Madame DuBarry (1919)

This somewhat ponderous slice of history is but one of the seven films that magic director Ernst Lubitsch turned out in 1919, a statistic that makes the mind boggle.  Made some three years before he emigrated to the U.S. and only marginally suggesting his subsequent delicate "Lubitsch touch", it's the opulent story of the eponymous heroine played by Pola Negri, the flirtatious mistress of the besotted King Louis XV, played by Emil Jannings.  While making her out to be no better than she should be, she is allowed tender feelings towards her first lover whom she has saved from execution and organised his rising army career.  But while she was never popular with the snobs at court nor with the rabble crowd, he too turns against her come the Revolution and only tries to save her in turn too late in the day.

Lubitsch does rather conflate history since it was well over eighteen years between the King's death when Dubarry was banished from court and her date with the guillotine, but the film would have us believe that the Revolution was more or less the next day or so, and certainly Louis XVI and his Marie Antoinette do not figure in this version.  Nor of course does Miss Negri age a jot over the period.  It's all put across in the histrionic style of the period, but the lavish sets, well-handled crowd scenes, and beautifully-tinted new print make this a worthwhile watch, even if it is very mediocre Lubitsch.

Tags: Madame Dubarry, Ernst Lubitsch

A Woman Under the Influence (1974)

I guess I have over the years viewed all of the films made by ex-actor turned writer-director John Cassavetes but have never really been able to warm to them, despite the fact that he is now thought of as a major pioneer of Cinema Verite in the U.S.  One or two I felt I might have given up on prematurely which  accounts for my re-watching his first film "Shadows" (1959) and the above movie.  Unfortunately I have not emerged any more of a fan.  His films tend to be slow and stately improvisations from his stock company which includes Ben Gazzara, Seymour Cassell, Peter Falk, and Cassavetes' wife Gena Rowlands.

The last two take the leads in this story of a macho construction worker who is unduly under the thumb of his overbearing mother and his wife who is just this side of slightly ga-ga as she tries to hold on to reality.  As her behaviour becomes more and more irrational, Falk agrees to have her committed for six months.  When she is released, it would appear that she is no more able to cope with her everyday existence and the implication is that their imperfect relationship which veers between loving and physical violence is set to continue as before.  There is no denying that Rowlands gives an impressive portrait of mental disintegration and this showcase role is a remarkable tour de force.  However it goes on for some two and a half hours and I felt like screaming 'enough already'.  Maybe that explains my problem with Cassavetes in general; his films often come across as self-indulgent and would probably have benefitted from tighter editing.

I know that it was an uphill struggle for the director to get this film made and distributed and it comes across as something of a home movie with Cassavetes' mother and father and Rowlands' mother in major roles, along with the director's sister and Cassel's son.  He was in the end Oscar-nominated for the movie, along with Rowlands, but that does not make me believe that this film is one worth re-visiting again and again.

Tags: John Cassavetes, Gena Rowlands, hard-going movies

Reindeer Games (2000)

I'll be damned if I know why this film was such a critical flop or why it was such a spectacular loss-maker at the box office, since although it would not win any prizes for overall originality, it is an entertaining enough watch and an honest viewer would not insist that he could see all of the twists a mile off -- I just don't believe that.  The movie was dubbed "Deception" in the UK, an over-used film title, presumably because the original title was meaningless to a British audience (I suspect the phrase 'reindeer games' is not overly-laden with meaning elsewhere either).

When Ben Affleck's prison buddy is knifed just before the pair are due for release, Affleck assumes his pal's identity to have it away with the looker (Charlize Theron) who has been writing to him.  Little does he realize that she is setting him up so that her 'brother', Gary Sinise, can pump him for inside information for a casino heist which he and his gang have planned; since he is not who he claims to be, he can only use his wits to escape being wiped out as a useless hanger-on.  OK, maybe the plot verges on the ridiculous, but not as much as your run-of-the-mill Nicholas Cage movie (like the idiotic "Next" which I viewed tonight), and the twisty structure keeps the viewer hooked.  Apart from his Jennifer Lopez period (of which "Gigli" was the nadir), I find Affleck an acceptable leading man --likeable even -- and Sinise makes an ace villain.  And since the sinister Danny Trejo was one of his gang and since Dennis Farina played the venal casino manager, I happily went along for the ride.  Five crooks in Santa Claus suits are always good for a bit of excitement.  Maybe this film is not really a worthy late offering from director John Frankenheimer who can boast both the original "Manchurian Candidate" and "Seconds" in his filmography, but I didn't find it a complete wash-out on this my second viewing.

