Week 43 in film

La vie d'Adèle (Abdellatif Kechiche, 2013)
This years Palme d'Or winner tells a very powerful and universal love story. There was quite a fuzz in Cannes about the controversial lesbian sex scenes. Compliment to the director, he made this a film that is about a relationship, not specifically a same sex one. Where he could easily have chosen a different (perhaps more moralistic) path he managed to make a film that takes for granted that the two lovers are both female. The acting performances are stellar and by strictly focusing in depth on the portrayed relationship Kechiche proves to be a very skillful filmmaker. I was fascinated for almost three hours. The only negative point I can think of are some of the ridiculous seafood metaphors in regard to Adele's new found sex experiences. Nevertheless, impressive. 8.5/10



The Wire - Season 4
After the first season I was completely hooked by what might be the best series ever made. Unlike the first season, I try to spread out the episodes, having some time left for film. Towards the end of the 4th season I couldn't resist and had to invest a couple of hours to finish. This is the best season so far (one more to go). It is more ruthless and compelling than before and the investments made as a viewer in the previous seasons are paying off. So many characters, so many motivations and backgrounds. All of them can be felt and understood with ease. What an achievement in writing this is. I'll try to enter season 5 slowly, even though I am curious I don't want this to end. 10/10

I fidanzati (Ermanno Olmi, 1963)
Stylish love story that shows how love over a long distance can be so much stronger than up close. It takes a while before this film makes its powerful point. A bit too long which made me lose interest in the middle somewhere. Not a bad film at all, but there are so many better ones in what may be the best European film era ever. 7/10

The Company (Robert Altman, 2003)
Altman's 2nd last film is as Altman as it can be. This is what a Busby Berkeley film would have looked like if he directed one. No clear narrative, as so often,  but a good impression of the world behind some beautifully portayed ballet. The highlight of the film is a ballet scene which I find pretty breathtaking, of course Julee Cruise (yes, Twin Peaks) helps a great deal. Just see for yourself. 7.5/10

Week 39 in film

Nostalghia (Andrei Tarkovsky, 1983)
Tarkovsky fascinates me. I like all of his films (some are all-time favorites) and I like re-watching his films. Nostalghia is perhaps his slowest and most challenging film. A second viewing made me appreciate this film more than the first time and I can imagine this film can grow on me. Situated in Bologna, Italy we follow a poet who has beautiful nostalgic visions and is fascinated by a guy who allegedly locked up his family for seven years. Tarkovsky was banished from Russia when this was filmed and this film is clearly autobiographical. Lots of depth, symbolism (the candle scene) and filled with visual hints. I might take notes and screenshots during a third viewing, that's the kind of film this is and how it fascinates me. For now:  9/10


Sweet and Lowdown (Woody Allen, 1999)
A documentary style film about the fictional jazz guitarist Emmett Ray (the second best guitar player in the world after Django Rheinhardt). Allen creates a believable world and Sean Penn portrays a character of which I would believe he really existed. These notions are not enough to make this a good film, the story is very Allen-like, focuses on Ray's love life, something that has been executed by the director much better many times. The fact that he is a great guitarist doesn't add much except for a good soundtrack. Dull-ish. 5/10

California Split (Robert Altman, 1974)
Robert Altman en Elliot Gould in the seventies, a wonder formula. This time Gould is a gambler who together with his friend slowly becomes more and more addicted. Portrayal of an addiction Altman style, a lot of noise, odd side-characters, no clear plotlines. I would say messy if it wasn't so interesting and well acted. I believe Altman knew exactly what he was doing. Not his best from this era, but with such a high standard this is still a good film. 7.5/10

The Man Who Fell to Earth (Nicolas Roeg, 1976)
David Bowie as an alien, perfect cast I would say and it works. Unfortunately this film lacks something which you might call a 'plot drive', not uncommon in some of the cinema of the seventies if you ask me. It made me experience this film as messy and unfocused. Just the peculiar Bowie and some good looking imagery is not enough to keep you up for almost two and a half hours.  4/10


Onder Ons (Marco van Geffen, 2011)
Dark dutch film about a Polish au pair and the circumstances in her environment. I like the narrative choice, a choice which asks for a creative twist or surprise. I won't spoil, but this notion has something to do why this movie doesn't convince me fully. 6.5/10

42nd Street (Lloyd Bacon, 1933)
The great Busby Berkeley. I am not a fan of musicals, but this is simply a lot of fun. The plot is like so many and most viewers will be waiting for the eye candy in the final act, which delivers. Not as good as Gold Diggers of 1933. 7/10

The Devils (Ken Russell, 1971)
Hailed as a masterpiece by many, at least according to some of the reviews I am reading over the internet. I can see the historical value, the controversy and why this is interesting. For me it wasn't so special, merely because I didn't like how the story is told and its visual style. I didn't experience much depth or character development (only the protagonist maybe) resulting in a partly tedious experience. 6.5/10

The Long Goodbye (Robert Altman, 1973)

My previous investigation of the 70's Altman movies has already led me to McCabe and Mrs. Miller, a movie that can be classified as anti-western (as in the western movie genre). Two years later Altman made what is known to be his view on film noir called The Long Goodbye, from Raymond Chandler’s novel and again with protagonist Philip Marlowe (Elliot Gould). Our private eye hero had a bit of a transformation and unlike the cool and hard-boiled Philip Marlowe we know from for instance Howard Hawks his The Big Sleep, this one is a bit different.

