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Post by AD on Feb 1, 2011 0:06:59 GMT -5
It was nice to see some new participants taking part last month. Let’s try to build on that this month. Watch any Academy Award winning movie and review it by the end of the month.OR Watch any movie nominated for this year’s Academy Awards and review it by the end of the month.February is Oscar month in movie land, so I think it’s a perfectly suitable area of focus for us this month. You can go historical or contemporary, so there should be something for everybody. List of all Academy Award Winning films.List of this year’s nominees
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Post by Her 69 Eyes on Feb 1, 2011 1:08:46 GMT -5
I'll undoubtedly be watching a ton of qualifying titles - it'll just be a matter of finding the time to review them all!
TCM has started their 31 Days of Oscar programming schedule. Many of the films they screen are only nominees... but i'm sure just about anything you watch in primetime will have won atleast one.
What I know for a fact that i'll be watching (school commitments, DVD releases, already scheduled on DVR, etc.):
2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (dir. Stanley Kubrick, 1968) - Repeat Viewing - Best Effects, Special Visual Effects[/color]
AMARCORD (dir. Federico Fellini, 1973) - Repeat Viewing - Best Foreign Language Film - Italy[/color]
ANTHONY ADVERSE (dir. Mervyn LeRoy, 1936) - Best Actress in a Supporting Role - Best Cinematography - Best Film Editing - Best Music, Score[/color]
THE CHAMP (dir. King Vidor, 1931) - Best Actor in a Leading Role - Best Writing, Original Story[/color]
A DAMSEL IN DISTRESS (dir. George Stevens, 1937) - Best Dance Direction
ESKIMO (dir. W.S. Van Dyke, 1933) - Best Film Editing[/color]
GASLAND (dir. Josh Fox, 2010) - 2011 Nominee - Best Documentary Feature Film [/color]
THE ILLUSIONIST (dir. Sylvain Chomet, 2010) - 2011 Nominee - Best Animated Feature Film [/color]
MANHATTAN MELODRAMA (dir. W.S. Van Dyke, 1934) - Best Writing, Original Story[/color]
THE MATRIX (dir. Andy & Lana Wachowski, 1999) - Repeat Viewing - Best Editing - Best Effects, Sound Effects Editing - Best Effects, Visual Effects - Best Sound
MISSING (dir. Costa-Gavras, 1982) - Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium
WINGS (dir. William A. Wellman, 1927) - Best Picture, Production - Best Effects, Engineering Effects[/color]
... and certainly a handful of others.
I've already seen everything nominated in every category this year except for: Country Strong, The Illusionist, Incendies, Outside the Law, Unstoppable, and The Tempest.
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Post by Maf on Feb 10, 2011 17:36:23 GMT -5
True Grit (2010) I haven't seen the original or heard much about it since westerns are really my type of movie. Whenever that whole time period is involved in a movie I just get immediately turned off by it and my enjoyment of the movie gets immediately thrown out the window. I was however, persuaded to watch this film simply because of the critical acclaim the movie was getting. Everywhere I went it seemed, that someone was raving about this movie. So in the end, I budged and went to see what all the excitement was about. I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this. I expected the movie to have long periods when I would dread watching it but I enjoyed this all the way through. The thing that bothered me though was the fact that the one thing the story was building up to was a fourteen year old girl killing a grown man. It makes sense for the girl to avenge her late father but it does seem a bit perverse to have. Either way I liked that the movie wasn't a campy western.
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Post by AD on Feb 11, 2011 21:23:04 GMT -5
It's interesting that you liked "True Grit" because it wasn't a campy western. I liked "True Grit" because it was a campy western. Actually, "campy" isn't the word I'd use, but you get what I'm saying, right? There's a character who clucks like a chicken for fuck's sake! ----------------------------------------------------------------- THE NAKED CITY (Jules Dassin, 1948) Netflix description: TV shows like “Law & Order” and it’s various spin offs owe a big debt of gratitude to Jules Dassin’s “The Naked City.” The formula for such shows - a group of cops with a murder to solve, a simple progression from one suspect to the next, filming done on location in a big city - is laid out, perhaps for the first time, by this movie. Of course it doesn’t help that this type of thing has been turned into a formula by unimaginative television producers, but we can hardly hold that against a film made before the explosion of the TV industry. Although there is an eerily prophetic line near the end of the movie about how, with the case solved, the detectives will be moving on to another big case by next week. Just like they were in a TV show, huh? One thing that this movie does have that still separates it from your average TV cop drama is a sense of gallows humor almost like that of a Coen brothers movie. There’s a moment when, after finding out that her daughter who came to the big city to be a model has been murdered, a woman breaks down crying and asks “why couldn’t she have been born ugly?” There’s also an odd voiceover narration that makes the movie feel more like a nature documentary than a cop drama. These are qualities that might have been overlooked in 1948, but are invaluable in distinguishing the film in today’s market, where similar stories can be seen on TV literally every night of the week.. Considering the innovative location photography, it’s no surprise that this film would have won the Oscar for Best Cinematography, Black-and-White. It’s also no surprise that it would be nominated for a Best Writing, Motion Picture Story Oscar. The cinematography and writing combine to make this a movie about New York City, and not just another murder mystery. Like the fellow says: “There are eight million stories in the Naked City. This has been one of them.”