Tags: Reindeer Games, Ben Affleck, twisty thrillers

The Reaping (2007) and some other nasties

She may have two best actress Oscars to her credit, but Hilary Swank is not an easy actress to cast and she has made some very dubious role choices.  Here she plays an ordained minister who has lost her faith after her husband and child were slaughtered at an African mission and who now spends her time debunking so-called religious phenomena.  She is approached by a representative from the small town of Haven whose bayous have turned to blood and asked to investigate.  The envoy is played by Brit actor David Morrissey who appears to have overcome the shame of appearing in the Sharon Stone stinker "Basic Instinct 2" and who fakes a pretty good American accent here.

Her arrival in Haven is accompanied by further mysterious happenings which seem to be simulating the Egyptian ten plagues for which Swank has some short-term scientific answers, but the townfolk are convinced that their dying cattle and lice and boils can be laid at the door of 12-year old swamp child AnnaSophia Robb and that she must be killed.  Swank is torn between her scientific training and her loss of faith vs. continuously inexplicable events as the storyline dissipates itself into pure horror territory.  The movie is awash with creepy-crawly effects as the various plagues take hold, and if there is one thing that is guaranteed to make me turn away from the screen, it is this.  Keeping one's eyes averted is quite possibly not the best way to watch or judge a movie, so chances are this was a one-off viewing for PPP.

Generally speaking this was quite a nasty film and uncomfortable viewing which fit in well with two other 2007 movies seen in the last few days.  "Straightheads" (I know not what this title means) is known in the States as "Closure" which is probably a better title.  A low budget movie funded by the Lottery, it has X-Files favourite Gillian Anderson in one of her now infrequent appearances as a successful London businesswoman who takes up with much younger security engineer Danny Dyer.  They are attacked on a lonely road on the way home from a countryside party; he is badly beaten and might loose an eye and she suffers multiple rough rape.  They both feel that they can only heal their souls by revenge and stake out the home of one of the assailants.  However her rage finally finds a less horrendous outlet (while still quite horrifying) than his bloody one -- after which this short film abruptly stopped (which is fine with me, since I really had enough by then!)

I personally find young Mr. Dyer an annoying actor with his whiny low-class voice and cheeky would-be charm and had actually just finished seeing him in another unhappy movie called "Outlaw".  In that one he played a character who again had just been beaten by thugs and who was not able to defend himself.  So he joined up with some other victims of violence who were trying to rid society of its various vermin under the disaffected leadership of ex-soldier Sean Bean.  It was kind of a latterday "Death Wish" but without any feel-good emotions to speak of and a black, black ending.  None of these three movies could even remotely fall into the "fun viewing" category and are all probably best-avoided.

Tags: The Reaping, Hilary Swank, Nasty films

Tuvalu (1999)

Some films are just unclassifiable!  The Hungarian movie "Hukkle" with its solely ambient-soundtrack springs to mind, as does nearly the entire output of the Canadian director Guy Madden.  When one is faced by such films, one either gives in to the weirdness or wonders what in the world is going on.  I tend to fall into the first camp and this German movie, filmed in Bulgaria with a largely Bulgarian cast, is a charming outing.  The German-Bulgarian background is an irrelevancy as it turns out, as is the fact that the lead actor Denis Lavant is French, since there is no intelligible dialogue, only names and words that are universally understood like tek-nol-o-gee!

The film is set in a nearly derelict bathhouse in the middle of a desolate plain where younger son Anton attempts to convince his blind father that business is booming, despite the fact that his mother at the cash desk is seldom paid in anything more than buttons.  However the three of them do their best to keep things going with their Rube Goldberg machine powering the pumps.  Into Anton's very strange life (his father keeps him without shoes so that he can't stray afield) comes the winsome Eva, who dreams of sailing away to the exotic island of the title but who needs a component from the engine to power her ship.  Meanwhile elder brother Gregor is attempting to get the lido condemned so that he can demolish it and build soulless apartment blocks.

The picture is shot largely in black and white or tinted sepia and exercises a strange fascination as one tries to take in the most peculiar storyline combined with the largely nonsensical sound.  The only solution is to sit back and let this oddity wash over all semblance of reality.  Succumb to the strangeness for an ultimately joyful experience.

 

Tags: Tuvalu, weirdness a go-go

A Frightful Afternoon

"Frightful" here does not mean that I had a rotten day, but it is just my punning way of reporting that the FrightFest folk had a mini-festival yesterday to promote the release of Dario Argento's latest film (direct to DVD) and to welcome the horror maestro on his first visit to London in some ten years by showing "Mother of Tears" along with two other recent horror releases from the same label.

