My Week In Film (3/9 - 3/15)

The Shop Around The Corner (1940)
(Directed by Ernst Lubitsch)

Yeah, it was pretty great. I just kind of enjoyed the atmosphere of the shop and all of these characters and the interaction. The whole letters thing is kind of silly but I can get behind it because these are such sympathetic characters. Anyway, I think I'm finally on the Jimmy Stewart camp though this might just be on a film-by-film basis. And the girl (I'm too tired to look up her name) was great, too. Their chemistry, yadda, yadda, yadda. I liked the constant worrying about job security and that sort of stuff. Seemed to me I haven't seen much of that but, then again, I don't know my film history and all of that. Anyway, those snow scenes were kind of amazing and that touch was back and it's so fucking easy to like this guy's movies. Seriously. I have nothing here. It's just awesome in all the right ways.

★★★1/2

Contempt (1963)
(Directed by Jean-Luc Godard)

Okay, it's not that bad. In fact, I would actually call it good. Damn it. My main problem with this the first time is that the entire relationship at the heart of it seemed so retarded to me. Maybe this can be chalked up to my emotional retardation (I'm a Jerry Lewis fan! come on!) but I just didn't buy any of that shit. So that made it hard for me to stomach the interminable scene in their apartment. I mean, yeah, it's shot in a totally awesome way but it's grating. This time I guess I bough it more. I still think some parts are silly but the score puts me in such a mood that I don't really give a shit. The cinematography is still breathtaking (probably his best from what I've seen) and the framing/composition and all that nonsense is top-notch. But I'm still annoyed but a lot of it. And I really dislike the ending (with the car). Blah blah blah.

★★★

The Bellboy (1960)
(Directed by Jerry Lewis)

It's just the diary of a few weeks in the life of a real nut...

Yeah, this was pretty funny and all but the little before-the-picture warning to the audience about the film's plotlessness ain't no joke. I guess that frees Lewis to just go crazy setting up gag after gag without having to worry about narrative and all that junk. However, there's also some of the Lewis self-image stuff going on as "Jerry Lewis" checks into the hotel with his entourage. Crazy stuff. There's also that great Milton Berle joke and some random Laurel impersonator going around being hilarious. There's lots of brilliant sight gags like the one with the camera flash and the chair business. I don't know. I'm glad it only runs 70 or so minutes cuz it's hard to take all this randomness but it was still very funny and hell that little dumb moral at the end wasn't very annoying. Good times! I guess I wish it would've been in color and all that cuz I like Lewis in color but whatevz.

★★★

Tropic Thunder (2008)
(Directed by Ben Stiller)

Fun but whatever you know? This is LOUD AND IN YOUR FACE comedy. The concept is cool and some of the jokes are pretty great but there's these really awkward lulls that really should've been taken out (pretty much anything with Tom Cruise--who is the worst part of the movie). Downey Jr. is pretty great and whatever and that Simple Jack shit was hilarious (the first time it was used but not when it's reprised a million times). I don't know. I feel it should've been funnier than it was considering the talent involved (and how great Zoolander is ). Bust-Ass is also wasted which is just a crime...

Horrible ending as well.

★★1/2

Jhon's Movie of the Week is... The Shop Around The Corner