January 11, 2016 – January 17, 2016
Monday, January 11, 2016
1) Bugsy Malone (1976)
Why I watched: In Empire’s top 500 films of all time.
While Fat Sam and his chief rival Dandy Dan fight over control of a speakeasy, boxing promoter Bugsy Malone (Scott Baio) begins a relationship with Blousey Brown, but has to fend off the advances of Fat Sam’s girlfriend, Tallulah (Jodie Foster).
In the end, after all the characters are splurged by custard shooting guns, they put aside their difference and join in a rousing musical number.
It’s surreal to think this playful performance from Foster was in theaters the same year as her legendary performance as a child prostitute in Taxi Driver; while Scott Baio, best remembered for his bland work as the titular Charles in Charge, is surprisingly funny and engaging.
Alan Parker’s gangster musical featuring a cast of children is a bold subversion of the genre and you can see him developing the techniques he’d later use in his masterpiece Pink Floyd’s The Wall.
3 stars.
2) Time Out of Mind (2014)
Why I watched: In a list of the best films of 2015.
After he’s evicted from his apartment, alcoholic George (Richard Gere) bounces from homeless shelter to shelter where myriad rules and cumbersome regulations prevent him from receiving assistance.
Gere is phenomenal and heartbreaking in Owen Moverman’s chilling indictment of the safety nets we rely on to protect our less fortunate and vulnerable. There’s not much net and even less safety.
4 ½ stars.
Tuesday, January 12, 2016
3) Paisan (1946)
Why I watched: Included in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die.
With six vignettes set in Italy during the closing stages of WWII, Roberto Rossellini reminds us of the humanity of our enemy.
A drunk African-American soldier attempts to punish a local Italian boy for stealing his boots until she sees the poor conditions of the boy’s home.
Another American soldier pines for a woman he briefly met six months earlier. While describing the woman to a prostitute, he fails to realize she’s the woman he’s looking for.
While offering refuge to three American chaplains, Roman Catholic monks pray for the salvation of the Protestant and Jewish clergy.
A technicality results in a group of freedom fighters losing Geneva Convention protection. German officers take advantage and execute them, to the dismay of the prisoners of war who fought alongside them.
Without glamorizing war or engaging in hero-worship, this beautiful war film about the stuff around the fighting reminds us our “enemy” is somebody’s father, mother, or brother.
4½ stars.
4) The Pervert’s Guide to Ideology (2012)
Why I watched: MUBI’s film of the day.
Philosopher and psychoanalyst Slavoj Žižek dissects The Searchers, West Side Story, MASH, Taxi Driver, I am Legend, Full Metal Jacket, Titanic, and The Dark Knight among other films, offering his analysis of the cultural and political messages buried inside popular media.
At times, he’s a little obtuse and difficult to understand, but Žižek is fascinating and his insights cast several of my favorite films in a fresh light.
3½ stars.
Wednesday, January 13, 2016
5) Napoleon (1927)
Why I watched: Included in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die.
Abel Gance’s five-hour epic chronicling the life of Napoleon begins with his childhood at a military school and ends with the newly installed Commander-in-Chief of the Army of the Interior leading a successful invasion of Italy.
It details his involvement in the French Revolution and the courtship of his first wife, Josephine de Beauharnais, after her first husband is executed during the Reign of Terror.
Gance originally planned a series of six movies about the master military strategist, but when he realized the enormity of the task, he demurred.
Sadly, distributors cut the film to make it more marketable. The process to restore it to its original length has been long and complicated and produced several different versions, including one from historian Kevin Brownlow and director Francis Ford Coppola.
The film is an awesome document of an extraordinary life. The final beautiful sequence, a treasure of cinema, was filmed with three cameras and intended to be seen on three screens simultaneously in a triptych format, approximating the later widescreen format. It finishes with screens tinted red, white, and blue like the French flag as Napoleon achieves his first major victory.
Bonaparte is a giant of history, but in the United States, his personal life story is still largely unknown, making this film even more important.
4 stars.
6) La Sapienza (2014)
Why I watched: In a list of the best films of 2015.
Award winning architect Alexandre Schmidt travels with his wife Alienor to Italy to study the work of 17th century architect Franceso Borromini.
Through a burgeoning relationship with siblings Goffredo and Lavinia, the Schmidts rediscover their passion for life and each other.
