Smooth_J Blog

Decently intriguing film

Smooth_J — Sat, 17 May 2008 02:23:20 GMT

I noticed no one has said anything about this movie, so I figured I would be the first to say that it is a pretty good film. It is all in all a commentary on the 1980s Nicaraguan conflict, exploiting the story of a forgotten American "hero" during the time of Manifest Destiny. What it is really trying to say is that the idea of Manifest Destiny and ultra-patriotism still existed in the United States, especially during the 1970s-80s, when we just couldn't seem to keep our noses out of Central American affairs. It succeeds on that level, but not too many others.

The acting is at times pretty corny...Ed Harris successfully portrays William Walker and his many undeveloped personality traits, but even he slips up at times as his performance slips into camp. Peter Boyle makes a pretty funny cameo as millionaire Cornelius Vanderbilt, the man who funds Walker's campaign in Nicaragua and ultimately sets him up as dictator.

Some of the scenes are actually really cool, such a scene where Walker walks right down the middle of an apparent massacre in a village, telling his men to press on even though it seems all is lost. A man asks him what he is doing, to which he replies, "The only thing I know how to do...advance." A scene in which they burn the town of their dictatorships residence at the end is a little bit drawn out, with probably around 4-6 minutes of burning buildings and depravity of Walker's soldiers (called "Walker's Immortals"). It's one of many scenes that seems forced and just doesn't work...however, for each of these scenes, there is a few that do, which makes the movie an overall accomplishment.

The film's infamous anachronisms that appear as Walker's dictatorship begins to fall apart actually seem relatively in place in terms of the story. It is hilarious in most cases, and just puzzling in others. My personal favorite is the cover of Newsweek, where one of the smaller stories listed on the cover is something about gay priests. The main cover, however, shows Walker's face, claiming him as an American hero. This was really just to show the celebrity status someone gains when they conquer and exploit in the name of America.

While it certainly would not be recommended for the most cynical of human beings, it is an entertaining experiment in politcal satire. While it often delves into the realm of the hallucinatory and the bizarre, it mostly stays on its main topic, though it is very good at doing both. Especially in the final sequence, which I thought was the most impressive part of the entire film.

Look upon me! I'll show you the life of the mind!

Smooth_J — Sun, 11 May 2008 15:51:17 GMT

This is one of my new favorites of the Coen Brothers’ films. Which isn’t really saying much, considering I’ve loved every single one of them that I’ve seen (I have yet to see The Hudsucker Proxy, and Intolerable Cruelty/Ladykillers—not in much of a rush for those). I found this to delve just as deep into the mind of a writer as Naked Lunch, which also was greatly successful in that aspect. There are a good amount of similarities to each one—most noticeably the insanity and bizarrity brought about by the writing process, but something that I really noticed was the fact that Judy Davis was in both of them. And, even more curious, the fact that her characters’ deaths in both films bring about a new life into the writers minds, and helps them to finish their respective pieces.

The film is really meant to be a satire on the process of getting a script approved in Hollywood, though the theme of a writer’s torture is just as apparent. Michael Lerner’s studio boss is especially hilarious, and his blatant dishonesty and obnoxiousness provide some of the highlights of the film. Tony Shaloub is characteristically annoying as a producer who is stuck with Fink, trying to his script finished, but that just heightens the effect that the Coens are trying to put forth: That Hollywood sucks, especially for the lowly writers.

The signature Coen’s motifs and symbolism run rampant in this film—the shoes, the hallway, the bible, and most importantly the reference to the writing process as being a hell on earth for any writer. I found the most interesting performance of the film to be John Mahoney as the alcoholic writer that Barton looks up to, then envies and pities. His performance is a small one, but I found it to leave a large impact on me even after his scenes were over. I was sort of hoping he would have more scenes, but his absence was made up for by several other outstanding performances in the film.

The ending sequence in the hotel is especially great. John Goodman’s satanic character brings everything into that scene, and yet you still have a huge amount of sympathy for this “common man” who’s “not mad at anyone.” Though you realize that he is really a sort-of anti-Christ, there is no denying the sympathy towards him that you inadvertently feel. It is a disturbing scene, but very, very powerful…and as Barton leaves this literal Hell, everything about the film comes together; he has now finished his screenplay, and is leaving that God-forsaken place.

