This is the compilation of many posts that were planned and put aside lately. But, I like what I have been watching: I am riding a wave of cinemat
ographic luck, and it is worth celebrating
Annie Hall (1977, Woddy Allen)
Woddy Allen. I never thought it could be so good. Specially after "Bananas" I thought: he doesn0t get better than this. But yes, he does. profound conclusions about everyday life, hilarious scenes, great dialogues, characters and just that unpredictability that runs thorugh the whole movie. Yes, unpredictable, that is the feeling. His creation of unreal/surreal/meta-real situations out of an ordinary story plot are brilliant. I just laughed and laughed untill the last minute.
Careful (1992, Guy Maddin)
"Brilliant movie. It is really strange too." And with this comment by the man on the counter I left with Guy Maddin's "Careful". It was so good that I want to watch all his movies I can possibly find - fantastic Canadian cinema! The film is a dark and twisted tale of repressed sexuality, Oedipus and Electra complexes and sibling rivalry in a surreal Alpine mountain. The aesthetics of it are remarkable: made as a 1920's movie, with a perfect mastery of colour effects and those great narrated written pieces. It reminded me a bit of "Nosferatu" at points and, I must say, it is ambitious in wanting to captivate a modern audience with "retro" technology. The thing is: it does capture you, completely, in a weird and yet fascinating web of silences and looks.
Central Station - Central do Brasil (1998, Walter Salles)
On the back of the DVD cover this was described as a "powerful tearjerker". I beg to disagree. Yes, it might excite a tear or two and a knot in your throat. But the movie is so much more than that. The characters are much more complex than what the synopsis could make you forsee. It is a story about second chances, about a boy alone in the world and a woman looking for a second chance at her own life. But neither are ready to admit this to themselves or each other. So a trip across the stunning interior of Brazil transforms itself into a subtle journey into each other's deepest fears, desires, and a rethinking of what each wants out of life. A surprising sequence of events and a powerful soundtrack. This is an example of how to take an ordinary story and make it an extraordinary movie.
Klimt (2006, Raoul Ruiz)
This was probably the exception to the list of sucessful viewings of this month. I had expectations: after all, I love the work of Gustav Klimt and I thought John Malkovich playing him would be tremendous. It would... if only I had managed to stay focused. It was really difficult. The movie is confusing on purpose, I understand. Surrealism is at work here, as far as I know. But I think the idea went too far: I feel lost! Very lost, too lost. Besides, the aesthetic exploration of the work of Klimt was good in certain scenes, but disappointed me in many ways. The end had a "revelatory moment" in which the audience was supposed to realise what they had been watching and its deeper meaning. My opinion: too late, too obscure. Unfortunate, really. And it was not Malkovich at his best, I must say. One great note: the mother-and-sister-madness-scene was very good.
The Piano (1993, Jane Campion)
Haunting and beautiful. The Piano is probably one of the most engaging movies emotionally that I have seen. I had never screamed out of pain and terror, cried of joy and sat there mesmerized like I did with The Piano. The movie tells the story of a deaf young Scottish woman sent to marry in the dark forests of New Zealand. Her passion is her piano, which she transports all the way to the deserted beach where she lands. Against all odds and appearances, a love story emerges. New Zealand, with its mud and darkness is a most beautifuly crafted setting. The music is key to this movie and is moving to a degree that is rarely seen. The themes of colonialism, marriage, love and communication between human beings and are treated in a subtle and sensitive way. The Piano has an emotional force that is remarkable and a magic quality that cannot be easily explained.
ographic luck, and it is worth celebrating
Annie Hall (1977, Woddy Allen)
Woddy Allen. I never thought it could be so good. Specially after "Bananas" I thought: he doesn0t get better than this. But yes, he does. profound conclusions about everyday life, hilarious scenes, great dialogues, characters and just that unpredictability that runs thorugh the whole movie. Yes, unpredictable, that is the feeling. His creation of unreal/surreal/meta-real situations out of an ordinary story plot are brilliant. I just laughed and laughed untill the last minute.
Careful (1992, Guy Maddin)
"Brilliant movie. It is really strange too." And with this comment by the man on the counter I left with Guy Maddin's "Careful". It was so good that I want to watch all his movies I can possibly find - fantastic Canadian cinema! The film is a dark and twisted tale of repressed sexuality, Oedipus and Electra complexes and sibling rivalry in a surreal Alpine mountain. The aesthetics of it are remarkable: made as a 1920's movie, with a perfect mastery of colour effects and those great narrated written pieces. It reminded me a bit of "Nosferatu" at points and, I must say, it is ambitious in wanting to captivate a modern audience with "retro" technology. The thing is: it does capture you, completely, in a weird and yet fascinating web of silences and looks.
Central Station - Central do Brasil (1998, Walter Salles)
On the back of the DVD cover this was described as a "powerful tearjerker". I beg to disagree. Yes, it might excite a tear or two and a knot in your throat. But the movie is so much more than that. The characters are much more complex than what the synopsis could make you forsee. It is a story about second chances, about a boy alone in the world and a woman looking for a second chance at her own life. But neither are ready to admit this to themselves or each other. So a trip across the stunning interior of Brazil transforms itself into a subtle journey into each other's deepest fears, desires, and a rethinking of what each wants out of life. A surprising sequence of events and a powerful soundtrack. This is an example of how to take an ordinary story and make it an extraordinary movie.Klimt (2006, Raoul Ruiz)
This was probably the exception to the list of sucessful viewings of this month. I had expectations: after all, I love the work of Gustav Klimt and I thought John Malkovich playing him would be tremendous. It would... if only I had managed to stay focused. It was really difficult. The movie is confusing on purpose, I understand. Surrealism is at work here, as far as I know. But I think the idea went too far: I feel lost! Very lost, too lost. Besides, the aesthetic exploration of the work of Klimt was good in certain scenes, but disappointed me in many ways. The end had a "revelatory moment" in which the audience was supposed to realise what they had been watching and its deeper meaning. My opinion: too late, too obscure. Unfortunate, really. And it was not Malkovich at his best, I must say. One great note: the mother-and-sister-madness-scene was very good.
The Piano (1993, Jane Campion)
Haunting and beautiful. The Piano is probably one of the most engaging movies emotionally that I have seen. I had never screamed out of pain and terror, cried of joy and sat there mesmerized like I did with The Piano. The movie tells the story of a deaf young Scottish woman sent to marry in the dark forests of New Zealand. Her passion is her piano, which she transports all the way to the deserted beach where she lands. Against all odds and appearances, a love story emerges. New Zealand, with its mud and darkness is a most beautifuly crafted setting. The music is key to this movie and is moving to a degree that is rarely seen. The themes of colonialism, marriage, love and communication between human beings and are treated in a subtle and sensitive way. The Piano has an emotional force that is remarkable and a magic quality that cannot be easily explained.
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