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Post by Her 69 Eyes on Feb 11, 2011 23:11:33 GMT -5
I've seen The Naked City and quite liked it, although my memories of it are only vague. I remember the importance of a professional wrestler to the plot, and in that respect it's a relevant artifact for us folk. Have you seen any more of Jules Dassin's films? I'd recommend Brute Force and Thieves' Highway, although I have a bunch more that I need to see myself! I did manage to catch The Law in it's theatrical run last year, and I also loved The Canterville Ghost - which is a huge change of pace for him in that it's a family comedy. MVZ MMC: February 2011 The Matrix (dir. Andy & Lana Wachowski, 1999) 4 ACADEMY AWARDS (2000):Best Editing Best Effects, Sound Effects Editing Best Effects, Visual Effects Best SoundBefore getting into the film, I feel that it's important to articulate my relationship with this particular series. I've never been a great admirer of the franchise. As the age group of many of you is my own, and as I know that many of my peers growing up watched the film ad nauseam in their teens, it's probably a film that means more to many of you than it does to me. Approaching the film for the first time in what I would imagine to be a decade, I was still struck by how well-aged the visual effects are. Also, regarding it's visual aesthetic in general, I think there are some stylistic choices that haven't been duplicated to the extent that, for instance, the martial arts sequences have. One of my favorite scenes in the film is when Neo is called into his boss' office early on. The scene is given a green hue and periodically the Wachowskis cut to the window washer. That particular scene is one bursting with energy, however those smaller aesthetic decisions have mostly been ignored by the filmmakers who are more interested in replicating the action scenes. While a spectacular technical achievement, approaching the film today I was startled by how ineffective the romance was, as well as the awkward pacing of the second half. Although this role is tailor made for Keanu in that all he needs to do is act surprised by everything, his transition into the confident, romantic hero is not present and his arc is completely unbelievable. Even Avatar - perhaps it's contemporary equal as far as dumb blockbusters elevated by technical achievements go - takes it's time in presenting sequences of Jake becoming familiar with the tribe. Neo is asked to go from common man to action hero within the span of a few frames. A few of the universe's conceits - such as the ability to program whatever skill the protagonist may require into them - take away from our emotional need to live vicariously through the characters and watch their natural growth. There's not much room for a character to grow in a film in which each obstacle can be overcome with computer coding. I'm not sure that I buy the film as being revolutionary philosophically speaking. It's ambitious - the concept of a technopocalypse, warning us of humanities growing reliance on technology, the idea of our oppressors, whether that be the "machines" or simply the media, literally robbing us of our lives, and the struggle of free will against predetermination. Many of these concepts, however, are articulated in better science fiction films: Brazil, Blade Runner, even Terminator. The ambition is admirable, but twelve years removed I don't feel that the film has earned it's accolades as a momentous narrative fiction despite it's technological prowess. My MMC History:
02/11: The Matrix (Andy & Lana Wachowski, 1999): 3/5 01/12: My Dog Tulip (Paul & Sandra Fierlinger, 2009): 4.5/5 12/31: Easy Rider (Hopper, 1969): 2.5/5 12/31: Head (Rafelson, 1968): 3.5/5 12/31: Le bonheur (Varda, 1965): 5/5 12/31: Au Hasard Balthazar (Bresson, 1966): 4.5/5 12/31: Alphaville (Godard, 1965): 2.5/5 12/16: Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte (Aldrich, 1963): 3/5 12/14: The Birds (Hitchcock, 1963): 3.5/5 10/30: Blood for Dracula (Morrissey & Margheriti, 1974): 4/5 10/30: Flesh for Frankenstein (Morrissey & Margheriti, 1973): 3/5 10/30: Eyes Without a Face (Franju, 1960): 3.5/5 10/30: Peeping Tom (Powell, 1960): 5/5 10/29: Onibaba (Shindô, 1964): 4/5 10/14: Near Dark (Bigelow, 1987): 3.5/5[/url] 10/13: Vampyr (Dreyer, 1932): 5/5[/url] 10/06: Daughters of Darkness (Kümel, 1971): 3.5/5[/url] [/size]
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Post by AD on Feb 12, 2011 0:42:14 GMT -5
I've seen The Naked City and quite liked it, although my memories of it are only vague. I remember the importance of a professional wrestler to the plot, and in that respect it's a relevant artifact for us folk. Have you seen any more of Jules Dassin's films? I'd recommend Brute Force and Thieves' Highway, although I have a bunch more that I need to see myself! I did manage to catch The Law in it's theatrical run last year, and I also loved The Canterville Ghost - which is a huge change of pace for him in that it's a family comedy. The only other Dassin film I've seen is "Rififi," which I absolutely love. I'm still considering watching "Topkapi" and "Never on Sunday" this month, since they both won Oscars, but there's no guarantee I'll get around to them. And I actually agree with your sentiments on "The Matrix." Particularly on how bad the love story is. About a year ago I bought the whole trilogy on a whim and re-watched them all for the first time in several years. When Trinity said "you can't die, because I love you Neo" (or whatever the line is) I laughed and laughed. But the special effects for that film have indeed aged beautifully. I can't say the same about the sequels.
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Post by Maf on Feb 12, 2011 11:03:17 GMT -5
It's interesting that you liked "True Grit" because it wasn't a campy western. I liked "True Grit" because it was a campy western. Actually, "campy" isn't the word I'd use, but you get what I'm saying, right? There's a character who clucks like a chicken for fuck's sake! Campy probably wasn't the best term but the reason I liked it is because it wasn't a Hero tries to rid the town of the baddies western. Typical would have been a better term (or to an extent Cliche).
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Post by zee on Feb 12, 2011 18:37:23 GMT -5
The Social Network (2010) "A movie about facebook? I don't even have a facebook." That was my initial reaction to this movie, which I quickly dismissed as something I would never watch. Fast Forward to present-day, I have a facebook and I love this movie. Granted, not to the extent that some people do (although I do understand why people put it so high up on a pedestal). The Social Network turned out to be a lot better than I expected. Having the story of facebook be told from the angle of two court cases is a neat idea, it's just a tad confusing at first. Eisenberg's portrayal of Zuckerburg was annoying (his short and abrupt speech pattern made it hard to watch) but I soon grew adjusted to it. Eduardo was the face (in wrestling terms) of the movie, and was pretty much a likable personality getting conned by a man getting conned by another. I did feel a little sympathy towards Eisenberg during the closing scene, but leaning more towards the pity kind of sympanthy (which they may have been trying to go for). As for the actual story I will say i found it very interesting. I'm not sure how much of it is made up, but I'm pretty sure I don't want to find out. The end scene with Eisenberg refreshing the page, I found, was quite symbolic to how some people get addicted to "the social network", and while I don't check my page every two minutes (or every day for that matter), it was fitting to say the least.