I’m still trying to sort out the meaning of the woman in the painting, whom he meets at the end. My guess is that it just means that he is now free, in the haven that he dreamed of the entire time he was writing. However, it could be something much simpler that I’m just missing…

Barton Fink, as with Naked Lunch, is an excellent portal into the mind of a writer, and the sufferings they are put through; even though we really shouldn’t have anything to complain about.

After a prolonged hiatus, number 2 on my list

Smooth_J — Thu, 08 May 2008 23:30:06 GMT

This was one of my most difficult decisions…there is an undisputed number 1 spot, which will be revealed when I get to writing something that will successfully pay homage to the film itself, but this spot was tough. I thought it was clear-cut for a while, but then I recently saw a film that I really wanted to add. Both films are pretty bleak, pretty disturbing, and pretty strange; and both are definite classics, outstanding films from legendary directors. So, after much deliberation, here is number 2 and number 2½.

2. Apocalypse Now I have always been intrigued by this movie. I saw a good deal of it on AMC when I was about 12 years old, and promptly set to begging my parents to let me go out and buy/rent it. Finally, after ragging them for the better part of two years, I bought a copy of it. It completely and utterly blew my mind.

Never had I seen such brilliant film-making. The viewer is sucked completely into the unstable mind of veteran special-ops agent Willard, on a journey down a savage river that loses all sense of time, reality, and purpose. He is sent out to kill a man he does not even know; and is meant to learn about through transcripts and letters documenting his rise and fall. No one knows when this expedition will end—but all seem to know that it will inevitably end in tragedy.

Martin Sheen gives a supremely understated and powerful performance…while it is not exactly a showy role, it is one that was probably extremely difficult to pull off, in that a lot of the film is him sitting on the boat examining documents about Kurtz. However, he does the job famously. Robert Duvall is hilarious (yet somewhat unsettling) in his classic and brilliant small role. His character (Col. Kilgore) is a larger than life character, perfectly representing the bizarre truths about Americans, military types especially; it is pretty self-explanatory what I mean when you look at the fact that they bomb and pillage a Vietnamese town (perfectly edited to Cry of the Valkries) only for the opportunity to see one of Willard’s men, a professional surfer, showcase his talents. It really illustrates the exploitative nature of the American military, hitting the mark perfectly, just as the rest of the film does in illustrating the chaos and madness of not only the Vietnam war, but war in general.

Say what you want about Marlon Brando’s performance, but I found it to be deeply and strangely unsettling. This could be because he was facing the same sort of issues at that time in his life; he was becoming increasingly reclusive and separating himself more and more from humanity, believing that he was above everybody else. This attitude was perfect to portray Kurtz, a man who is trapped by his own insanity. Some of his monologues are peculiar yet greatly profound.

The beginning and ending sequences are almost entities in themselves when you talk about this film. Both are trippy, stylish, and edited to awesome music and sounds. In the beginning, the song is ironically The End by The Doors, in the most perfect sequence of any film I have ever seen. As the film and Willard descend into madness, this song is chronicling it, as well as the sound of helicopter rotors as the fan spins. The ending is just beautiful—Kurtz clearly wants Willard to be the one to kill him, before offering him the last temptation by giving him a glimpse of his philosophy. I still get the chills as Willard rises out of the red water…it’s completely incredible. As is the entire movie.

2½ . A Clockwork Orange Now, I only recently saw this movie, but I really just had to include it here up near my top two, since I was really taken aback by its power. This movie actually has a more personal meaning to me; my mom and dad constantly tell the story of their first date, during which my dad took my mom to see this movie, and my mom dumped him soon following, for the reason that she was so immensely disturbed by it. I’ve always thought this was hilarious, and I’ve always wanted to see it out of curiosity.

I would have to watch it again to write a full analysis, but it was worth mentioning. I was especially amazed by the scene by the water where Alex puts his “droogs” back in their place—slow motion imagery melded with music in its finest form. And this was only one of about a dozen scenes that really stuck out in my mind. Stanley Kubrick was a total genius.

