December 28, 2015 – January 3, 2016
Monday, December 28, 2015
1) The Room (2003)
Why I watched: Included in a list of the worst films.
Impression: Johnny’s (Tommy Wiseau) fiancée Lisa seduces his best friend, Mark (Greg Sestero), intending to use Johnny for financial support while continuing the affair.
When Johnny’s future prospects deteriorate, Lisa coldly tells him about the affair at his surprise birthday party. He reacts poorly, destroying their apartment before killing himself.
As bad as advertised, the film’s nonsensical inconsistencies are legendary. In one memorable scene, Johnny and several friends play football in tuxedos, for no apparent reason. Mark sports a beard in the first half of the film, only to suddenly appear clean-shaven in the final act. According to Sestero, this was only so Tommy could call him “Babyface.”
In an early, inexplicable scene, Lisa’s mother announces a breast cancer diagnosis. Lisa responds with a non sequitur about her relationship with Johnny and the film never mentions it again.
This uncomfortable vanity project by writer, director, and producer Tommy Wiseau is schlocky and poorly made, like the “film” your adolescent nephew made and forced you to watch. The only saving grace is the film’s earnestness.
2 stars.
2) Troll 2 (1990)
Why I watched: Included in a list of the worst films ever made.
Impression: Michael arranges a home exchange vacation so he can fulfill his long time dream of being a farmer. His dead father, Seth, contacts his son, Joshua, to warn him vegetarian goblins are planning to transform the family into plants by feeding them poisoned food, then eat them.
After contacting grandpa’s ghost in a séance, the surviving members of the family receive a secret weapon to defeat the goblins: “a double-decker baloney sandwich.”
Far from a happy conclusion to their unfortunate travails, the film ends with Joshua’s mother inadvertently eating goblin food and transforming into a ripe vegetable.
This gross and pointless film was originally titled Goblins, but renamed Troll 2 to cash in on the supposed popularity of Troll; it reminds me of an inferior knockoff of the abysmal The Garbage Pail Kids.
1 ½ star
3) Vagabond (1985)
Why I watched: Included in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die.
Impression: Full of existential angst, Mona abandons her comfortable life working in a Parisian office to wander the French countryside.
During her brief sojourn as a vagabond, she encounters several odd characters, including a family of goat farmers and a jealous maid.
Ironically, as she pursues her spiritual health, her body deteriorates; she dies an anonymous, lonely death.
Choosing to begin with the discovery of Mona’s frozen corpse removes suspense and prevents viewers from engaging in her journey. The mixture of narrative fiction and faux-documentary interviews is well-executed, but the film feels hollow and perfunctory, like director Agnes Varda made a film glorifying a gypsy lifestyle because she felt guilty of her own commercial success.
Is the film suggesting modern life is not worth living, or the trade off for a comfort is an inauthentic existence? Can we have physical comfort and spiritual satisfaction, or are the two mutually exclusive?
I prefer Varda’s later return to the world of simple survival in The Gleaners and I.
2 stars.
4) Steve Jobs (2015)
Why I watched: I’m fascinated by Jobs and Fassbender was nominated for a Golden Globe.
Impression: Steve Jobs is one of a handful of titans in the Information Revolution, who have come to represent the 21st century in the same way Thomas Edison, John Rockefeller, and Henry Ford represented the Industrial Revolution.
Many praise him as a genius, while others deride him as a cold-hearted opportunist. He was infamously fired from his own company because of his unwillingness to compromise, only to return and bring Apple to unprecedented heights. His epic failures and even larger success are the epitome of the American Hero.
Aaron Sorkin’s brilliant script uses three of his product launches (Macintosh, NeXT, and the iMac G3) to dramatize Jobs’s incredible life. Basing it around the launches was a masterstroke. The rush of a deadline, the pressure to perform, and Jobs’s demanding standards produce a rich dramatic atmosphere. Between this and The Social Network, Sorkin has become the unofficial chronicler of the Internet Age.
