Reposted as it didn't seem to be viewable before. Should go - chronologically - before the rewatch of Fantastic Mr Fox.
dir. Douglas Sirk
USA, 1956
On New Year's day,
we - film club - watched five films in a row, with just a break for
dinner. This was the first, after we'd all loved All That Heaven Allows (1955).
This
was even more melodramatic, if possible. More lurid, and the acting
more extravagant. Rock Hudson was in this one too, though he was a more
conventional guy here - not the Waldenite in the earlier film. His pal's
sister was a great baddy, and while there weren't as many great scenes
or memorable moments as in All That Heaven Allows, there was a marvellously edited scene featuring this sister dancing as someone else dies:
The
setting - the Texas oil fields, a rich family - and the melodrama made
me wonder if this wasn't a key precursor to the TV soap Dallas.
Saturday 26 January 2013
Classe Tous Risques
dir. Claude Sautet
France, 1960
One of those great French gangster films from the postwar era. Stars Jean-Paul Belmondo as a very smiley semi-gangster, helping out full-on gangster Lino Ventura (who always plays these roles and always does it amazingly) when he goes on the run with his two young kids. What's so great about the French gangster film, especially of this period, is the layer of existential dread that lies underneath the subject matter - in this film, Ventura's character is at his most powerful and happiest at the start of the film, and from then on it's downhill. I can't remember what other Ventura film I saw in which he plays a gangster on the run (or was it someone from the resistance?) but the scenes where he's alone in a dull room in a boarding house, hiding out from the world, not leaving his room were almost carbon copies of whatever that other film was. They verge on iconic. The human - ie: dull, lonely - side of being a career criminal.
France, 1960
One of those great French gangster films from the postwar era. Stars Jean-Paul Belmondo as a very smiley semi-gangster, helping out full-on gangster Lino Ventura (who always plays these roles and always does it amazingly) when he goes on the run with his two young kids. What's so great about the French gangster film, especially of this period, is the layer of existential dread that lies underneath the subject matter - in this film, Ventura's character is at his most powerful and happiest at the start of the film, and from then on it's downhill. I can't remember what other Ventura film I saw in which he plays a gangster on the run (or was it someone from the resistance?) but the scenes where he's alone in a dull room in a boarding house, hiding out from the world, not leaving his room were almost carbon copies of whatever that other film was. They verge on iconic. The human - ie: dull, lonely - side of being a career criminal.
Hara-Kiri
dir. Masaki Kobayashi
Japan, 1962
A patient sort-of detective film - repeated stories, changed slightly, parallels between present and future. Restrained, so that the violence seems worse than it is. Very well composed.
Japan, 1962
A patient sort-of detective film - repeated stories, changed slightly, parallels between present and future. Restrained, so that the violence seems worse than it is. Very well composed.
To Catch a Thief
dir. Alfred Hitchcock
USA, 1955
Perfect Christmas film. As Al put it: Cary Grant, Grace Kelly, jewel thieves, the Mediterranean.
USA, 1955
Perfect Christmas film. As Al put it: Cary Grant, Grace Kelly, jewel thieves, the Mediterranean.
Attack the Block
dir. Joe Cornish
UK, 2011
Best film of the day by far - did what it set out to do perfectly, and is subtly and powerfully political at the same time. 5 stars totally.
UK, 2011
Best film of the day by far - did what it set out to do perfectly, and is subtly and powerfully political at the same time. 5 stars totally.
Date Night
dir. Shawn Levy
USA, 2010
First post-dinner film. Competent - Tina Fey and Steve Carrell are good actors regardless of the film - but the script could've been better and it never really lifted off, despite having a supporting cast that included Mark Wahlberg (who is good when rightly cast) and James Franco.
USA, 2010
First post-dinner film. Competent - Tina Fey and Steve Carrell are good actors regardless of the film - but the script could've been better and it never really lifted off, despite having a supporting cast that included Mark Wahlberg (who is good when rightly cast) and James Franco.
Up
dir. Pete Docter
USA, 2009
Strange, strange film. Not sure the animation style did it any favours. I kept thinking that the visual imagination cried out for a live-action film - the balloons and the house would've been rendered so much better that way. When it got into the parallel world or whatever it is I lost interest. The real heart of the film seemed to have been abandoned - the man missing his wife and the city's and the developers' threats to his house.
USA, 2009
Strange, strange film. Not sure the animation style did it any favours. I kept thinking that the visual imagination cried out for a live-action film - the balloons and the house would've been rendered so much better that way. When it got into the parallel world or whatever it is I lost interest. The real heart of the film seemed to have been abandoned - the man missing his wife and the city's and the developers' threats to his house.
Rewatch: The Fantastic Mr Fox
dir. Wes Anderson
USA, 20-
I didn't have good memories of this, but it was on TV so we watched it. Much better than I remembered, although I still wouldn't say it was great.
USA, 20-
I didn't have good memories of this, but it was on TV so we watched it. Much better than I remembered, although I still wouldn't say it was great.
Written On The Wind
dir. Douglas Sirk
USA, 1956
On New Year's day, we - film club - watched five films in a row, with just a break for dinner. This was the first, after we'd all loved All That Heaven Allows (1955).
This was even more melodramatic, if possible. More lurid, and the acting more extravagant. Rock Hudson was in this one too, though he was a more conventional guy here - not the Waldenite in the earlier film. His pal's sister was a great baddy, and while there weren't as many great scenes or memorable moments as in All That Heaven Allows, there was a marvellously edited scene featuring this sister dancing as someone else dies:
The setting - the Texas oil fields, a rich family - and the melodrama made me wonder if this wasn't a key precursor to the TV soap Dallas.
USA, 1956
On New Year's day, we - film club - watched five films in a row, with just a break for dinner. This was the first, after we'd all loved All That Heaven Allows (1955).
This was even more melodramatic, if possible. More lurid, and the acting more extravagant. Rock Hudson was in this one too, though he was a more conventional guy here - not the Waldenite in the earlier film. His pal's sister was a great baddy, and while there weren't as many great scenes or memorable moments as in All That Heaven Allows, there was a marvellously edited scene featuring this sister dancing as someone else dies:
The setting - the Texas oil fields, a rich family - and the melodrama made me wonder if this wasn't a key precursor to the TV soap Dallas.
Return
I haven't done this for a long time and I regret it, so with the New Year not to far advanced, I'm going to try to update it regularly again.
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