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Post by Rishlicious on Feb 14, 2011 0:22:40 GMT -5
true grit | joel & ethan brothers | 2010all i want to say about this film, is that it is one with a collection of tremendous accents. i'm sure it had to be intentional humour at having labeouf and colburn being nearly incomprehensible with their accents after the former's tongue was severed and the latter is drunk out of his mind? okay, some more! i think it's easily identifiable as a coen brothers film, with their quintessential deadpan humour evident throughout. there is some hilarious interaction early on involving hailee steinfeld - such as her bargaining with colonel stonehill - while jeff bridges takes it to another entire level. his line after mattie crosses the river on her horse killed me! the film doesn't defy genre as the coen's have been known to do, although it does become quite dark in parts. there were certainly opportunities to take it in a more surreal route ala barton fink, but i'm glad they stuck to a traditional and conservative platform because it has a great deal of charm, for the reasons you guys have mentioned already. not a terrible lot happens, but it's still a very entertaining film with a well told story and some beautiful landscape shots. i've not seen javier bardem in biutiful, but having seen the other four performances up for 'best actor' at this years oscars (reviews maybe coming soon!), my votes goes to jeff bridges in this right here film. he's simply exquisite in the role of rooster cogburn, although having not seen the original film i can't make any comparison to john wayne's offering. i doubt he'll win through considering he won the same award last year. 9/10
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Post by Rishlicious on Feb 14, 2011 19:30:22 GMT -5
rabbit hole | john cameron mitchell | 2010boasting an array of great performances, rabbit hole foregoes the melodrama by always remaining a realistic narrative with characters that make well informed, smartly scripted and perfectly communicated decisions. the film picks up eight months after the death of becca and howie corbett's (nicole kidman and aaron eckhart) four year old son in a road accident. what follows is a story of the couple growing increasingly distant and finding contrasting ways in which to cope with their bereavement, leaving them both vulnerable with their solitude. the struggle they're going through both personally and as a married couple is documented really well and that leads to an easy immersion into the story and their problems. there are two absolutely fantastic scenes in the film. the first is an always escalating argument between eckhart and kidman with such an extraordinary level of intensity and emotion. the second is towards the end of the film where jason - the boy who accidentally killed their son - naively enters their house during an argument to drop off a present for becca, who has recently befriended him. it's especially great because we completely understand each persons mentality within the scene and the dynamics between every character. it's incredibly awkward and suspenseful and just marvellously orchestrated, you really feel a part of the scene. nicole kidman (who is ridiculously attractive throughout the film!) has gotten rightful acknowledgement with her oscar nomination, she appears so natural in the role at all times. she's sublime. eckhart should also be praised for his refined and energetic performance, the two leads work off each other superbly. miles teller as jason is very reassured and confident alongside the two big stars in some emotionally challenging scenes built on careful timing and pace of delivery, i look forward to seeing him in the future. even sandra oh, in the little screen time she has, always remains highly believable in her acting. although attention cannot be detracted from dianne wiest, who as becca's mother is subtle and subdued yet still resonates vividly. what really makes rabbit hole so easily seductive is that it never intends to seduce you. the film avoids any inclination to become whiny or forcing in its story; it doesn't explicitly tell you the true nature of their grief until halfway through, instead astutely alluding to it at chosen times and bringing necessary intrigue for the story. it gently guides the story along and instead leaves itself wide open, inviting you in to test the waters at any time you feel. those that jump right in will reap the rewards from their willingness. 9/10.
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Post by AD on Feb 15, 2011 20:10:09 GMT -5
ALL THAT JAZZ (Bob Fosse, 1979) Netflix description: I enjoy a good musical as much as any heterosexual man, but I rarely talk or write about them. It’s not that I’m embarrassed about my love of the genre, I just never know what to say about them. I’m far from an expert on film, but I think I know enough to pretend I know what I’m talking about. It’s the music that I have trouble with discussing, so for the purposes of this review I’ll just avoid that subject altogether. Usually, when people talk about movies inspired by a director’s own life, the term “semi-autobiographical” is used. When discussing Bob Fosse’s extraordinary film “All That Jazz” the “semi” is usually dropped. The main character may be named Joe Gideon, but there’s never a moment when the informed viewer doesn’t feel as if Roy Scheider (doing perhaps his finest work) isn’t portraying Fosse himself. This is, as Martin Scorsese described it, “Bob Fosse’s self portrait.” And it’s not a particularly flattering portrait at that. Fosse also uses the film as a platform to address some of his critics. There’s a scene where a female critic mercilessly bashes Gideon’s film “The Standup” (based on Fosse’s real life film “Lenny” about comedian Lenny Bruce). She goes into detail about everything she thinks is wrong with the film, and Gideon more or less dismisses her opinion. This could be viewed as a self serving indulgence on the part of Fosse, but when you consider that Gideon himself was highly critical of the film earlier on, freely voicing his dissatisfaction with the final cut, the scene seems more like a self examination than an attack on his critics. It’s all right for him to dislike his work, but should anybody else dare voice their displeasure they must just be assholes, right? The film won four Oscars, the most notable being in the category of Film Editing. There’s a line near the end about how Joe Gideon “didn’t know where the games ended and the reality began.” I think it’s one of the great strengths of the movie, and a testament to the quality of the editing, that the viewer can relate to this line. We don’t always know what’s real and what’s fantasy, and that allows us to empathize with Gideon. Editing that calls attention to itself isn’t always good for a movie, but if there’s one genre for which this type of editing is suitable it would have to the movie musical. This is about as far from the feel good simplicity characteristic of the classic Hollywood movie musicals of Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly as a film in the genre could get, short of “Sweeney Todd.” It’s a deeply personal examination of an artist’s self destruction through his obsession with his work. In that sense it could be compared, however vaguely, to one of this year’s big Oscar contenders, Darren Aronofsky’s “Black Swan.” I also think it would make a much more interesting companion piece to Federico Fellini’s “8 ½” than “Nine,” the actual musical reinterpretation of that film.