The casting was impeccable. I loved Rogen as Steve Wozniak, Jobs’s partner / second banana. Kate Winslett was endearing as Joanna Hoffman, his work wife and confidante. Jeff Daniels has gotten better with age, carrying himself with a gravitas not present in his early performances. His work as Jobs’s reluctant foil, John Sculley, keeps the film from becoming too one-sided.
The film excels because of the outstanding, central performance of Michael Fassbender. While the difficulty in portraying an iconic figure cannot be overstated, he managed to avoid caricature or mimicry.
Danny Boyle’s film did a fantastic job evoking our recent history and documenting a vanishing species, an enigmatic and mysterious public figure in a world where privacy is increasingly a relic of the past.
4 ½ stars.
Tuesday, December 29, 2015
5) Faces (1968)
Why I watched: Included in the National Film Registry and in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die.
Impression: The long marriage of Richard and Maria Frost ends when he suddenly asks for a divorce. Richard spends the evening with his businessmen friends and a prostitute, while Maria and her friends pick up a flirtatious playboy.
Seymour Cassell is excellent as Richard and Gena Rowlands is sublime in a supporting role.
John Cassavettes’s films are often uncomfortably raw, willing to expose and explore emotions few other filmmakers will touch. Turning his unflinching eye towards married life in the mid twentieth century, he shows us a frenetic, desperate attempt to find meaning and suggests happiness is an impossible to achieve illusion. Our protective public faces mask the fear we experience as we stare into the abyss.
3 ½ stars.
6) Indecent Proposal (1993)
Why I watched: Jamie Porter’s Pick of the Week.
Impression: Married couple David and Diana Murphy (Woody Harrelson and Demi Moore) go to Vegas in a last-ditch effort to solve their financial problems. They lose everything, but are given a reprieve when fellow gambler, billionaire John Gage (Robert Redford), makes the desperate couple a proposition: one million dollars for a night of passion with Diana.
The pair reluctantly accept the offer, but afterwards their relationship crumbles under the mistrust and jealousy.
Diana begins a legitimate relationship with Gage, but an angry fight with David over the details of their divorce rekindles feelings for her husband.
Redford is mildly appealing, but Diana morphs into a whore too quickly, and David is all too willing to be her pimp. The film’s underlying premise: rich people can buy and sell others is interesting, but the movie is too blunt.
Of the three principal actors, only Redford is immune from overacting. Harrelson (desperate to separate himself from the beloved Woody Boyd) is over the top and unbelievable.
Director Adrian Lynne rose to prominence in the mid 1980s with a series of sexually charged films, frequently hinging on an act of unfaithfulness. The film takes a dim view, arguing love is diminished by the constricting demands of marriage.
We’re supposed to believe the Murphys, high school sweethearts, weren’t able to truly love each other until she spent one night as a whore. If this is what it takes to create a healthy relationship, no wonder the divorce rate is sky-high.
1 ½ stars.
7) Dracula (1958)
Why I watched: Included in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die.
Impression: I like Christopher Lee and had heard wonderful things about his work in Hammer films. This is wonderfully atmospheric, the cast (including Lee, Peter Cushing, and Michael Gough) are excellent. and I enjoyed its renewed emphasis on the British origin of the story.
It’s a clear improvement over the 1931 Bela Lugosi version, but fifty years later, it’s lost some of its power.
3 stars.
8) Charlotte Rampling: The Look (2011)
Why I watched: MUBI’s films of the day.
Impression: I’ve seen a handful of films featuring actress Charlotte Rampling, but she hasn’t been on my radar until recently.
However, her candid discussion of her artistic philosophy and approach to her craft is refreshing and provocative.
I may not have been hyper aware of her before, but I will be paying attention from now on.
4 stars.
9) Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933)
Why I watched: Included in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die.
Impression: Featuring Ruby Keeler, Joan Blondell, and Ginger Rogers, this was a pretty standard film of the period, which produced a large number of films about women seducing wealthy men. Typically, after admitting they’d rather have the relationship, the women get both true love and the money they desired.
In this film, the pedestrian story is a launching pad for the lavish Busby Berkeley musical numbers.