A great surrealist comedy

Smooth_J — Sun, 04 May 2008 19:03:12 GMT

I believe it is very relevent to mention the main reason why I love Charlie Kaufman's writing so much; and that is because he tends to write his main characters as strange, socially awkward, self-loathing outcasts, which is what makes them so understandable to me. That being said, I also found Being John Malkovich to be a hilarious and stylish study of the intricacies of the human psyche.

Not only does the film perfectly portray what it would actually be like to see the world through someone else's eyes (literally), it also subtly questions the role of the human mind and soul, and what seeing something like this might do to one. Spike Jonze's direction is superb, and I finally see why he received such accolades for the film...I found this to be even more enjoyable than the also superb Adaptation, the other Jonze-Kaufman collaboration.

John Cusack was surprisingly awesome in the main role, as was Catherine Keener as his seductive business-mate. John Malkovich is, of course, the man, and convincingly played himself, and John Cusack's character, and Cameron Diaz's character.

I was extremely surprised at how much I loved this film, but I guess I should have seen it coming, since I typically am most intrigued by absurdist fantasies. But this one is even better than others.

A Hallucinatory Masterpiece

Smooth_J — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 21:48:09 GMT

I somehow discovered this movie on Amazon a few weeks ago, and after reading up on it, I bought it out pure curiosity, and based on the fact that I had loved all the criterion films I had bought before this one. I’m still amazed at how much I liked this movie.

I would like to start off by mentioning that William S. Burroughs is one of the most interesting people I have ever heard of, and I plan on reading his work very soon. What is most fascinating about him is trying to decipher what about is actually true, and what about him is myth or fiction. He actually reminds of a more literary Hunter S. Thompson, one of my favorite characters in writing (or even history).

However, it was not only these few reasons that I found the movie so exceptional. The exposition is especially well-done, introducing you to Peter Weller’s Bill Lee character and his deadpan delivery of exterminator lines. Even when the film is anchored in reality, it has a strange, surreal feel to it, heightened by awesome saxophone work by Ornette Coleman and a quietly strange score by Howard Shore. Soon after Bill Lee utters the line “Exterminate all rational thought—that is the conclusion I have come to”, which acts as self-explanatory advice to the viewer, the film dips into the surreal and haunting world of a writer struggling with a near impossible work to finish.

Peter Weller is outstanding. I have never seen such a perfectly deadpan performance that still contains so much depth and undertones in the right parts of his portrayal. Judy Davis is also very good as his unfaithful, drug addled wife (and later lover?). Most of the other performances are pretty much bit parts, shown to heighten the insignificance of normal human contact in the writing process. There are a couple characters, however, to pay attention to—Ian Holm plays a fellow writer in “Interzone”, who lends Bill his cherished typewriter, only to have it be labeled as an “enemy agent” by Bill’s typewriter and destroyed. Roy Scheider very effectively plays the role of a drug manufacturer in Interzone, and also seems to have a lot of fun with the part, hamming it up near the end of the final act.

It is also important to note that most of the occurrences in the film are in fact happening, but the way they are portrayed is through Bill Lee’s hallucinatory visions, as he believes that everything is assignment from a secret organization, and his writing is merely “reports.”

What is remarkable about the film is that it never delves into bizarrity without making you genuinely care what happens to Lee. You watch his deliriums and dependencies spiral out of control, but he always retains his main character traits, though they may not be all that likeable. It is difficult to watch sometimes, as it is often graphic and disturbing, but in the end, it is an extremely rewarding, yet puzzling, experience.

All in all, it is a meditation on the difficulties of the writing process, and the effect that drugs may have on a writer in the middle of it. Burroughs really struggled with similar hallucinations and difficulties while writing the novel in Tangier, giving the film a very credible stand on the subject matter. It was very effective that Cronenberg included not only events from the novel, but various happenings in Burroughs’ life and even some parts of his other books. He even uses the William Tell routine to demonstrate what Burroughs said, in his own words, “Inspired him to be a writer.” The significance of including it again after finally leaving Interzone is very simple—the “accidental” murder of his wife got him there, got him into writing; and now it is ultimately what will help him to finish his novel, and leave Interzone.

Don’t really go into this film with a lot of expectations and previous knowledge; just watching the film would have been enough for me, because it is amazing, but if interested, do some more research afterwards. It is extremely intriguing.

