I mentioned in my previous monthly film summary that I would be returning to University and I had a more positive outlook towards it. There were a few dramas that made this more difficult to maintain than it should have been. To be honest, I actually got so worked up that for about 4 day my mind was never at ease. Fortunately, it appears these dilemmas are working themselves out. I've long maintained my dislike of University and academia and talked about my preference for actual work, but nearing the end, it's really just a matter of sticking with it and reap the best possible benefit. After that I know I'll feel free to pursue different things.
There were some more positive aspects to March. I picked up more hours at work, which allowed me to put away a little more for the savings account. My friends and I committed ourselves to socialising in a way that fit all our schedules. Two birthdays, including my own, were celebrated with some Korean and Japanese food respectively. Best of all, my friend circle and I began to talk about some of the details of our planned holidays to New Zealand and the United States.
A combination of busyness and anxiety meant that I would only end up watching 14 movies with episodes of Hannibal and Game of Thrones spread out across the same time span. I desperately need to continue with my re-watches and reviews of the Star Wars films and other writing goals on this blog, but late is better than never.
1. Seven Days in May (1964) – 8/10
A Colonel uncovers a military plot to overthrow the
United States government in the wake of an unpopular President’s plan to make a
nuclear disarmament deal with the Soviets. ‘Seven Days of May’ is a different
kind of Cold War-era political thriller, with villains who are not communists,
spies or foreign enemies, but rather Americans gearing up to do away with the
system they’re obliged to uphold. Even in 2016, the question of its relevance
is up for debate and even more so the question of whether or not such a thing
in possible in the current political climate. While the plot does have its
areas of complication that are dependent on understandings of the military,
legislative and executive structures that make up the USA, it remains
consistently tight and fast-paced. Elements of paranoia and uncertainty
alongside its rousing dialogue and stellar cast led by Kirk Douglas, Burt
Lancaster, Fredric March and Ava Gardner make ‘Seven Days of May’ both riveting
and thought-provoking.
2. Only Yesterday
(1991) – 8/10
A young woman travels to the countryside to escape from
the chaos of the city and experiences both a re-evaluation of her own life and
her childhood in Tokyo. ‘Only Yesterday’ is among Studio Ghibli’s more personal
films. It’s not a grand fantasy focused on the creation of new worlds and
playing on the laws of reality, but rather a simple drama about how much life
can change. The story moves very smoothly between 1982 and 1966 dependent on
specific cues, and while it doesn’t have a structure where prior scenes have as
much influence of future scenes it does have the benefit of exploring its
themes freer of any possible story restrictions. Taeko’s experiences may
specifically be hers, but the process of growing up and changing as a result of
them is universal. The best thing about ‘Only Yesterday’ that I took home was
its insistence that the past is the past, and that you can take control of your
own future through choices irrespective of what’s already happened. I know I’ll
be rolling this around in my head for a while.
3. Cabaret (1972) – 7.5/10
During the final days of the Weimar Republic, a cabaret
performer romances two men during her pursuit for stardom. Loosely based on
Broadway show of the same name, ‘Cabaret’ is incredibly stylish and quite
unusually addresses the bigger issues separately from the dramas of its main
characters. One who expects ‘Cabaret’ to be an examination of societal changes
in 1930s Germany will be surely confused, with its real focus on personal
dilemmas. The film deals with issues of careers, success, love and fitting in
with societal norms in the context of the turbulent Weimar period. Its musical
numbers on stage, while arguably adding an unnecessary amount of runtime to a
story that could do without them, are incredibly provocative and finely
performed by its lead, Liza Minnelli and others. These scenes offer the
greatest benefit to the overall movie in a thematic sense, encapsulating all
the hedonism and hope of the time that would in a few years be stamped out by
the Nazis.
4. Friday (1995) –
8.5/10
Two buddies in South Central Los Angeles spend one Friday
hanging out on a porch, figuring out how to pay back money owed to a drug
dealer and take part in various antics around their neighbourhood. ‘Friday’
might often lack a logical cause-and-effect plot and delves into random
scenarios constantly, but at its heart is an amusing tale of friendship and
responsibility in one of the more neglected parts of American society. It’s a strange
case where an atypical structure works to great effect and makes room for what
it really wants to say. Messages over assuming adulthood and ‘becoming a man’
are virtually omnipresent and explored in a way that’s usually hilarious, but
dramatic in its finality. The relationship between Craig and Smokey (Ice Cube
and Chris Tucker) really makes the film. With their comedic chemistry and
contrasting personality traits aside, how each individual reacts to certain
situations and affects the other is an ongoing point of interest. ‘Friday’ is
essentially Blaxploitation meets the stoner comedy in the form of a satire of
poor black neighbourhoods and has the best of both of those worlds.