First up was a wretched movie titled "Welcome to the Jungle"; unfortunately this title has already been used in the UK as the alternate name for the 2003 film "Rundown" which starred The Rock and "Stifler".  This one was meant to be inspired by classic video nasty "Cannibal Holocaust" as four young things entered unmapped areas of Papua New Guinea, theoretically in search of Michael Rockefeller who disappeared in 1961.  It was all filmed in hand-held videocam point of view shots which was pretty nauseating for starters, but three of the four youngsters were just so annoying that I could barely wait for them to be eaten by cannibals.  And it was a long wait and almost totally without acceptable effects.  Mind you if I was being attacked by bloodthirsty headhunters, I very much doubt that I would keep on filming!

Next up was a reshowing of the Australian "Storm Warning" from last summer's FrightFest, which I reviewed briefly on 30 August last year.  Maybe I was feeling more charitable yesterday or maybe the dire first film made this one seem better than I thought previously, but I quite liked it this second time around.  It might well be that since this was billed as "the extreme version" that there was rather more and rather better gore effects than previously.  In short an ineffectual fellow and his more resilient French wife who have taken refuge at a farm owned by a psychopathic father and his two very nasty sons manage to turn the tables and escape through some ingenious and bloody action.

As for "Mother of Tears", this was the long-awaited third part of the Mothers Trilogy after "Inferno" and "Suspiria" which Argento has been promising for years.  I wouldn't like to say that it was worth the wait, but I think it might seem a better film on a second viewing; it was full of beautiful shots and creative gore, but as incomprehensibly plotted as most of the Master's recent efforts.  An unearthed coffin and its urn releases the artefacts which allow the remaining "mother" (the other two having been destroyed in the previous films) to regain her energy and wreak havoc in Rome by a rash of suicides, violence, and mindless slaughter.  Smack in the middle of this is the director's daughter Asia Argento playing the one person who can end the witch's reign of horror, although she was unaware of having any special powers before the start of the tale.  It has been a while since Miss Argento has agreed to appear in any more of her father's movies, having been poorly treated in earlier ones, and he continues to put her through some unpleasant paces here, including burying her up to her whatsit in some filthy muck.  He also manages to include one totally gratuitous topless shot in the shower.  She must actually love her father after all is said and done to put up with his nonsense.  There is also a small part for the iconic Udo Kier, but he is quickly disposed of, and the movie certainly would have benefitted from more actors of his charisma, rather than the mediocre assortment of dubbed Italians.

There was meant to be a Q and A with the director afterwards which might have been quite interesting, but as the organisers explained his English is insufficiently strong (have they never heard of Italian interpreters?) and he would therefore only be signing autographs.  So we packed up our things and were off...

Tags: Mini FrightFest, Dario Argento

The Big White (2005)

What a misbegotten mess is this would-be black comedy, populated by actors who should have known better.  Robin Williams continuing his run of unfunny roles plays a hard-up travel agent in snowy Alaska, married to Holly Hunter who pretends to suffer from Tourette's Syndrome (which allows her to curse non-stop).  Since his brother has not been heard from for five years, Williams tries to collect on a million dollar policy, but is told that at least seven years must elapse.  So when he comes across a body in a dumpster (killed by goofy Tim Blake Nelson and his boyfriend for unexplained reasons), he appropriates it, laces it with meat to be attacked by wild animals, and claims that his recently returned brother is now dead.  Insurance agent Giovanni Ribisi smells a rat and tries to stall the payout while ignoring his quack-psychic girlfriend Alison Lohman.  Meanwhile Williams' real brother and semi-psychopath Woody Harrelson reads about his supposed death and returns for a share of the payout.  Nelson and friend kidnap Hunter (in her own home) and want "their" body returned to them plus a share of the money as well.

So it continues in the frozen white setting through various unfunny complications to the equally unsatisfactory denouement.  Anyone who wishes to compare this movie to "Fargo" is free to do so, but it comes off as an inferior and completely unsatisfactory farrago.

Tags: The Big White, more unfunny black comedies

Ghost Voyage (2008)

The Sci-Fi cable channel in the States manages to produce an incredible amount of dross in terms of "original" movies; these often turn up as filler on the UK version of that channel and occasionally on other channels here, which is how I came to see the above time-waster.  Maybe one of these days I'll accept the fact that I don't really have to watch any movie that is new to me -- but I doubt it.