Alexandre and Goffredo’s discussion gave me a greater appreciation for architecture as something more than utilitarian, impacting the way we view and interact with our environment.
Meanwhile, because of Lavinia’s illness and the previous death of Aleinor’s child, their wives discuss the headier topics of death and purpose.
This talky, philosophical film in the vein of The Great Beauty or Museum Hours reminds me of everyone’s favorite college lecture. After watching, your brain feels tired, but you’re invigorated from the discussion.
4½ stars.
7) Psychohydrography (2010)
Why I watched: MUBI’s film of the day.
Combining a series of photographs, Peter Bo Rappmund documents the course of several great rivers and waterways in the US. It’s neat, but way too long.
½ star.
8) Little Big Soldier (2010)
Why I watched: MUBI’s film of the day.
In ancient China, different clans and groups fight for control of the country. After a vicious battle, the only survivors are an older foot soldier who pretended to be dead (Jackie Chan) and an important general from the rival state.
The soldier plans to ransom the opposing general in exchange for his release from the army, but he’s faced with numerous difficulties during his return journey.
Chan’s trademark blend of martial acts and slapstick are on display, but the end carries a surprising emotional weight.
As he’s aged (he’s now in his sixties), Chan has purposefully branched out to more expressive roles and curbed his famous stunt work because of its physically demanding nature.
As the soldier and captor bond during their arduous journey, this fascinating film uses an underappreciated time in Chinese history to remind us of our similarities.
3 stars.
9) Gaby: A True Story (1987)
Why I watched: Norma Aleandro was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Born with cerebral palsy, Gabriel “Gaby” Brimmer defied expectations to become a successful writer and activist. Her relationship with her nurse / caretaker Florencia Morales (Aleandro) was key to her success.
Liv Ullmann and Robert Loggia are Gaby’s kindhearted and patient refugee parents. I love Ullman, but this is one of her weaker performances. Loggia has never gotten the credit he deserves, but he’s forgettable here.
Brimmer’s story is inspirational, but it would have been better as a documentary chronicling her struggle. The film’s gratuitous foray into her sexual awakening is weird and awkward, destroying the rhythm of the film.
It tried to tell too many stories (Brimmer, her parents, and Morales) and never settled on a focal point. Two hours is not enough time to adequately tell this many stories.
3 stars.
Thursday, January 14, 2016
10) World of Tomorrow (2015)
Why I watched: The film was nominated for Best Animated Short at the 88th Academy Awards.
A clone of Emily travels back in time to shows her original a series of horrifying memories of the future and her various vain attempts to find love and meaning in her life.
The short ends with an exhortation for Emily Prime to live her life to the fullest because “now is the envy of all the dead.”
Don Hertzfeldt’s quirky sense of surreal humor more or less predicted Adult Swim and was an underground phenomenon long before Youtube made instant celebrities of idiots with cameras. To a large number of Generation Xers, “my anus is bleeding” or “my spoon is too big,” are cultural touchstones.
Remarkably Hertzfeld has maintained his sensibility, while developing a more mature and disciplined worldview. A hundred years from now, when critics have enough perspective to accurately assess the historical record, he’ll stand alongside Dali, and Beckett as important explorers of the absurdity of life.
3 ½ stars.
11) The Golden Coach (1952)
Why I watched: Included in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die.
The governor of an 18th century Peruvian town imports an expensive golden coach to give to his mistress.
When an Italian comedy troupe arrives on the same boat as the coach, the governor falls in love with Camilla, the female star of the show, and vies for her affection with local bullfighter, Ramon, and a lackey of the comedy troupe, Felipe.
Director Jean Renoir is adept at subtle comedy of manners, but this movie lacks the moral clarity of his earlier films The Rules of the Game or The Grand Illusion. The most fascinating part is the centuries old art form, commedia d’ellarte, and I wish the film had focused more on the highly regimented comedy and its cast of carefully defined stock characters.
3 stars.
12) In a Glass Cage (1986)
Why I watched: MUBI’s film of the day.
Former Nazi doctor Klaus escapes to Catalonia where he continues capturing, torturing, and killing young boys, but after his latest murder is witnessed by another of his victims, Angelo, an embarrassed Klaus attempts suicide, but survives.