“We’re in the Money” is a delightful song and an energetic opening number.
“Pettin’ in the Park” is a surreal sequence involving a free roaming child (played by dwarf actor Billy Barty). After the dancers get wet, they go behind a backlit screen where they suggestively change clothes, emerging in metal costumes which thwart the advances of their male paramours, until the child gives them a can opener.
“The Shadow Waltz” is a visual feast as dancers perform around neon violins.
The final number, “Remember My Forgotten Man,” is a less impressive homage to depression era poverty.
The film is forgettable, but the musicals segments are top-notch.
3 stars.
Wednesday, December 30, 2015
10) Mac and Me (1988)
Why I watched: Included in a list of the worst movies.
Impression: This is a poor man’s E.T. Sadly, Stewart Ralfill is not nearly as talented as Steven Spielberg, and the “special effects” are anything but.
The extended and persistent product placement culminates in a weird, impromptu dance session at the local Mickey Ds.
The only reason to watch is to see a very young Jennifer Anniston. It’s comforting to know everyone starts at the bottom.
1 star.
11) The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996)
Impression: When Edward Douglas (David Thewlis) survives a plane crash in the Pacific, he’s rescued by Montgomery (Val Kilmer) who takes him to Moreau’s Island.
Renowned scientist Dr. Moreau (Brando) retreated to the remote island to conduct his controversial experiments creating human / animal hybrids away from prying eyes and government regulations.
Douglas’s arrival brings chaos and confusion, eventually causing a rebellion against the tyrannical Moreau.
Ron Perlman (who would later achieve greater fame as Hellboy and Clay Morrow) is excellent as the Sayer of the Law, a blind goat hybrid who becomes a religious leader for the failed creations, and it’s nice to see Faizura Balk (who I remember fondly from Return to Oz).
After original director Richard Stanley was fired, John Frankenheimer agreed to finish the picture for a chance to work with Brando. However, the legendary actor had become a semi-recluse and Kilmer was extremely difficult.
The finished product bears the weight of the troubled production. It feels disjointed and the semi-romance between Aissa and Douglas was unnecessary and gratuitous.
I like where it was going, but it never got there.
2 stars.
12) Love & Mercy (2014)
Why I watched: Paul Dano was nominated for a Golden Globe for his performance.
Impression: Shortly after the release of The Beach Boys’s seminal album Pet Sounds, Brian Wilson suffered a nervous breakdown and began a long-term relationship with Dr. Eugene Landy (Paul Giamatti). Landy’s questionable tactics resulted in Wilson lying alone in bed for years.
The film tells the story of his life in two interwoven parts. In one part we see Wilson (Paul Dano) as he discovers his genius, culminating in his breakdown.
The other part features an older Wilson (John Cusack) escaping the tyranny of Landy through a romance with car salesman Melinda Ledbetter (Elizabeth Banks).
Cusack is good as the older Wilson. Banks is fine as Ledbetter. Giamatti overacts and the one-dimensional character keeps the film from reaching its potential. The reason to watch is Dano’s exceptional performance as the boy wonder whose brain is so fast, he can’t communicate his thoughts to those around him.
The older portion (set in the 1980s) relies on cliches, while the brilliant younger half (set in the 1960s) is a harrowing tale of misunderstood genius.
3 ½ stars.
Thursday, December 31, 2015
13) A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence (2014)
Why I watched: Included in Variety’s list of the best films of the first half of 2015.
Impression: Two novelty salesman sell their wares and eke out a meager existence.
Like much of Roy Andersson’s work, the film doesn’t follow a cohesive narrative, instead functioning as an examination of life in the 21st century.
The title comes from a student within the film who explains his impression of the 16th century painting The Hunters in the Snow.
Highlighting the absurdity of life, Andersson’s films are a continuation of the work of twentieth century playwright Samuel Beckett.
3 ½ stars.
14) Mondo Cane (1962)
Why I watched: Included in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die.