The concept here was as old as talkie films: nine strangers (well, OK, two crooks did know each other previously) wake up on a strange cargo vessel in the middle of a grey ocean.  One does not need to be a rocket scientist to quickly work out that they are all recently dead and that the ship is their limbo.  What makes this all the more dreadful is that they are all more or less the same age -- I guess young or old people don't kick the bucket -- and are comprised of the most dreadful collection of non-talents that I have seen for a while.  The only name previously familiar to me was the lead, Antonio Sabato Jr. (who's Sr.?) and I have wondered previously how he has come to have a career.  His emotive depths come across as "that's-what-it-says-in-the-script-here", but the Sci-Fi folk must love him (or he's made them an offer they can't refuse), since he keeps starring in their so-called entertainments.

The only saving grace was Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa in the role of the enigmatic ship's "steward" laying down the rules for the voyage.  He has appeared in countless minor films, but is always a noteworthy presence with his sly class and style.  Now if he had been the lead in this movie...

Tags: Sci-Fi Channel movies, Antonio Sabato Jr

King of Kings (1927)

In my discussion of Ford's "Hurricane" below, I mentioned Richard Landes and the 13-seater cinema in his garden.  The above Cecil B DeMille spectacular was last night's delight and on one level I am amazed that I have not seen this silent previously, especially since it is claimed that it has been viewed by more people around the world than any other movie, having traditionally been given free showings during Lent from the late 20s to the early 50s.  Then again I am hardly a fan of po-faced religious movies, or even un-po-faced ones for that matter.

This film deserves its classic status as a typical DeMille extravaganza, but two hours of freely composed scenes from the life of Christ with intertitles largely from the gospels is a little more than I can really enjoy.  Fortunately the 155-minute version which is out on DVD was not yesterday's selection.  I can admire the opulence of the production, some beautifully composed crowd scenes, and even some of the special effects.  The Seven Deadly Sins being cast away from Mary Magdalene was imaginatively conceived.  However in general, I found it something of a plod, despite being pleased to have finally seen it.

The cast was competent but largely composed of unknown actors.  The exceptions were H. B. Warner unrecognizable in the beautific lead role (a frequent character actor in the 30s and 40s, his most memorable late role was as the chemist that Jimmy Stewart prevents from mis-prescribing in"It's a Wonderful Life"), Joseph Schildkraut as Judas (far different from his serious dramatic and light comedy roles in the 30s), and a small bit for one William Boyd, better known in movie history as Hopalong Cassidy.  He plays the man who is shamed into carrying the cross to Cavalry for Christ -- a sort of Hopalong Crossidy (yes, I know, very bad pun).

The music score was interesting, incorporating some well-known hymn tunes, but I am never too happy with choral additions to what is meant to be silent cinema.  Anyhow, thank you Richard, a memorable experience.

Tags: King of Kings, religious movies

Hard Candy (2005)

I certainly am glad that I saw "Juno" before seeing this earlier movie starring young Ellen Page, or I might have given it a wide berth after viewing the frightening character she creates here.  Mind you, that she can move from the chilling teenager of this film to the charming one in the more recent is proof positive of her acting versatility and skill.

She plays an overly bright 14-year old who agrees to meet up with a 32-year old photographer (Patrick Wilson) who has been chatting her up on the internet.  Immediately our suspicions are aroused as he takes her to his home and plies her with drink.  However, the tables are soon turned when we learn that she has drugged his drink; he awakes he finds himself trussed up on the kitchen table, pants down, and threatened with castration with Page describing the operation in excruciating detail.  It seems that she has deliberately been stalking him and is convinced that he is guilty of paedophilia and possibly even murder.  The cat and mouse games continue until the chilling conclusion and one can only assume that Wilson's deep-rooted feelings of guilt prevent his overpowering the youngster when the opportunity occurs. 

This is one truly disturbing film and anything but an easy watch.  That it is an original production from the MTV music channel, the product of music video-background director David Slade and first-time original screenwriter Brian Nelson, makes it all the more surprising.  Now that Page has had her Oscar nod for "Juno", people are likely to seek out this earlier performance.  Like me, they are in for something of a shocking discovery. 

Tags: Hard Candy, Ellen Page

Heaven on Earth (1927)

As a member of the British Film Institute, I always receive the programme for the annual Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, but I don't recall previously being tempted by any of its offerings.  However when I spotted the showing of this recently rediscovered German silent, I was off like a shot.  I'm always on the lookout for unknown silent movies and the description of this one sounded remarkable.  And yes, it was pretty memorable.