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Post by Maf on Feb 20, 2011 12:13:39 GMT -5
The King's Speech (2010) I went into this movie thinking the same thing I thought when I saw True Grit, a movie that received a lot of praise but would probably not be very entertaining for me. Fortunately, both times my thoughts were mistaken. I felt the movie was overall very good and surprisingly entertaining. I had constantly argued with my brother that a movie about someone making a speech wasn't entertaining but it did surprise me. The accent was a little too strong for me (Although they weren't for other people) because I went half the movie thinking that Lionel was calling Albert Percy instead of Bertie. Although in retrospect it doesn't make much sense to have him be called Percy if his name's Albert. The relationship Bertie and Lionel reminded me a lot of the relationship that Will and Sean had in Good Will Hunting. That of a reluctant patient who eventually caves in. This didn't bother me though, as they made the interactions between them different from the interactions that Will and Sean had. Like I said before I enjoyed the movie, but I personally would give the Oscar to the Social Network simply because the movie came at a time when the story is a lot more relevant than this.
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Post by Her 69 Eyes on Feb 21, 2011 4:32:13 GMT -5
MVZ MMC: February 2011 Manhattan Melodrama (dir. W.S. Van Dyke, 1934) 1 ACADEMY AWARD (1935):Best Writing, Original Story1934 was a hugely important year for Hollywood. The Production Code, which was established in 1930, had been largely ignored by the films of the early 30s (commonly known as the "pre-code era"). In that time period, Catholics displayed hostility towards one of the biggest draws of the time - the gangster picture. Films like Scarface, The Public Enemy, and Little Caesar were reigning kings at the box office, however all of which were criticized for glorifying the gangster. Manhattan Melodrama, released in 1934 (recognized as being the first year where the code - under Joseph I. Breen - was strictly enforced), is a fascinating artifact which documents the progression from pre-code gangsters to code gangsters - it is a film where the gangster is convicted and sentenced to death (which we know, because of the time period, to be an inevitability from the beginning), but it is also a film wherein the gangster is played one of the most charismatic leading men in Hollywood, Clark Gable. The gangster is still a rock star, but he is demonstrated to be an outsider who will have to be punished (typically fatally) by the film's end. In tracing the beginnings of Production Code Hollywood and specifically the changes to the gangster genre, Manhattan Melodrama is an easy reference point. The film is most known for being the last film that John Dillinger saw before he was killed. William Powell is one of my favorite actors, and his career is an interesting one. In the silent era, he was often cast as a brooding, sardonic figure - which we see in one of the masterpieces of 1928, The Last Command - however at the invention of synchronized sound in The Jazz Singer, he quite literally reinvented himself as a witty, charmingly sophisticated figure and found even greater levels of success (the opposite of, for instance, Norma Desmond of Sunset Boulevard). This is an important film in his career as it marked the first appearance of one of the most beloved screen duos in 1930s Hollywood - William Powell and Myrna Loy, Nick and Nora of The Thin Man series. While this isn't one of his better performances, it is one where he treads the line between the two contrasting images that he had played on screen throughout his career - on one hand, he's a selfish politician, and on the other, he's the loyal, romantic lead. There is, as expected, quite a bit of moralizing in the film. Late in the film, Powell gives a speech in which he demonizes the gangster and suggests that the end of prohibition should mean the end of the glorified celebrity crook. The end of the film, too, is one that rehabs the image of the politician - the Code stipulated that authority figures should not appear immoral or incompetent. Therefore, Powell's character, who had shown remorse to his gangster friend earlier on, must resign from his duty. These scenes seem to have been added specifically to appease the Production Code, but what W.S. Van Dyke does throughout the rest of the picture is focus on the similarities between Powell and Gable. We see them grow together and then later in life they are represented with similar mustaches and hairstyles. Powell betrays his friend in order to help advance his career, just as Gable kills because he's looking out for himself. Equating the beloved politician and the notorious criminal is one of those subtle elements that, while probably overlooked by the naive censorship boards, allows the film to retain an edge through subtle visual clues. My MMC History:
