Movies

I reactived my Netflix account, so here's some capsule reviews.

Charley Varrick - 1970s crime picture that was hyped up in the excellent backmatter of Criminal, the Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips comic series everyone should be buying. Great performances by Walter Matthau as the lead bank robber and Joe Don Baker as the hitman put onto him after Varrick ends up with mob money on accident. Story is very well plotted out, with no ridiculous intrusions or characters showing up out of nowhere to solve the problem. If you like crime drama, it's well worth your time.

Blue Velvet - The first David Lynch film I've ever watched. The famous symbolism is actually more blatant than I was expecting and to some might seem ridiculously apparent and lacking in effect. I didn't really have a problem with it and at the time I can see it being totally fresh. Also now potentially stale is the focus on stripping back the idyllic framing of small-town America, but Lynch is smart enough to not go totally overboard into some hard-boiled, over-the-top thriller and instead keeps everything grounded enough to where the unease slowly creeps up on you rather than it being loud and constantly in your face. Oh, and Dennis Hopper's character is really menacing in the best, unpredictable way.

Dr. Strangelove - Peter Sellers is tremendous and the film does a great job of laughing at the complete insanity of the Cold War period and how it could affect the people in positions of power. A great black comedy.

Gattaca - I think this is considered by some to be one of the better, newer sci-fi movies but I just could not get into it. The story breaks down into a really pretentious self-empowerment tale of overcoming, no matter what the odds, don't give up hope, you can't quit! The genetics focus is kind of interesting, but as a consequence of the ever advancing nature of sci-fi (for better or worse), it all seems tame and rehashed. The art style also really bugged me, with this potential near-future technology merged with a retro American vibe that never gets an explanation. The performances seemed flat and didn't do enough to make up for the lackluster other parts.

The Constant Gardener - One of the recent tales that exposes those nasty corporations for their nefarious deeds that shit all over the world and turn us all into mindless trademark machines. Fortunately that predictable and pointless premise is overshadowed by the nuances and reality of the relationship of main players Ralph Fiennes and Rachel Weisz. The film also has a very rough, under-produced feel that helps to reinforce how the film plays out. This might be a thriller, but none of these characters suddenly morph into Jason Bourne so we can see a half-baked shootout. I mean, I like The Fugitive plenty, but enough already. The ending sadly returns to Importantville again so we can show how once we bust one corrupt person, everything will change. Don't pay attention to the legions waiting in line behind him. On actually promoting a message well, the film does prominently showcase the horrors and problems facing Africa without actually screaming it to the rafters.

Blood Simple - The Coen Bros. first movie didn't grab me as all their others I've seen have. It certainly has potential and the story contains their often requisite crazy angles that breaks down into a somewhat standard drama with crime elements. The idiosyncratic characters are toned down quite a bit or completely absent and the humor is relegated to a few sparing moments, though still embedded with the ridiculousness of everyday life that packs their later films. More so than all that is the film seems bogged down, lacking their usual verve and snap. It's by no means bad, but just sort of there. Overall, it failed to really grab me and make me take notice. Would I feel different if it wasn't a production of the two brothers I've come to heartily admire? Probably. As it is, good but they've done better.

Barton Fink - Watching this afterwards, however, was like good ol' Joel and Ethan flicking the lights straight back to bright. While definitive statements from me should be viewed with a skeptical eye and carry little meaning, this is the most postmodern film I've ever seen. So if you were agitated by No Country for Old Men, do not get near this beast. Anger will flourish and rampages will bloom. The plot is set up quickly and never really develops past an initial stage of John Turturro as a playwright reaching out to the common man, lured away by Hollywood. He's excellent as always, as is fellow Coen staple Jon Goodman. If you like heaps of metaphors, allusions, comparisons and reflections on topics ranging from intellectualism, famous writers and fascism, find this thing. I'm sure as hell glad I did.

Planet Terror - I don't see how people can condemn Death Proof while anointing this as hugely superior. Well, I guess I can, and what I'm really saying is I disagree. The big flaw I see is that Rodriguez cared more about making a tribute to the Grindhouse ideal than actually creating a strong overall work, which in a way is the opposite of what Tarantino did. In the face of the praise I just couldn't get past being underwhelmed. There are some good performances and running ideas throughout, like the restaraunt owner who never gets a customer yet still searches for the perfect BBQ sauce and Bruce Willis. Everything else was taken to the extreme, seemingly just to show that they could.

Tell No One - French thriller that resembles a dish of The Fugitive with a small helping of Gone, Baby Gone. While I don't want to sound stupid, this thing is pretty complex, maybe even a bit too much so. A few of the angles are there, but they're straining. It might be a little easier to follow if I could understand the original dialogue, or maybe I'm just a horrible subtitle reader. Either way, this is a quick mover that boasts a great turn from Francois Cluzet in the lead.

Let the Right One In - Believe the hype. I still don't know if I saw the version with the first translation subtitles or the later one, with the "dumbed-down" edits. If this was the latter, even though the former should always be preferred, it doesn't hurt the film enough to matter. While I guess this could be considered a genre film, it has little in the way of bombarding action or mystery. Instead, any sort of set piece comes quick and end quick, leaving you little time to ponder an interpretation of the actions as good or bad until they start piling up and relationships end and begin. In fact, the movie can trick you into thinking things when you're not considering what might really be occurring. Maybe a better word than thinking is believing, or wanting to believe. Even the title gets in on the act. The great thing is, you don't even need to look at the section underneath, and can instead just see a vampire story with enough character and slight twists to make it stand out. In fact, when you do take a look below, what's on the surface might turn irrevocably tragic.