Clouds of Sils Maria (2014) - 7.0 / 10
Former film critic Olivier Assayas is probably one of those few people who inspire me on a creative level. Not that strange if you consider one of Assayas' own influences: anarchist and situationist Guy Debord. French intellectuals in the 1960s were, in my opinion, too often needlessly complex theoretically and parlor socialists or would-be revolutionaries politically. In contrast, Debord's refreshing anarchist views were typical for the radicality of the 1968-generation and were more about individual freedom, artistic aspirations and fighting against a new form of determinism: consumption. In that respect, Assayas' Après mai was one of the best films I've seen in years. In Clouds of Sils Maria he puts on his meta-shoes and tells the story about an older actress who'll perform in the same play she did when she was young: Juliette Binoche plays Maria Enders who plays Helena. In the meanwhile Valentine (a brilliant Kristen Stewart, who would've expected?!), the personal assistant of Maria, resembles a version of Maria when she was young. Joanne Ellis (Chloë Grace Moretz), an up-and-coming actress with the reputation of a troublemaker, is Maria's co-star in the theater play. But when the play (about a young girl (Sigrid) who seduces an older woman (Helena)) starts to reflect reality (especially because Maria used to play Sigrid herself), the film begins to get an extra - metaphorical - layer. In the end we are confronted with thoughts about time, change, fame, getting older and conflict between generations. Clouds of Sils Maria is a beautiful film with some very good acting, especially by Stewart. It also raises interesting questions about contemporary stardom and transience. Nevertheless, this movie is (feels?) less personal than Assayas' previous one and therefor misses a bit of the uppercut I was hoping for.
Revenge of the Green Dragons (2014) - 6.0 / 10
A collaboration between Wai-Keung Lau (Infernal Affairs trilogy) and Martin Scorsese (The Departed) about Chinese gangs in New York at the end of the 1980s. One would expect fireworks, right? Not so much. This movie is entertaining but misses a bigger impact. It's not surprising the film didn't get a wider release in the US... The rather conventional story is embellished with different kind of colorful gangs from the (Asian) underworld, some pretty gruesome torture scenes and an attempt to make a huge plot twist at the end, but finally fails due to ordinariness. It needed more "cool" and a more interesting angle storywise. Fans of Asian-centered mob movies should give it a try though.
The Book of Life (2014) - 7.5 / 10
The Book of Life is without any doubt the best animated Hollywoodmovie of the year! It has been a while since I've seen so much narrative creativity, magnificent colours and wonderful animation coming from Tinseltown. Producer Guillermo del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth) chose this one well. With songs from Mumford & Sons, Pixies, Elvis Presley, Rod Stewart, Biz Markie and Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros being sung by the cast, it even gets a pleasant musical vibe. Add a strong female character (Maria) and the great voices of Ice Cube, Cheech Marin, Gabriel Iglesias, Plácido Domingo and Danny Trejo (none of them are main characters but they are, ironically, more memorable than Diego Luna, Zoe Saldana, Channing Tatum, Ron Perlman and Christina Applegate) and you've got yourself one of the most enjoyable pictures of the year. According to director Jorge R. Gutierrez this is the first part of a trilogy. If the writing for the next two movies is as good as this one, I will be looking forward to those chapters! Especially the one about Maria should be awesome. Make your inner child see The Book of Life. Really.
Total Recall (1990) - 6.0 / 10
This is actually a far better movie than I expected. Paul Verhoeven is one of Holland's best when it comes to big budget cinema, but the true credits go to Philip K. Dick, one of the most interesting sci-fi writers of the 20th century, whose short story "We Can Remember It for Your Wholesale" inspired this movie. The special effects are excellent (no CGI's yet, hooray!) and the body horror is absolutely fantastic. But alas, when I see Arnold Schwarzenegger's face on my screen, I just want to rip my eyes and ears out. He's such an awful, unbearable actor and turns every movie he shows up in to shit. While I am able to enjoy The Terminator and Predator it is a very hard task to separate the qualities of the movie from the fact Arnie is messing the whole thing up. If I want to see bad acting, I'll watch a b-movie where it feels more authentic and not a big budget one where I expect overpaid actors to (try to) work for their money and not be a fucking gimmick. So, to conclude, Total Recall would've been so much better without Arnie in it. And no, I'm not going to watch the remake where Colin Farrell took his place. A 2012 Hollywood movie will never have those groovy special effects and awesome body horror that made the 1990 version so good, so why bother?