Pleasantly surprised

Smooth_J — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 14:37:46 GMT

I had basically zero expectations going into this film...it looked intriguing, but reading about led me to believe that it was just another Will Smith blockbuster. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, as he tends to make above average blockbuster movies, but I really didn't expect to be as impressed by the film as I was.

The story is familiar, everybody has seen or heard of the various versions of it (the 60s one is apparently better). And though the film is meant to be a big-budget, box-office juggernaut film, I found that it never really dipped into the conventional crap that plagues most other action movies of today--at least until the end, where it painfully strays from the plot of the book.

The suspense built is extremely intense, especially in a scene in one of the "hives" of the vampire-zombie-people. The feeling of loneliness and isolation is what really gives the scenes like that the terror that you feel for much of the movie.

The ideas of a cure for cancer causing such a apocalyptic disease is very intriguing, but I guess you can't really rave about it much in this film, seeing as it has been done so many times before. However, I found this adaptation to be a very good film, mostly undeserving of a lot of the criticism it has been getting (except for that last few minutes...).

Very good doc.

Smooth_J — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 14:08:53 GMT

As it was a documentary, I held off from watching Manda Bala for a pretty long time, despite the intriguing cover art and synopsis. I am sort of mad that I held off for so long, since I was surprised to find that it was really quite good.

In Brazil, especially the Sao Paulo district, political corruption runs rampant, as do the equally powerful kidnapping and crime rings in the city slums. The film begins by introducing a frog farm owner, who claims he would “never harm frogs in the wild”, but harvests them for various reasons at his business. The scenes and descriptions of how the farm works are extremely well-done, and are the most stylistically done sequences of the film.

In the beginning, it’s hard to figure out just where the film is going, since so many different themes are presented, and it’s difficult to tell how they’re tied together (such as a woman describing her experience in being kidnapped in contrast with the frog farm). However, once the film gets into full swing, and it’s revealed that the frog farm was in fact part of a money laundering scheme by fraudulent government officials, there are some powerful and eye-opening statements made.

One of the major and most interesting sub-topics shown is of a plastic surgeon, who in wake of the influx of ear-severing occurring during kidnappings, has developed a revolutionary new way to rebuild the ear. It is fascinating, yet at the same time frustrating, seeing this man set to work, when in reality he is merely making profit off of other people’s suffering. Because on one hand, he is helping them fix their deformities and help them out after such a traumatic experience, but in the other hand, he is making them pay immense amounts of money to get it done.

The film as a whole is extremely stylized, with perfectly timed ironic jibes and the metaphorical use of the frogs in representing Brazilian society. It is often hilarious to see the film-makers begin their interviews so friendly and casual, and then ask a blunt, precise question that renders the subject speechless. The best is when they get to interview Jader Barbalho, the maestro of the most diabolical of the money embezzlement schemes. The interview begins with friendly questions as to his policy—and ends with Jader walking out of the room after being asked about a certain frog ranch. The film-maker’s sense of irony and darkly exploitative humor is what makes the movie so compelling as a whole, and so powerful in the end.

Some of the subjects that Jason Kohn managed to talk with are extremely impressive, and one of these is a kidnapper/bank-robber from the Sao Paulo slums. Some of the things revealed in this interview are the most disturbing yet overwhelmingly moving things said in the film. It is amazing that one cannot bring themself to hate this man that is so clearly ruthless and would kill most people without a thought, because he is so oblivious to the wrong that he is doing. The only reason he does it is because he has to in order to survive—and help his entire neighborhood to survive. His final lines are profoundly emotional and eye-opening.

Manda Bala is a very good documentary. It is very easy to see why it garnered such apparent acclaim, and won the Sundance best documentary. Not only is its subject and ideas important, but it is carried out in a way that is fresh, stylish, and entertaining.

List

Smooth_J — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 23:19:26 GMT

My entries have been spaced out of late, as I have not had very much time to post. I’m almost finished watching Manda Bala, so I’ll have a review of that posted soon.

3. 2001: A Space Odyssey/Dr. Strangelove

I don’t think I’m alone in proposing that these are a couple of the greatest films ever made. I’ll begin with the first.

