Imitation of Life (Douglas Sirk, 1959)
Safe to say that this film, the last in Sirk's oeuvre, is a culmination of the themes he likes to use in his films. I haven't seen the issue of racism been adressed so clever and effective before. The drama is truly gripping and the final scene is brilliantly sarcastic. Sirk is becoming one of my favourite directors and the late Hollywood 50's was already an era I love.
"I'm somebody else. I'm white... white... WHITE!" 9/10
Mud (Jeff Nichols, 2013)
There was a time when I couldn't stand Matthew McConaughey, I hated his self-indulgent overacting and presence on the screen in general. How easy this can change once an actor starts picking up good role after good role. In this film he is again acting great in a story which can best be described as a fairy-tale like drama from the perspective of children. Love the vibe, eventhough the ending leans towards the sweet and sappy. 8/10
The Wire - Season 3
Yes, I am still as excited as I was after the first season. How good is a series when you actually start missing (criminal) characters that are either killed or arrested? Two seasons to go and I will fall into a deep hole when this is over.... 9.5/10
Sharknado (Anthony C. Ferrante, 2013)
Best tagline ever: 'Enough said'. This film is so extremely bad...but it is made like it doesn't care and knows how bad it is. I had fun actually and you can't really say that the director failed since I am sure he was self-aware during the making of this crap. If not, he, and the rest of the world, should worry.... 5.5/10
The Last Relic (Grigori Kromanov, 1969)
You may have never heard of this film. Apparently the cinematic pride of Estonia. With or without this notion a pretty standard medieval adventure film that definitely has something going for it, for instance being charming and perhaps controversial (let's not spoil but the ending definitely makes a statement). Boring at times as well unfortunately. 6/10
The Roaring Twenties (Raoul Walsh, 1939)
Bogart and Cagney together in a picture never disappoints. I did expect a bit more fireworks in this film not only because of the cast but especially because I consider Walsh his White Heat (ten years later) a masterpiece and that one has a lot more suspense and action. The Roaring Twenties is a bit more timid and fragmented. Not a bad movie though, especially not if you are interested in its historical context. 7/10
Paradies: Glaube (Ulrich Seidl, 2012)
Not as good as Paradies: Liebe. This film somehow makes more of a caricature of its Christian female protagonist. People like her may be out there, but sympathy for her or her (moslim) husband is hard to feel. Well, I felt a bit bad for the husband a couple of times. Some moments are really funny and I wonder if that is what the director intented. 6/10
I'm a Cyborg, But That's Ok (Chan-wook Park, 2006)
The director of Oldboy made a messy, chaotic comedy that fails to be funny. This film is boring, and that's not ok. 3.5/10
The Hour-Glass Sanatorium (Wojciech Has, 1973)
Quite a trip. This film (from Poland) portrays a guy who visits his dying father in a sanatorium where some hour-glass trick can reverse time and change events. Sound like a science fiction film but this film is more a dreamlike, colorful trip. The protagonist is confronted with ex-girlfriends, his father and mother in better times, jew ghetto's etc. When I read this synopsis I was hoping for a film like Tarkovsky's The Mirror. The comparison doesn't hold up that well, this film is more static, colorful and fantasy-like. Looks like something that inspired Terry Gilliam's nineties work. Beautiful, but at times confusing and (too) trippy. 7.5/10
Safe to say that this film, the last in Sirk's oeuvre, is a culmination of the themes he likes to use in his films. I haven't seen the issue of racism been adressed so clever and effective before. The drama is truly gripping and the final scene is brilliantly sarcastic. Sirk is becoming one of my favourite directors and the late Hollywood 50's was already an era I love.
"I'm somebody else. I'm white... white... WHITE!" 9/10
Mud (Jeff Nichols, 2013)
There was a time when I couldn't stand Matthew McConaughey, I hated his self-indulgent overacting and presence on the screen in general. How easy this can change once an actor starts picking up good role after good role. In this film he is again acting great in a story which can best be described as a fairy-tale like drama from the perspective of children. Love the vibe, eventhough the ending leans towards the sweet and sappy. 8/10
The Wire - Season 3
Yes, I am still as excited as I was after the first season. How good is a series when you actually start missing (criminal) characters that are either killed or arrested? Two seasons to go and I will fall into a deep hole when this is over.... 9.5/10
Sharknado (Anthony C. Ferrante, 2013)
Best tagline ever: 'Enough said'. This film is so extremely bad...but it is made like it doesn't care and knows how bad it is. I had fun actually and you can't really say that the director failed since I am sure he was self-aware during the making of this crap. If not, he, and the rest of the world, should worry.... 5.5/10
The Last Relic (Grigori Kromanov, 1969)
You may have never heard of this film. Apparently the cinematic pride of Estonia. With or without this notion a pretty standard medieval adventure film that definitely has something going for it, for instance being charming and perhaps controversial (let's not spoil but the ending definitely makes a statement). Boring at times as well unfortunately. 6/10
The Roaring Twenties (Raoul Walsh, 1939)
Bogart and Cagney together in a picture never disappoints. I did expect a bit more fireworks in this film not only because of the cast but especially because I consider Walsh his White Heat (ten years later) a masterpiece and that one has a lot more suspense and action. The Roaring Twenties is a bit more timid and fragmented. Not a bad movie though, especially not if you are interested in its historical context. 7/10
Paradies: Glaube (Ulrich Seidl, 2012)
Not as good as Paradies: Liebe. This film somehow makes more of a caricature of its Christian female protagonist. People like her may be out there, but sympathy for her or her (moslim) husband is hard to feel. Well, I felt a bit bad for the husband a couple of times. Some moments are really funny and I wonder if that is what the director intented. 6/10
I'm a Cyborg, But That's Ok (Chan-wook Park, 2006)
The director of Oldboy made a messy, chaotic comedy that fails to be funny. This film is boring, and that's not ok. 3.5/10
The Hour-Glass Sanatorium (Wojciech Has, 1973)
Quite a trip. This film (from Poland) portrays a guy who visits his dying father in a sanatorium where some hour-glass trick can reverse time and change events. Sound like a science fiction film but this film is more a dreamlike, colorful trip. The protagonist is confronted with ex-girlfriends, his father and mother in better times, jew ghetto's etc. When I read this synopsis I was hoping for a film like Tarkovsky's The Mirror. The comparison doesn't hold up that well, this film is more static, colorful and fantasy-like. Looks like something that inspired Terry Gilliam's nineties work. Beautiful, but at times confusing and (too) trippy. 7.5/10
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