07/17/03 (DVD)
In the Mood for Love (2000) - Absolutely exquisite- from the vivid color scheme, to the delicate treatment of
the relationship of two hurting people who fall in love. One of the most elegantly shot films I've ever seen, and
without a doubt one of the best films to come out in the 2000's so far.
07/20/03 (Theatre)
How to Deal (2003) - It's not a great film, but I ended up rather liking it. There's a messy, unpredictable quality
that I really liked about it- it really hits home the fact that sometimes life sucks, even if it overdoes it at times. The film
is elevated by the performances- particularly those given by Mandy Moore, Allison Janney, Alexandra Holden and
Nina Foch. Some funny moments, a lot of sad ones- this is definitely not the chick flick it appears to be at first glance.
07/20/03 (VHS)
Face to Face (1976) - Face to Face would be a rather dull movie if not graced by the lovely Bergman regular
Liv Ullmann. Anytime Ullmann was not on the screen I found my mind wandering away from the film, but as soon
as Ullmann appeared again I was riveted. This is definitely a film that's saved single-handedly by a performer- I
would recommend seeing it just to see Ullmann's raw, emotionally-charged performance.
07/20/03 (DVD)
Trois Colours: Bleu (1993) - I've been meaning to see this trilogy ever since it's release on DVD several months
back, but just hadn't gotten to it yet. But it's the favorite film of a friend of mine, so at his insistence I finally watched
it. And it met all expectations- it's an amazing film. The color scheme and cinematography is brilliant, the music and
editing breathtaking, Juliette Binoche's performance first-rate. I think I'm going to watch it again, but the second part
of the trilogy, Blanc, is up for tonight, and Rouge is coming soon.
07/21/03 (DVD)
Trois Colours: Blanc (1994) - Part two of the famed trilogy is not up to the same dizzying level of Bleu, but
that's not to say that it's not very, very good. Really looking forward to Rouge, which should be here in a few days
(Netflix was not as prompt this time as I would have liked).
07/22/04 (VHS)
The Clock (1945) - One of Judy Garland's rare non-musical performance makes one wish she had had the
opportunity more often. A completely charming little film, it deals with a soldier and a city girl who meet, fall in
love, and get married all in the course of two days. For those (like me) who only know Robert Walker as a maniac
villian in Strangers on a Train are in for a surprise when they see his love-struck soldier here,, and Judy Garland is
perfect, and very affecting as the pretty but plain secretary he falls for. Some neat direction by Vincente Minelli
(then Garland's husband), and some really effective emotionally charged moments. One of the best romances I've ever
seen.
07/23/03 (DVD)
Trois Colours: Rouge (1994) - A stunning finale to Kieslowski's trilogy. From the dazzling Irene Jacobs to the
beautiful cinematography to the absolutely perfect ending, this film is a masterpiece. Now that I've seen all three films
I can't deny these are three of the best movies released in the last ten years. If there's such a thing as an 'instant classic,'
the Trois Colours trilogy would without a doubt be one of them. I can't wait to watch them again.
07/24/03 (Theatre)
Pirates of the Carribean (2003) - Went and saw it with my best friend, who hadn't seen it yet. It was just as
fun and entertaining the second time around- so I'm now assured that this is a darn good film, and may someday become
a classic. Great stuff.
07/25/03 (Theatre)
Seabiscuit (2003) - Went and saw this with my girlfriend and family, they all liked it, and I very much disliked
it (though that's the norm). Basically, there's too much soft focus, slow motion, manipulative music and
'poignant' moments ("he didn't fix me. We fixed each other.") for my tastes.. It's the kind of film that's so obviously
reaching for Oscar gold that you just really can't take it seriously.
07/26/03 (DVD)
Jackass: The Movie (2003) - It was perfect for the ocassion (a group of friends together on a Saturday night),
but it's hard to even call this a film, because it's basically like four episodes of the TV show all played in a row.
Some laughs, but it'll justifiably be relagated to junior high sleepover canon and forgotten by everybody else.
07/28/03 (VHS)
1900 (Novecento) - This is the kind of film that reminds me that sometimes ambitous failures are better than more
fully realized and finely crafted films. 1900 is a complete mess- it seemed to want to say everything, and
falls apart trying. The story of two boys born into two completely different life situations (one is the only son of
a wealthy landowner, the other the bastard son of a peasant) who strike up a strained friendship that turns into a
love/hate relationship when they grow up. A parade of big names appear: Robert de Niro, Gerard Depardieu,
Dominique Sanda (who's lovely and gives a beautiful, naunced performance), Donald Sutherland (who's so evil he
becomes almost silly) Burt Lancaster, Sterling Hayden, Alida Valli, Laura Betti and a host of other performers who
appear and dissapear throughout the four hour running time. The cinematography is lovely, Ennio Morricone's
score perfect Bertolucci's direction and vision impressive all, and help hold the attention when the movie gets
derailed (which is often). It's extremely flawed and ultimately fails, but I quite liked it. I'm hoping the full 5 1/2
version will be released on DVD in the future- I'd love to watch it again sometime.
07/29/03 (DVD)
Obsession (1976) - Brian de Palma's homage to Hitchcock is much, much better than I expected- in fact, it's nearly
as good as many of the films the master himself made. It's obviously inspired by Vertigo, but I was still surprised at
the final revelation. Cliff Robertson turns in a fine, textured performance as the man who looses his wife and daughter,
but the picture belongs to the breathtaking Genevieve Bujold as the woman who looks exactly like his deceased wife.
This is a role that's all over the map, and Bujold pulls it off, and the results are mind-blowing in its intensity. The
film is erfectly complimented by an exquisite Bernard Hermann score, fantastic visuals and location shooting, flashy
but effective camera techniques and an ingenious script, Obsession is dazzling cinema.