Discopathe (2013) - 5.5 / 10
A Canadian slasher movie that resembles films like Cruising, Maniac and Dernière Séance. This serial killer gets crazy upon hearing disco music. As soon as the first tunes reach his eardrums, his eyes turn black and he gets in a killing trance (triggered by some childhood trauma). Although Discopathe is an atmospheric picture with some truely interesting and horrific moments, it couldn't ever grab me by the throat, nor scare me at any time. I suppose this movie hasn't got the intention to shock, but more to generate a dismal vibe like Dernière Séance and 1970s feeling like Cruising. This is definitely something for aficionado's and exactly therein lies its charm. It just didn't work for me this time.
Witchfinder General (1968) - 4.5 / 10
Well, that was disappointing... I learned about this movie through doom metal bands like Witchfinder General and Cathedral, so my expectations were somewhat different than what I saw. I don't really know what I expected (maybe something more in the lines of A Field in England), but in any case something far less conventional than what I saw. It surprises me that this movie was so heavily cut in censorship. Maybe I underestimated the conservative sentiments in 1960s Britain... In any case, apart from Vincent Price, nothing about Witchfinder General makes me feel like I'm watching a horror movie. Some imagery certainly gives away director Michael Reeves' sentiment to the genre, but I thought he would've added more of an occult sensation in the picture. If Reeves didn't die an unfortunate young death a few months after this was released, I don't think it would've become such a cult hit...
This is the last film with River Phoenix. Meaning: as Phoenix died in 1993 and Dark Blood was only 80% shot, it took almost 19 years to get the material edited into the final cut. All scenes that haven't been shot are read as a voice-over by director George Sluizer over paused images. While that creates a distinct kind of movie experience, it doesn't seem to be something I'm very fond of. Of course, Dark Blood is a film that's all about Phoenix. Just like James Dean in 1955, Phoenix generated a cult following because of his untimely death. Mostly remembered for his roles in Stand by Me, Running on Empty, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and My Own Private Idaho, Phoenix never really had the chance to become the actor he could've been. That doesn't mean everything he did was pure genious though... In Dark Blood I'm just not feeling the Phoenix-vibe. Above all, it's quite a dull movie. Only recommended for those who want to see Phoenix shine one last time.
Not the worst biopic I've seen the past few years. Something for the fans of films like The Boat That Rocked, Good Vibrations and CBGB, although it's absolutely not as good as Richard Curtis' tribute to the pirate radio's of the 1960s. If you're into Ian Dury and The Blockheads Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll is something you might enjoy. Especially Andy Serkis' performance as Ian Dury, which is spellbinding at certain times. But as with so many biopics, this one also suffers from boring flashbacks, sentimental nostalgia and lack of its own style. The scenes on stage, when Ian is talking to his audience (and the viewers), are probably the only ones that really honour Dury's persona and kookiness. Everything else is conventional cinema accompanied by an awesome punk / new wave soundtrack by The Blockheads.
One of the most underrated movies of last year. Agreed, you're never certain with Terry Gilliam. The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus was a bit of a let-down of which his reputation never really recovered (maybe that's one of the reasons why this movie didn't get a proper release in Belgium), but I must say that The Zero Theorem proves Gilliam's qualities yet again. The dystopian atmosphere of films like Brazil and Twelve Monkeys has returned (some have referred to those two movies and The Zero Theorem as the Orwellian triptych, which suggests a conceptual trilogy). Only this time bureaucratic and post-apocalyptic sceneries have been changed for post-industrialist computer addiction. In a world dominated by multinationalist dictatorship and communist business structures, The Zero Theorem takes on contemporary issues (like burn-outs, existential crises and capitalist wage-slavery) and puts them in sci-fi tragedy. Christoph Waltz' eccentric acting is a sheer delight and even the smaller roles (Matt Damon, Ben Whishaw, Peter Stormare, David Thewlis and especially Tilda Swanton) are carried out wonderfully. Never before has corporate managerialism been displayed so daunting and utterly repelling in a contemporary film, or not that I know of. This movie is without any doubt a gem that might grow everytime I see it.
The Babadook has been labeled the best Australian horror movie in years. I've got not much to compare to, but I do recognize a good horror picture when I see one. While you won't have to prepare for jump scares, gallons of blood or unbearable tension, Jennifer Kent's movie relies on the expressions of the actors and the psychological darkness surrounding the story. Essie Davis and child actor Noah Wiseman give their best making their facial expressions speak a thousand words and mostly they succeed. In addition, I think it is possible to read a subtext in this movie: the Babadook being the psychological terror of not being able to cope with reality. Of course that's just a possible interpretation (although I like the metaphorical layer of the ending when looking at the movie this way). The kind of horror that adds a pinch of Dark Touch to movies like Mama, Sinister and Oculus. Recommended!
Geen opmerkingen:
Een reactie posten