5. The Crazies
(1973) – 8/10
A manmade virus that turns people violently insane
infects a small town, leading to a military quarantine and a rebellion among
the locals. George A. Romero proves, like he has many times before, that idea
is paramount in any film production. ‘The Crazies’ is one of those movies where
location and numerous chains of events become a greater focus over character
and it doesn’t end up damaging the experience. It’s cheap, often trashy and
makes no apologies for that fact. Despite a very forgettable cast, the film
benefits from an element of mystery and an ongoing spur of audiences’
questioning. In doing so, ‘The Crazies’ becomes somewhat realized in its
criticism of American militarism and the use of unconventional weaponry. Its
high concept premise and Romero’s recognizable style makes way for regular uses
of violence, which realistically is where the fusion of horror, action and
sci-fi is able to fully excel.
6. Bridge of Spies
(2015) – 8.5/10
After defending a captured spy, an American lawyer
travels to Berlin and engages with the Eastern bloc to facilitate the return of
a U2 pilot detained in the USSR. Steven Spielberg has always had an amazing
ability in his storytelling variety, with a platter that ranges from classical
escapism, gripping real-life drama and ventures into the unknown. ‘Bridge of Spies’ carries on in the spirit of
historical drama much like his previous film ‘Lincoln’ and might even be
better. It’s a fitting political thriller for the 21st century that
captures the uncertainties and absolute distrust that imbued the Cold War. It
would seem the film has a real brutal honesty over the state of affairs in the
world of the time and recognises the minimal power held by individual people
across the spectrum. Tom Hanks’ performance as Donovan is characterised by a
humanist attitude that transcends the boundaries in thought imposed by both
American values and Soviet communism. The mood of the film owes very much to
its gentle score and cinematographic emphasis on shadows, both of which work to
pass the feelings of paranoia and the depressive realities of a divided world
on to its audience.
7. Ballad of a
Soldier (1959) – 8/10
During the Great Patriotic War, a young Russian soldier
earns a medal for his heroic efforts but asks for leave to visit his mother
instead, encountering different forms of love on his journey. I think that to
talk about ‘Ballad of a Soldier’ as a war film almost does a disservice to what
it really has to offer. It occupies a special place in the history of war
movies and Soviet cinema, and the universality of its small tale makes it
difficult for me to class it as anything specific. The kinds of love depicted
throughout the film, family, romantic and platonic friendship are explored in
the context of total war in Russia. The final result is a film that’s one-part
tragic, one-part uplifting and 100% genuine in its potential to trigger
emotional responses from the audience. All these moods are subject to
compliment by an ambiguous soundtrack and alluring black and white images.
8. Pumpkinhead
(1988) – 7.5/10
Following the accidental death of his son at the hands of
a group of city kids, a storeowner from the countryside summons a vengeance
demon that was previously believed to be a myth. ‘Pumpkinhead’ is cheap and
often looks very dated, but in a surprising way that fact lends itself to
drawing attention to the film’s qualities that likely appeal to genre fans. The
story essentially takes advantage of urban legends and fatherly love to explain
the clash of cultures between city people and the southern poor in America. It
doesn’t do so in an intelligent way and resorts to goofy horror clichés and
supernatural violence sooner rather than later, but ultimately still turns out
to be a moderately fun film. Although it often looks very under-budget, its use
of practical effects in its monster, violence and mise-en-scène (the constant
fog is wonderful!) provides a spookiness reminiscent of a 1930s Universal
monster film.
9. Tomorrowland
(2015) – 7.5/10
A scientifically-inquisitive teen and a former boy genius
are bound together on a quest to reach a mysterious, futuristic metropolis that
they know as ‘Tomorrowland’ and find a connection between it and their own
world. The hugely anticipated film based on the famed Disneyland attraction is
at times very impressive, but very underwhelming at the same time. In regard to
forward-thinking idealism and pure spectacle, it’s both very ambitious and
successful. It finds a great balance between mystery and technological imagination
that makes great use of modern effects, creative sets and regularly refers
between its titular world and our own. Where it falls short is in character. It
seems that initially it was working towards great arcs for Casey, Athena and
Frank, but loses itself in the puzzle of its own creativity. The finale leaves
you feeling that ‘Tomorrowland’ had seemingly endless potential, but focused
more on premise and the actual creation of this world rather than on the
characters in it and the experiences they have. It’s exciting, but often very
hollow too.