From the opening sequences of “the dawn of man”, to the final climactic warp scene, everything about the film is haunting and entrancing. So many moods and so many different styles are experimented with in this film, and every single one of them works (my favorite being the space-shuttle nutcracker scene in the beginning). No other movie has taken me to a higher level of thinking than this film, which I thought about and tried to sort out in my mind for weeks after watching it. It is one of the greatest film experiences I have ever had.

Dr. Strangelove is my second favorite Kubrick movie, which puts it right at the top of my list. I first saw this movie when I was about 10, and found it hilarious then, and watching it again years later, I find it funny as ever. The offbeat humor is perfect, as is the bitingly satirical mood of the entire film. Peter Sellers is completely brilliant, as is George C. Scott, but I would say the greatest character (next to Strangelove himself) is Sterling Hayden as General Jack D. Ripper. Some of his lines are hilariously insane, and he pulls them off with incredible ease. This film, like 2001, tries a lot of different things with the film and with the humor, and every single one is great, especially the opening title sequence, which I just recalled after seeing it discussed in one of the forums.

I am ashamed to say that I have not seen A Clockwork Orange, which I’m pretty sure, based on my taste in movies, will be near the top of my list whenever I get around to it.

4. Brazil

I mention this movie a lot, both in my life and in anything that I write on Spout (or any other movie site). This was actually the movie that got me so interested in film and the art of film-making itself. It is without a doubt Gilliam’s greatest achievement. The strange, dark, twisted world that Gilliam builds in most of his later films began with his vision of a totalitarian future society, posing as a beacon of perfection, when in reality, nothing actually works. From the technology to the actual system of the society, nothing actually achieves its function, which is so fitting to our current society and its faulty technology (and society…).

This film is a surrealist masterpiece. The dream sequences that perfectly mirror Sam Lowry’s life and give us a portal into his mind are exceptional; nothing has given me faith in the magic of film more than this film.

“Don’t fight it, son. Confess quickly! If you hold out too long you could jeopardize your credit rating.”

5. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

I found this film to be completely brilliant. It manages to pull of a romantic vibe, while still retaining a sense of wonderment and philosophical importance. Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet both give revelatory performances in the two leads, and everyone else in the cast is extremely solid. Never have I seen reality and the goings-on of the mind mixed so well, with the dreams becoming part of the narrative structure, revealing just enough about Carrey’s and Winslet’s relationship to make the ending both tragic yet somewhat hopeful. Kaufman’s writing and Gondry’s direction meshes outstandingly.

The Best Current Sketch show

Smooth_J — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 23:31:37 GMT

I would just like add a short snippet about how amazing these guys are...I honestly have no laughed harder than when I saw some of their better stuff. This is one of comedy's best kept secrets.

Part III

Smooth_J — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 00:33:21 GMT

My list, in continuation…

6. Fargo See my blog entry on it…it’s a while back, but I feel it’s pretty comprehensive as to how fricken incredible this movie is.

7. Chinatown An absolute classic. Jack Nicholson’s greatest role, and an amazing turn by Faye Dunaway. See my review of it…it’s a little while back as well.

8. Mulholland Drive This David Lynch masterpiece of the absurd is just plain awesome. Everything in his power is brought full-on into creating one of the most hypnotizingly gorgeous films ever put onto the screen. The bizarre plot twists and overall nuance of the movie make it a gripping experience, alternately terrifying and depressing and funny. There is not enough to be said about this movie…a truly mind-blowing spectacle of a film. On the topic of David Lynch, I would also like to mention how good Inland Empire was…but I could only include so many on this list.

9. Pulp Fiction One of the coolest films ever made. Quentin Tarantino crafted a stunning vision of crime and mishaps out of a few disjointed stories; and makes it work only because of his own mastery of storytelling. Every scene is classic, every line is brilliant. Samuel L. Jackson gives one of the greatest performances of our time. I would like to mention Tarantino’s other greats: Reservoir Dogs and Kill Bill 1 & 2 (included earlier), which are also excellent.

10. Rushmore Another movie that I have a blog entry about. This is easily Wes Anderson’s best film, but is also generally unseen. It is a masterwork of comedy, and one of Bill Murray’s best performances.