Year later, Klaus, now disabled and confined to an iron lung, lives with his wife Griselda and daughter Rena. Angelo returns, posing as a nurse to gain access to his former captor and continue their sadomasochistic relationship.
After killing Griselda, Angelo continues Klaus’s nefarious predilections. Eventually he sees himself as Klaus and takes his place in the machine.
Partially inspired by the life of 15th century French serial killer / child murderer Gilles de Rais, this bizarre and graphic film explores the unintended consequences of abuse. The true consequences of evil aren’t always clear in the immediate aftermath. We can easily point to dead bodies, but can’t calculate the effect on the survivors.
3 stars.
Friday, January 15, 2016
13) The Joyless Street (1925)
Why I watched: In a list of the best silent films.
The film focuses on two Viennese women, Maria (Asta Nielson) and Grete (Greta Garbo), as they struggle to survive and better their circumstances during the interwar years.
Maria becomes a prostitute. While Grete (Greta Garbo) miraculously holds on to her virtue.
The film is melodramatic and moralistic, but provides a fascinating look at the economic wasteland of Austrian life in the interwar years and explains how Hitler was able to rise to power. People were so desperate for economic relief, very little else mattered.
3 stars.
14) Chau, Beyond the Lines (2015)
Why I watched: Nominated for Best Short Documentary at the 88th Academy Awards.
American use of chemical weapons (particularly Agent Orange) in the Vietnam War resulted in numerous children born with crippling disabilities. Among those effected is Chau, who works diligently to pursue his dream of being an artist despite his profound impairments.
This short documentary reminds us of the costs of war, the innocent lives effected and transformed by the actions of others.
3 stars.
15) The Cranes are Flying (1957)
Why I watched: Included in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die.
When Veronika’s parents are killed in a German raid, she moves in with the family of her missing soldier boyfriend, Boris. While there, his cousin Mark manipulates her into marriage.
With no family of her own and stuck in a loveless marriage, Veronika contemplates suicide, but abandons her plans to save a boy from being hit by a car.
After Veronika adopts the boy (also named Boris), Mark is exposed as a liar, and the Soviet military confirms Boris has died, Boris’s friend Stephan delivers a stirring speech promising to remember the sacrifices made during the war.
This film offers a rare glimpse into the Soviet experience of World War II and reminds us the victims of war include not only those who lost their lives for the cause, but those who survived.
4 stars.
16) Goopy Geer (1932)
Why I watched: Watching all of the Looney Tunes shorts.
A talk, lanky dog plays the piano at a nightclub.
Goopy looks like a rough draft of Goofy who would debut less than six weeks later as Dippy Dawg. Goopy’s creator, Rudolf Ising, previously worked for Walt Disney and may have been inadvertently inspired by the same ideas.
At any rate, there aren’t a lot of laughs in this short.
½ stars.
17) Big-Hearted Bosko (1932)
Why I watched: Watching all of the Looney Tunes shorts.
Bosko and his dog Bruno enjoy the snow until they discover a crying baby, which they take home with them.
The Bosko shorts provide a few chuckles, but they’re consistently bland and pointless.
½ stars.
18) Red-Headed Baby (1931)
Why I watched: Watching all of the Looney Tunes shorts.
Toys come to life and stage a musical revue.
When a spider threatens to ruin the show, a few toys band together to fend him off.
The early Looney Tunes shorts show flashes of the chaos which would define the later entries in the series, but the wit is missing.
½ stars.
19) 45 Years (2015)
Why I watched: Charlotte Rampling was nominated for Best Actress at the 88th Academy Awards.
Geoff (Tom Courtenay) learns the body of his previous girlfriend Katya, who fell into an icy crevasse a half century ago, has been discovered. Nearly fifty years after he last saw her, thoughts of this previous relationship dominate his mind, even as his 45th anniversary to Kate (Charlotte Rampling) approaches, causing the couple to reflect on their past and contemplate their future.
It’s a nice, sweet film about the accumulated memories and decisions of a shared life. At a certain point, familiarity becomes a crutch and we forget our spouses had lives before us. Kate no longer sees Geoff, she sees her husband, which are not always the same thing.
Rampling is great and deserves the accolades she’s received, while Courtenay’s work is subtle and heartbreaking.
The premise of the reappearing girlfriend is contrived, but the film provides deep insight into relationships and reminds me of Harry and Tonto or Wild Strawberries, only instead of a man reflecting on his mortality, we see a long-term relationship at its close.