10. High Plains
Drifter (1973) – 8/10
A gun-fighting stranger rides into the small town of Lago
and becomes their protector when it’s learned that outlaws from the past are on
their way to pursue vengeance, all the while making a few enemies himself. The
second feature film directed by Clint Eastwood is a fine western that makes a
few throwbacks to his work with Sergio Leone in the Dollars trilogy and his
action films with Don Siegel. Personally I think it still pales to some of his
later directorial work with the genre, but it does have an admirable quality in
testing how you’re feeling about the main unnamed character. The marvellous
incorporation of heroic and straight-out villainous traits makes for a Western
anti-hero that stands out from Eastwood’s other roles. The supernatural
component of the film is subtle enough to be haunting, and overt enough for
thematic strength, and is complimented greatly by its varied cinematography and
occasionally haunting soundtrack.
11. Cinderella
(1950) – 8/10
A young woman reduced to a being a scullery maid for her
cruel stepmother and stepsisters finds a chance for love and happiness in
attending the Royal Ball. ‘Cinderella’ remains one of the most renowned Disney
productions of all time, and has become a fable that all children learn whether
or not they actually see the film itself. The cost of that is there’s zero
element of surprise watching this as an adult, and oddly enough it still turns
out very well when compared against other Disney movies. At its core, it’s a
very simplistic tale of a damsel searching for true love with a handsome prince
in a very classic fairy tale manner. What I really enjoyed about it is how
smoothly it flows. The titular character, although plain and frankly a bit
helpless is a likable person to throw your sympathies behind. The musical
numbers provide the cheeriness essential to any family film without being
overbearing. My favourite aspect of ‘Cinderella’ is its humour demonstrated
through its animal supporting characters. If there’s anything I’d extend the
short length for, it’s that.
12. Oblivion
(2013) – 7/10
After the Earth is left mostly uninhabitable following a
war with an alien race, a man tasked with collecting the leftover natural resources
discovers a shocking truth about his mission and who he is. Visually ‘Oblivion’
is fantastic and provides an impressive depiction of the planet in a
post-nuclear future, but beyond that everything else is two-dimensional and
only gripping enough for me to label it a decent way to pass a few hours. Tom
Cruise is well suited to the performance of Jack Harper, but the exploration of
this character is too obscured by the film’s preferred focus on establishing
the rules of this fictional world. The experience of watching it is made ever
more thrilling by a few twists that provoke even more questions, but the
initial excitement offered by this finds itself replaced by typical patterns of
sci-fi and post-apocalyptic story-telling seen in far better genre examples.
These range from moderately effective to goofy and plain uninvesting. While the
film benefits from its performances and special effects wizardry, the script
needs more to keep it moving.
13. Nightcrawler
(2014) – 8.5/10
A young and penniless man takes up a career as a
freelance crime journalist, and finds exceeding legal and moral boundaries
benefits his business, all the while jeopardizing those around him.
‘Nightcrawler’ has a thrilling, near-disturbing quality that’s only paralleled
by its satire and commentary on the media. It takes the instability of the
sociopathic mind and imposes it alongside news sensationalism and the more
wicked aspects of passion and ambition. I’ll argue that Louis Bloom is one of
Jake Gyllenhaal’s all-time best performances. The character study is a textbook
depiction of sociopathy. The utter disregard for ethics, the manipulation of
others and the uncompromising obsession he has over his work is not only
terrifying, but rockets both the plot and audience expectations into
unexpectedly dark territory. The film’s other greater trait however is in its
ideas towards media and violence, and its criticisms of the audience’s fixation
on the real horrors of the world as a form of entertainment. Both of these
fantastic qualities are amplified by a constant barrage of dark, carefully
toned images and they make ‘Nightcrawler’ a riveting thriller.
14. The Delicate
Delinquent (1957) – 8/10
A clumsy janitor meets a policeman that sees him as a
potential delinquent, and undertakes officer training to make something of himself
while his own nature makes that all the more difficult. There’s always
something charming about these 50s/60s Jerry Lewis comedies. They don’t aim to
achieve much more than a few laughs from the audience and to spread a positive
message, and concentrate all their efforts to that. ‘The Delicate Delinquent’
is Lewis’ first performance without long-time comic partner Dean Martin, and
accounts for the actor-comedian’s independent talents. While its humour is far
from what one would deem intelligent, and relies largely on physical gags, I
think the heart of the film is rooted elsewhere. When it’s not working to make
us laugh, it’s a sound cinematic depiction of the issue of juvenile delinquency
in the conservative 1950s environment. It tells people to apply to achieve, and
is ultimately very positive.
My Top 10 Films for March 2016
1. Bridge of Spies
2. Friday
3. Nightcrawler
4. Ballad of a Soldier
5. Seven Days in May
6. Only Yesterday
7. The Crazies
8. High Plains Drifter
9. The Delicate Delinquent
10. Cinderella
Weakest Film: Oblivion
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