Impression: Manhunting in New Guinea, a pet cemetery in California, dogs butchered for their meat in Taipei, chicks painted for Easter, geese force-fed to create the perfect foie-gras, ritualistic painting of the dead in Macao, the artistic process of avant-garde artist Yves Klein, soldiers dressing up in women’s clothing as a rite of passage, bull running.
This film demonstrates the diversity of life on earth by highlighting little known cultural practices.
Many of the scenes are graphic and uncomfortable. That’s the point. The film is a primer in cultural relativism, meant to shock Western audiences out of their position of moral superiority.
It’s fascinating film, but not as enlightening as it thinks it is.
3 stars.
15) The Big Short (2015)
Why I watched: It was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Comedy Film.
Impression: Everyone remembers the financial crisis which temporarily suspended the 2008 President election and caused millions of Americans to lose their life savings.
We’ve seen documentaries and news reports and understand it was somehow related to ill-advised home loans. What we didn’t know is several individuals understood the structural inadequacies in the housing sector, foresaw the impending disaster, and bet against the market. While the majority of people lost their savings and retirement, these guys made a fortune.
This film is another indictment of the greedy, unscrupulous tactics which crippled the economy, leaving the less fortunate holding the bag. What sets this film apart from the glut of other films dealing with 21st century financial malfeasance are the series of short segments featuring well-known celebrities (Selena Gomez at a craps table with a Nobel laureate, Margot Robbie in a bubble bath, and Anthony Bourdain at work in a kitchen) elucidating difficult economic principles. Director Adam McKay’s experience with short comedy films on Funny or Die taught him how to present information in short segments and make it captivating.
This film was marketed as a comedy, but this undersells the film’s power. It’s not funny as much as infuriating that so many people profited from, and remain unaccountable for, their unethical tactics.
3 ½ stars.
Friday, January 1,2016
16) Bessie (2015)
Why I watched: Queen Latifah was nominated for a Golden Globe.
Impression: Despite her prodigious talent, early twentieth century blues singer Bessie Smith (Queen Latifah) contended with racism and discrimination because of her sexual proclivities.
Latifah is engaging and Mo’Nique is great as Bessie’s fellow trailblazer Ma Rainey. I enjoyed Michael K. Williams work as Bessie’s husband Jack Gee.
However, the film was formulaic and failed to provide a well-rounded picture of Smith’s considerable contributions.
It would have been better in a longer format. Because they tried to cram her entire life into two hours, it never developed a rhythm.
1 ½ stars.
17) The Danish Girl (2015)
Why I watched: Eddie Redmayne and Alicia Vikander were nominated for Golden Globes.
Impression: When artist Gerda Wegener (Alicia Vikander) asks her husband Einar (Eddie Redmayne) to pose as a female model, it unleashes previously suppressed desires, and he slowly reveals more of his female persona, Lili, to his wife.
After several psychiatrists try unsuccessfully to “cure” him, sympathetic doctor Kurt Warnekros agrees to perform an experimental surgery to permanently transform Einar into Lili.
Desperate to complete the transition, Lili ill-advisedly rushes into the second procedure and dies.
Redmayne is convincing, but the movie does no favors for the transgender movement. Rather than a sympathetic character, Lili comes across as incredibly selfish, while Gerda is a wonderful, supportive spouse whose reaction to her husband’s identity crisis is kind and progressive. Determined to leave his old life behind, Einar responds to her kindness with cruelty.
The film pandered and felt like an attempt to cash in on the moment du jour. I enjoy the nuance of Amazon’s Transparent, which captures the uncertain and conflicting emotions associated with transgender issues, unfortunately Einar felt like a whiny individual who couldn’t get what he wanted.
3 stars.
Saturday, January 2, 2016
18) Poison (1991)
Why I watched: MUBI’s film of the day.
Impression: Todd Haynes’s debut is a mess. He unsuccessfully attempts to weave three stories together to create a panorama of identity and sexuality.
Haynes has given us a few masterpieces, including Safe, Far from Heaven, and I’m Not There. This is not one of them.
1 star.
19) Concussion (2015)
Why I watched: Will Smith was nominated for a Golden Globe.