Conceived, produced, probably co-directed, co-written and starring one Reinhold Schunzel (not a name familiar to me but a recognizable face from the 1931 "Threepenny Opera"), the movie is meant to capture the decadence of the Weimar days.  Schunzel plays an uptight moral reformer who on his wedding day must also make his maiden speech in parliament.  Having spoken out against the evils of drink (his new father-in-law -- Martiny -- is a drink producer) and the moral morass of nightclubs, he discovers that his long lost stepbrother has died and left him a vast sum of money and the nightclub of the title, on the proviso that he spends five hours from 10 pm each evening at the club.  So the first elements of humour occur when he must get away from the never-ending wedding reception, deposit his panting bride in his bedroom -- unconsummated of course, and get into the club before the first deadline.  He thereafter must keep his "shame" from his new bride and the various moral reformers that call at his flat, despite the continuous arrivals of a red-hot Negro jazz band, a bunch of high-kicking showgirls, and a performing monkey.

While presenting an evocative picture of Weimar nightlife with its art deco decor and wolfish faces that could populate the art of the period, the club is actually pretty discreet with 100% heterosexual clubbers.  In fact I was beginning to wonder what this movie was doing at a Gay Film Festival before there was an extended sequence of our hero in drag trying to escape being seen, but subsequently being wooed by his lascivious father-in-law.  However this sequence was no more "gay" than other cross-dressing movies like "Some Like it Hot". I know that Schunzel did go on to star in Viktor und Viktoria, the original template for the Julie Andrews/James Garner remake which may or may not explain the earlier film's inclusion here.  But never mind, I was delighted to have the opportunity of viewing this droll and ultimately charming comedy. 

Technorati: where do they go???  

Tags: Gay cinema, Heaven on Earth, Reinhold Schunzel, disappearing act

In-flight Movies - yet again

I've been a lazy so-and-so since my return at the end of last week -- just too much else to get through to spend time blogging (like the nearly 400 accumulated non-spam e-mails!), but here I am again.  As per my own tradition the first entry must be about the in-flight movies, rather than the ones I've actually stayed awake through in the last few days.  I usually treat my choice of films to watch as a kind of catch-up, picking those movies that I probably should have gone to see at the cinema.  This is the one area where I am unable to fault Virgin-Atlantic since they certainly have the best movie selection in the air.

No Country for Old Men (2007):  This was the biggest cinema omission to make up since I'm a big Coen Brothers fan and had heard (even before its Oscar win) that this film was a return to form after their last two feeble offerings.  And good it was, although I must confess that I would not personally rank it amongst their very best.  Being faithful to the novel on which it was based must account for the very abrupt and in many ways unsatisfying ending, to the extent that I replayed it twice just to make certain that I hadn't fallen asleep at a critical point.  Nonetheless I have already purchased the DVD to give it yet another go in due course.

Ratatouille (2007): I actually had tickets for a preview of this Oscar-winning animation from Pixar-Disney, but when we went along to the cinema, there was no print and therefore self-evidently no showing.  What can I say?  I guess I kinda liked it, but again I would not place it as Pixar's best.  While very well done and the business with Peter O'Toole's snobby food critic brilliantly moving, I thought the "messages" a little heavy-handed and I must admit that I do find dozens of rats swarming around a kitchen more than a little disconcerting.

Rush Hour 3 (2007):  This is not a movie that I would have dragged myself to the cinema to view, but since I enjoyed the first two -- solely because of Jackie Chan I must quickly add, I thought I would have a look at the third.  And have a look is all I did, since they shut down the entertainment system before the film finished.  Jackie is still a great treat to watch, even at his obviously advanced years, but Chris Tucker?  Do me a favour, that man is soooo annoying.

Sweeney Todd... (2007):  This was first up on the return flight and I don't think the smile left my face throughout.  I loved it and was pleased to discover that both Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter have sufficiently pleasant voices to do justice to the score.  Tim Burton's gothic sensibilities were given free rein and the lashings of gore struck me as comical rather than disturbing.  Definitely a film to be viewed again, especially as Sacha Baron-Cohen's bit of shtick was mercifully brief.

Superbad (2007):  This was my final selection since I know it was a great popular success, if not completely a critical success.  I sort of enjoyed "Knocked Up" which was reviewed some months back and was curious what the writing-producing stable had produced this time around.  To say that three nerds want to get laid before leaving for college is to over-simplify the story, since the real theme is, I think, the meaning of friendship.  That they are looking for sex as well is what probably appealed to the film's young audience.  Fatty Jonah Hill is the potty-mouthed character who gets the best lines, but I had more empathy with his two friends played by "Juno's" Michael Cera and the weedy (but wonderful) Christopher Mintz-Plasse.  Not really my cup of tea, but pleasant enough.

Ping ping ping -- entry keeps disappearing! Third time lucky??

Tags: In-Flight Movies, playing catch-up, pings, and ping again, and again