3 ½ stars.
Saturday, January 16, 2016
20) Anomalisa (2015)
Why I watched: The film was nominated for Best Animated Feature Film at the 88th Academy Awards.
Michael Stone (David Thewlis) is incapable of distinguishing between faces and sees everyone, including women, as an identical man (Tom Noonan).
When he meets saleswoman Lisa (Jennifer Jason Leigh), he’s surprised to discovers she looks different from everyone else. Overcome, he nicknames her Anomalisa and seduces her.
Through Michael’s relationship with awkward and bland Lisa, the movie reminds us how beautiful ordinary can be; one of the most haunting scenes features a reluctant Lisa singing an a cappella version of Cyndi Lauper’s “Girl Just Want to Have Fun.”
Based on his own play, Charles Kafmann’s bizarre film is a thought-provoking take on identity, relationships, and purpose in modern existence.
3 ½ stars.
21) Golden Door (2006)
Why I watched: MUBI’s film of the day.
In the early 20th century, the Manusco family emigrates from Sicily to the United States. They dream of a land of abundance where people swim in milk, but arrive to find a harsh world where they’re subjected to humiliating tests and examinations.
This timely film reminds us how arbitrary notions of citizenship are and the pain of cultural assimilation and immigration.
3 ½ stars.
22) Battling Bosko (1932)
Why I watched: Watching all of the Looney Tunes shorts.
Plucky boxer Bosko fights the reigning champ, Gas House Harry.
From Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton to The Three Stooges, a lot of early twentieth century comedians mined the brutality of boxing for laughs.
Some of the resulting films were funny, this is not.
½ stars.
23) Freddy the Freshman (1932)
Why I watched: Watching all of the Looney Tunes shorts.
Because of injuries, freshman Freddy gets on the field in the big football game and emerges a hero.
This is one of the better efforts from Warner Brothers’s early days, but it’s not very good.
1 ½ stars.
24) Country (1984)
Why I watched: Jessica Lange was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress.
Changing economic realities and a tornado threaten the way of life of farmers Gil Ivy (Sam Shepard) and his wife Jewel (Jessica Lange).
A number of mid 80s films focused on similar issues (see The River and Places in the Heart). They follow a familiar pattern, romanticizing farm life by pitting it against the cold and insensitive federal government.
Sadly, these movies are so busy creating the mystique of the American farmer they forget to create memorable characters, although any chance to see Wilford Brimley is welcome.
2 stars.
Sunday, January 17, 2016
25) Tectonics (2012)
Why I watched: MUBI’s film of the day.
In a series of photographs spliced together into a time-lapse film, Peter Bo Rappmund explores the US-Mexico border.
There are a few interesting photos, but not nearly enough.
1 ½ stars.
26) Show Me a Hero (2015)
Why I watched: Nominated for Best Miniseries or TV Movie at the 73rd Golden Globes.
In 1987, 28-year old Nick Wasiscko (Oscar Isaac), an ambitious former policeman turned politician won election as mayor of Yonkers, New York while the city was in the midst of a crisis regarding the desegregation of its public housing. Wasiscko campaigned against the proposed housing, but after federal judge Leonard Sand (Bob Balaban) ruled against the city, he worked to comply with the order, in spite of stiff opposition from the city council and local residents.
As he navigates the political waters, he’s thwarted by a Democratic Party that wants to remain neutral, local politicians who want to preserve their job, and passionate constituents.
After serving one term, the young mayor is defeated. Determined to continue his political career, he wins a term on the city council, but as his friends continue to turn on him, he loses his reelection bid. Despondent at his numerous political failures, he commits suicide at 34.
Catherine Keener’s performance as Mary Dorman, a concerned citizen opposed to the housing who experiences a change of heart when she talks to some of the potential tenants of the development, has been singled out for praise by many reviewers, but I found her the least interesting part. Clearly designed as an audience surrogate, through her, the film naively argues policy disagreements are just a failure of communication.
Eventually, facing overwhelming fines and penalties, the houses were built and the city became a model for scattered-site public housing, now the primary method employed in most larger cities.
I enjoyed the film because I love David Simon’s work, but this was a little too preachy. The Wire did a better job providing a balanced and fair version of highly controversial and racially sensitive subjects.
3 stars.