The movie kicks off with Marlowe trying to feed his cat. He even goes to the supermarket in the middle of the night to get the right brand of cat food. When it turns out to be out of stock he tries to trick the little creature by replacing the food with a different brand. Unfortunately for him the cat doesn’t buy it and runs off. This scene, which is quite funny, is typical for the Philip Marlowe of the seventies and Altman’s universe. When I tell you that he is more interested in the wellbeing of his cat than the four topless neighbour girls practising yoga on their balcony you’ll get the idea.

The main story revolves around two interwoven plotlines. Firstly and old friend who is in trouble shows up on Marlowe’s door and asks him to give him a lift to Mexico. No questions asked Marlowe helps him. When he returns home the cops are waiting for him and he spends a couple of nights in jail and he finds out his friend apparently killed his wife and committed suicide in Mexico. Secondly a woman, living next to his friend, hires Marlowe to find her husband, a writer who has some mental- and drinking issues.

Just like the 1946 adaptation of the Marlowe story The Big Sleep, starring Humphrey Bogart, The Long Goodbye has quite a complex story, but this is about the only common element it has with the classic noir film. Philip Marlowe is portrayed by Altman as someone who still lives in the 50’s, he smokes, wears a suit and tries some wisecrack remarks on cops and crooks, but somehow they don’t have the desired impact (anymore). Furthermore there seems to be no interest in women and the private detective cannot even manage to trick and later find his own cat. All of this smells like another anti-genre movie from the director who did this before, as I mentioned, and would do it again in the nineties with The Player.

And again he does a great job. Forget about the plot, it is not at all why you should watch this one. This picture contains some memorable scenes that are alone worth it and are illustrative for the satirical tone Altman chose for. We see how Marlowe arrives at a party (in a suit) and gets chased out of the house by a dog, how he has to strip together with a group of criminals (including a silent Arnold Schwarzenegger!) and how almost every genre cliché is successfully reversed by Altman. A classic!

"Well, that's you Marlowe. You'll never learn, you're a born loser."

8.5/10

3 Women (Robert Altman, 1977)

The seventies are considered by many as the most important decade for the American film. A statement I can understand, but somehow most of the typical movies from this period rarely rank as my favorites. The best example is probably The Godfather, a good movie, but in my opinion overrated and not as good or influential as a handful of movies from the 40’s, 50’s or 60’s. I guess I am a bit prejudiced about this movie era. Trying to prove myself wrong I keep searching for pearls that were made in this time period. My quest led me to a very interesting filmmaker that I know mainly from his 90’s movies: Robert Altman.

His 3 Women was on top of my ‘to watch’ list since it deals with themes (dreams, women, surrealism, identity swapping) that can be found in some of my favourite movies (Persona, Mulholland Drive).  I can say that this one completely fulfilled my expectations and makes me want to watch more and more of Altman’s movies from the 1970’s.

The story initially revolves around 2 Women, one is the young girl Pinky (Sissy Spacek) who applies for a job in a luxueus spa/nursing home. On her first day she meets the experienced Millie (Shelley Duvall). Pinky is showing a more than conventional interest in her colleague and when she posts an add where she is looking for a roommate, Pinky applies and soon the two girls are living together. We see how they are visiting a ranch that is managed by the owners of their appartment, the male of the couple, Edgar, is showing an interest in both girls and his pregnant wife is nothing but silent, and draws beautiful wall and floor paintings. Slowly Millie is more and more trying to dominate the quiet Pinky and when Millie brings home Edgar, she kicks Pinky out of the house. The disappointed girl jumps in the pool resulting in a coma. When she wakes up from her coma, the roles of the two girls seem to have changed and the movie takes some very interesting turns.

I won’t spoil or interpret any of the movie’s details or twists. I just want to share my enthusiasm. Altman gives us a look into his dreams, he didn’t use a script (something he use to do more often) and says that the movie arose from one of his dreams. The acting from the two lead actresses is superb, Duvall and Spacek are, in my opinion, typically skilled actresses from the seventies that are not, like in current movies, drop-dead-gorgeous but actually can act convincingly and add personality. The tension, adoration, jealousy and frustrations between the two girls requires good acting and the two ladies will not disappoint you one moment.

Not only does this movie revolve around girls, the men that are in this movie are portrayed a bit superficial and dumb, both ignoring and wanting the two girls in their different ‘roles’. Considering this movie being a surrealistic dream, these observations can somehow be considered ‘Freudian’. Combined with the beautiful paintings, drawn by the third silent woman, and the 1001 other smart elements used by Altman (the pink and yellow colouring, the twin colleagues, the abundant presence of water, use of names etc) 3 Women seems to have a lot of room for interpretation and begs to be re-watched. Something I will definitely do in the (near) future, and perhaps I will add it to my favourites among the earlier mentioned Persona and Mulholland Drive, for now:

9/10