Impression: After forensic pathologist Dr. Bennet Omalu (Will Smith) examines the body of former Pittsburgh Steeler Mike Webster, he believes Webster’s erratic behavior and suicide were the result of damage done to his brain during his playing career. Over a period of several years, Omalu investigates the deaths of several former NFL players and confirms his hypothesis.
His published findings encounter stiff resistance from the NFL. The billion dollar business uses every weapon at its disposal to discredit Omalu’s discovery.
The NFL’s attempt to stonewall are thwarted when former player and NFL Players Association executive Dave Duerson commits suicide, leaves a note about his ongoing cognitive problems, and donates his brain to Omalu’s research.
Smith is very good as the single-minded doctor and Albert Brooks is excellent as Omalu’s mentor, Cyril Wecht. This brave film implicitly asserts fans’s complicity in the deaths of Mike Webster, Andre Waters, and Junior Seau, among others. We cheered as they hurled their bodies at each other, and celebrated the deadly big hits on Sportscenter.
I’m sympathetic to the argument the players knew what they were doing. No one was fooled into thinking football was a nonviolent sport. However, the NFL intentionally downplayed the risks and suppressed evidence; they encouraged more violent action in their game, as they simultaneously learned the dangerous consequences.
The NFL ‘s ruthless business tactics have made football one of the most popular and profitable sports in the world, but profit margins and doing the right thing are often at odds. Invariably, businesses and other social institutions will choose the path which will least impact their bottom line, forgoing any responsibility to make the world a better place. Often their justification boils down to a variation of a familiar refrain, “it’s just business.” This rationale is unacceptable. Business is not a realm of life immune from moral considerations.
I love football, but even the most ardent fans and apologists understand the existential threat the NFL’s actions represent. It’s one thing to be unaware of risks, it’s quite another thing to hide and obfuscate them. I hope and pray the people making decisions about the future of the sport are wiling to adapt to the evidence before it’s too late.
3 ½ stars.
Sunday, January 3, 2016
20) Trumbo (2015)
Why I watched: Bryant Cranston and Helen Mirren were nominated for Golden Globe Awards.
Impression: Dalton Trumbo (Bryan Cranston) is a talented mid twentieth century screenwriter, but his membership in the Communist Party irks the power structure of post war Hollywood, including gossip columnist Hedda Hopper (Helen Mirren) and star John Wayne.
When Trumbo and other left-leaning screenwriters defiantly refuse to answer questions before the House Un-American Activities Committee, it ignites a political controversy.
After serving time in prison, the Hollywood Ten are blacklisted. Trumbo arranges a series of fronts and false identities to keep working and support his family, using his friend Ian McLellan Hunter to sell the screenplay for Roman Holiday (which would eventually win an Oscar).
After a decade toiling under various pseudonyms (and winning a second anonymous Academy Award), Trumbo convinces Kirk Douglas and Otto Preminger to publicly give him screenplay credit for their respective 1960 films, Spartacus and Exodus.
A genius writer, the narcissistic and confrontational Trumbo was a horrible father and husband. The movie makes clear his priorities were 1) his politics, 2) his work, 3) his legacy, 4) his family.
Edward G. Robinson was friends with the Ten, but when called to testify, he capitulated. The film embellishes his relationship and role within the group to serve as a counterpoint to Trumbo’s resolve.
Crantson is (as usual) excellent; Mirren is fantastic; it was delightful seeing John Goodman as b-movie producer Frank King, especially in the scene where he makes it clear he won’t be intimidated; and Louis C.K. does a fine job in his ongoing transition to dramatic actor.
However, the film should have humanized the other side, giving us a chance to see what motivated people like Wayne and Hopper to behave the way they did. It comes close in a scene where Hopper discusses her son’s service in the Korean conflict, but pulls back because the movie is so invested in Trumbo’s position as the only legitimate one, it can’t afford any sympathy towards the opposition. The film’s political message overshadows everything else which limits the film’s power.
3 stars.
Best movie I saw this week: Steve Jobs (2015)
Worst movie I saw this week: Poison (1991)