Hot week, not a lot of films...
To the Wonder (Terrence Malick, 2012)
So, this is film is, just like The Tree of Life, beautiful. Extraordinarily beautiful at times, but for me it suffers from a lack of emotional involvement. Where the characters and their motivations absolutely struck me in his previous film, most of Malick's characters failed to interest me in this one. Especially Ben Affleck left me cold, the fact that he can't really act doesn't help, of course. In general it feels like Malick was using the plot and the people in it more as a device to ask questions, which we are used to from this director, than to actually fascinate or reach its viewer. Exception to this notion is Javier Bardem, who, as a modern priest, is suffering from a crisis. His character and his struggle did strike me but unfortunately his part is minor and farther from Affleck an Kurylenko than I was hoping for. The first half hour and final five minutes were outstanding in its imagery and editing (same formula as The New World, where this works better). In between it was hard to connect to this film. A Malick film about relationships should have had a bigger impact on me. 6.5/10
Napoleon Dynamite (Jared Hess, 2004)
Here's a Hollywood comedy that is totally different from the usual films in this genre. It feels more distant, raw and awkward and therefore it is funnier, I think. The odd Jon Heder is great and I laughed a great deal. Its weird and unfamiliair style has a flipside that the less funny parts starts to bore you quicker but all in all it is good enough. 7/10
Bob le flambeur (Jean-Pierre Melville, 1956)
Another great film from a director who looks like to be added to my list of favorites. Haven't seen a film of him lower than 8/10. Let's see if I can find one, I am expecting to have a good time. French cinema goes a long, long way. 8.5/10
To the Wonder (Terrence Malick, 2012)
So, this is film is, just like The Tree of Life, beautiful. Extraordinarily beautiful at times, but for me it suffers from a lack of emotional involvement. Where the characters and their motivations absolutely struck me in his previous film, most of Malick's characters failed to interest me in this one. Especially Ben Affleck left me cold, the fact that he can't really act doesn't help, of course. In general it feels like Malick was using the plot and the people in it more as a device to ask questions, which we are used to from this director, than to actually fascinate or reach its viewer. Exception to this notion is Javier Bardem, who, as a modern priest, is suffering from a crisis. His character and his struggle did strike me but unfortunately his part is minor and farther from Affleck an Kurylenko than I was hoping for. The first half hour and final five minutes were outstanding in its imagery and editing (same formula as The New World, where this works better). In between it was hard to connect to this film. A Malick film about relationships should have had a bigger impact on me. 6.5/10
Napoleon Dynamite (Jared Hess, 2004)
Here's a Hollywood comedy that is totally different from the usual films in this genre. It feels more distant, raw and awkward and therefore it is funnier, I think. The odd Jon Heder is great and I laughed a great deal. Its weird and unfamiliair style has a flipside that the less funny parts starts to bore you quicker but all in all it is good enough. 7/10
Bob le flambeur (Jean-Pierre Melville, 1956)
Another great film from a director who looks like to be added to my list of favorites. Haven't seen a film of him lower than 8/10. Let's see if I can find one, I am expecting to have a good time. French cinema goes a long, long way. 8.5/10
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