you see a 90 minute film and you feel like it should have been at least 30 minutes shorter! It makes you realize that a real disservice has been done to the medium of film with the ghettoization of shorts. I’m no better, as when I look up a festival listings, I have no interest in shorts either! While Brokeback Mountain suffered from trying to stretch out a short story with new material, I get the feeling this film tried to be too faithful to what was there, and there just wasn’t enough for a feature. Bruce Campbell’s voice-over narration is largely inane, and you only get into some good bad-assedness near the very end.

Source: MGM DVD
24 Februrary, 9:20 PM

Junebug

Phil Morrison, USA, 2005
3 out of 4 stars

Not perfectly transcendent, but certainly successful at reaching towards it. My favorite moment is when the Blue State protagonist is listening to her Red State-raised husband sing a hymn (very well), and her expression goes through so many contortions, leaving you really uncertain as to whether she is offended by the possibility that he might still have some religious sentiment, amazed that he has hidden his proficiency at singing from her, or something else more nebulous. Her reactions and his singing combine to produce an interesting, sublime moment. I don’t know that I would have nominated Amy Adams for an Oscar though; I think Embeth Davidtz’s work here is more nuanced.

Source: Sony DVD
23 February, 8:20 PM

Dark Water

Walter Salles, USA, 2005
3.5 out of 4 stars

This could be a constant refrain here, but nonetheless I really have to give credit to Walter Chaw of Film Freak Central for drawing this film to my attention, because the notion of another crummy “J-horror” knockoff with killer washing machines caused me to merely chortle that I’d never see that movie. Unfortunately this seems to have been a common reaction, as the film was a flop. I also didn’t trust my co-worker’s recommendation, as I figured that his taste was suspect. However, Chaw’s belated recommendation led me to give it a chance, and what I found was a very compelling and involving psychological thriller (not “horror” at all), filled with atmosphere and a surprisingly good performance by Jennifer Connelly, certainly better than what I saw from her in House of Sand and Fog. Fumbles the ending a bit, in execution if not in substance. I haven’t seen the original yet but I do doubt it will be as good. It just goes to show that just because the original impetus to make a film might have been bad (remake a foreign film because Americans won’t read subtitles), it doesn’t mean the film itself is bad. Seems obvious, but apparently I needed to learn this lesson again.

Source: Buena Vista DVD
21 February, 9 PM

Spider Forest

(Geomi sup)
Song Il-gon, South Korea, 2004
3 out of 4 stars

One of those “what the hell is going on” movies, but, despite the “Asia Extreme” label (without which I imagine there’d be no Region 1 DVD release), not exactly one of those “pushing the limits of horrificness” films. By the end, you pretty much do know what’s going on, and it’s interesting but not exactly shattering. I found the mood to be well cultivated but the film to be a little somnolent at times, or maybe it’s the characters that weren’t involving enough. It’s not bad, but I don’t know if I’d recommend it to someone that had never heard of it.

Source: TLA DVD
19 February, 10 PM

Parineeta

Pradeep Sarkar, India, 2005
1.5 out of 4 stars

Utter shit! I’m probably really being unfair to Bollywood, but I think I need more comedy in films like this. Pure melodrama is just too much. That, and perhaps it doesn’t really work in a quiet theater (this was part of the so-called Riverside International Film Festival), and you need audience response with your friends to make it fun. Whatever the case, I found this to be much less entertaining than Mohabbatein or especially Main Hoon Na, both of which I saw last year. Even the music wasn’t as good!

Source: UTV 35mm print
18 February, 8 PM

Head-On

(Gegen die wand)
Fatih Akin, Germany / Turkey, 2004
3 out of 4 stars

Engaging, but uneven. There are definitely a lot of extreme moments and the characters are interesting, but it doesn’t reach the heights you keep hoping it will build up to.

Source: Strand DVD
17 February – 9:30 PM

Nobody Knows

(Dare mo shiranai)
Kore-eda Hirokazu, Japan, 2004
4 out of 4 stars

Sublime. I was afraid this would be one of those “so artsy it’s boring” films, and it might be for a lot of people, but I found this to be a very engaging story to base a largely improvised, silent series of performances on. There’s nothing and everything going on here.

Source: MGM DVD
12 February, 10:30 PM