9/20/09

My Week in Film (9/14 - 9/20)



Metropolitan (1990)
(Directed by Whit Stillman)

Such a sweet and funny movie. I really shouldn't like it cuz it's about a bunch of snooty white new york boring people, but they kind of came alive to me when I started realizing the ways in which this little corner of the world that's theirs is totally ridiculous. It also reminded me of Eyes Wide Shut in that it doesn't really feel real (and there's the way Whitman fades between scenes sometimes making his direction seem so fucking smooth and gentle). Of course, Eigeman is hilarious and all that. But I really found my way in with Audrey's character who's just so sweet and cute and all that stuff and that one red-hair dude's douche blatherings (that hurt her) who is all against this type of preppy nonsense. Probably my favorite part is near the end when they go on the rescue and they're talking near the beach and that one dude with glasses shows up in between them and he just stands there smiling. I should watch more of this man's movies.

★★★1/2




Barcelona (1994)
(Directed by Whit Stillman)

So funny. I guess the whole thing is like an antidote to other ridiculousness. It all goes down so smooth and easy and the talk and charm of the actor/characters makes it all that much more appealing. Basically, we follow two cousins who are in Spain. One of them strives to be a better, more decent person while the other one just wants to have a good time while defending America abroad. That his defense of America seems extremely reflexive and off-handed doesn't matter. People are insulting his country, he's gotta do something. The undercurrent of anti-American criticism going on in the movie gets handled swiftly although there is a point in the film where you could say things get "serious." And then what's his face goes thru some challenges to his faith or something. I don't know. I got lost in all the miniscule pleasures. It means nothing. It means everything. Hey, it's a Shakespearean comedy or something. Chris Eigeman is hilarious. Those ants!

★★★1/2




Last Days of Disco (1998)
(Directed by Whit Stillman)

This is probably my favorite Stillman film. It's not really all that different from his other ones although maybe they've gotten a little darker now. You got nudity (!), drug use (!) and venereal diseases (gasp!). Whoa! But it's all treated with his wonderful attitude. He takes the piss out of the characters ever so gently but loves them and wants them to do better. There's, of course, the whole trying to sort out what feels right and wrong for you but it's handled a little more frankly in this film than the others and it features what's probably the best cast he put together (WILSON!? WHAT THE FUCK?). Plus the whole end-of-an-era is even more prominent with the whole disco thing. But, anyway, what makes it the best for me is that I absolutely and unabashedly love disco. This is no joke. Seriously.

★★★★




A Thousand Clouds of Peace (2003)
(Directed by Julian Hernandez)

Works more as a mood piece than anything, but even then it's not engaging enough. The cinematography is pretty good. Very self-consciously arty and all that stuff which I don't really have a problem with, just kind of distracting sometimes. It just follows this one dude as he roams the streets of mexico, doing nothing, longing, pining. Once in a while he actually talks to someone but most of the time we just find him sullen, full of perhaps misplaced desire. It also reminded me of A Man Asleep a couple of times in the fact that this young dude's life consists of nothing but these things and there's nothing else (except in here it's love, in there's it's godknowswhat). I couldn't help but be reminded of Happy Together (LOL CUZ IT'S GAY), nah, because of the sort of wandering around going thru life being in pain. But that film is dynamic and poetic while this movie is just sort of repetitive and we gain little to no insight into anything. Hmmm, I'm hoping Broken Sky will be better.

★★1/2




Doctor Bull (1935)
(Directed by John Ford)

Will Rogers is awesome. It's just a fact of life. He goes around the little town taking care of people, telling them to drink castor oil and once in a while going up the hill to the widow's place for some conversation. But soon enough the town starts talking. They think he's up to no good with the widow, they think he's a pill doctor and that's all he can do, and they're just general gossipy small town folk. Anyway, that's all nice and all and the movie's all nice and all but I'm afraid that's about it. There's little of the visual grace of something like Young Mr. Lincoln and the script for this (and the characterizations) aren't as strong as Judge Priest. So, you just got Will Rogers being awesome and a pretty funny ending to tie you over. It was enough for me, ma. It was enough for me.

★★1/2




The Sun Shines Bright (1953)
(Directed by John Ford)

Ford revisits the townsfolk of Judge Priest 20 years later. Things happen. I suppose it's kind of the same exact movie except this time it's much more pessimistic about the entire thing. It's too bad Will Rogers died back in '35 cuz he's amazing, but Winninger eventually won me over (probably around the time he finds himself in front of the jailhouse). Anyway, yeah, it's a whole lot sadder. In Judge Priest, the judge was much more laidback about the election, but in here the danger of losing is palpable. He goes out and campaigns and shakes hands and all that stuff. But, soon enough, things happen that are beyond his control and he's basically in an impossible situation that will pretty much guarantee his loss in the election. Anyway, that's not really the point. It never is. It's all about these small town events: the attempted lynching, "dixie," the dance, the funeral, the election, that reveal the true heart of the community. The funeral procession is probably the best thing I've seen so far in a Ford film. It's almost completely wordless and it's so goddamn beautiful. And, by the end, damn if I don't love this small town.

★★★1/2

Jhon's Movie of the Week is... Last Days of Disco

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