02/22: Manhattan Melodrama (Van Dyke, 1934): 4/5 02/11: The Matrix (Andy & Lana Wachowski, 1999): 3/5 01/12: My Dog Tulip (Paul & Sandra Fierlinger, 2009): 4.5/5 12/31: Easy Rider (Hopper, 1969): 2.5/5 12/31: Head (Rafelson, 1968): 3.5/5 12/31: Le bonheur (Varda, 1965): 5/5 12/31: Au Hasard Balthazar (Bresson, 1966): 4.5/5 12/31: Alphaville (Godard, 1965): 2.5/5 12/16: Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte (Aldrich, 1963): 3/5 12/14: The Birds (Hitchcock, 1963): 3.5/5 10/30: Blood for Dracula (Morrissey & Margheriti, 1974): 4/5 10/30: Flesh for Frankenstein (Morrissey & Margheriti, 1973): 3/5 10/30: Eyes Without a Face (Franju, 1960): 3.5/5 10/30: Peeping Tom (Powell, 1960): 5/5 10/29: Onibaba (Shindô, 1964): 4/5 10/14: Near Dark (Bigelow, 1987): 3.5/5[/url] 10/13: Vampyr (Dreyer, 1932): 5/5[/url] 10/06: Daughters of Darkness (Kümel, 1971): 3.5/5[/url] [/size]
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Post by AD on Feb 21, 2011 18:09:50 GMT -5
THE ACCUSED (Jonathon Kaplan, 1988) Netflix description When people describe Jodie Foster as an Academy Award winning actress they are usually referring to her work in “The Silence of The Lambs.” It’s often forgotten that she actually won her first Best Actress Oscar in 1989 for her performance in “The Accused.” The one common bond between both performances is that she’s required to project an uneasy combination of strength and vulnerability, and she does so brilliantly in both films. In fact, I would argue that no other actress alive can display those two conflicting qualities with as much grace as Ms. Foster. Other than some inconsistencies in her accent, it’s hard to find anything wrong with her performance in “The Accused.” Unfortunately, it’s hard to find much else to appreciate about the rest of the film. The movie’s portrayal of men is about as subtle as that of a Lifetime movie. With only one exception, the men in the film are all either sadistic rapists or uncaring bastards. I have no sympathy for anybody involved in any sort of sexual assault (except the victims, obviously), but I have to believe that the real life case that inspired the movie probably presented more gray areas than are seen in the movie. But, I also understand the filmmakers’ desire to sympathize entirely with the victim, so I can give them a pass on that front. What’s more concerning is how one of the Kelly McGillis character’s male colleagues is constantly trying to dissuade her from taking the case to court. He has no logical motivation for these actions, but he does have a penis, so he has to be one of the bad guys, right? You would think a movie directed by a man would be more concerned with presenting a few positive male figures, but I guess you’d be wrong. Something even more disconcerting than that, though, is how the film is structured so that a flashback to the rape - unseen up to that point - is presented as the climax. Not only is this just a cheap, manipulative way to create a rise in the viewer’s emotional involvement, it’s also, quite frankly, a disgusting way of hooking the more dubious audience members until the end of the film. It’s like saying “stick around ’til the end and you’ll see an awesome rape scene, dude!” Don’t get me wrong, this is a well-intentioned film, but praising this kind of movie for being “anti-rape” is sort of like praising a holocaust picture for being “anti-nazi.” One doesn’t really need to see a movie to be convinced that rapists or nazis are terrible people, it sort of goes without saying.
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Post by AD on Feb 25, 2011 22:59:33 GMT -5
LAURA (Otto Preminger, 1944) Netflix description As someone who takes a small amount of pride in his small amount of knowledge of film noir, it’s a little embarrassing for me to admit that I’d never seen “Laura” - one of the genre’s most beloved classics - until just recently. The movie is renowned for it’s plot, which is part hardboiled murder mystery, part absurd comedy. What’s remarkable about said plot isn’t how twisted it gets by the end, but how easy to follow it remains through each twist and turn. The identity of the killer seems obvious from the start, but the numerous red herrings are effectively believable. The bigger question is who was actually murdered. It’s densely plotted and contrived, but never seems convoluted. At least not until you think back on it after it’s all over. Much of the film’s charm comes from watching some great character actors chew the scenery without the slightest bit of restraint. Clifton Webb, in his Oscar nominated performance as the lecherous Waldo Lydecker, is the clear standout. Even in a cast that includes a young Vincent Price, Webb is memorably over the top. With all this scene stealing going on in the supporting cast, it would be easy to overlook what Dana Andrews brought to the movie. He’s not a particularly charismatic lead, but I think you need somebody like that to anchor a film like this. Without the boring straight laced guy to add perspective, it’s impossible to appreciate the campy quality that the likes of Webb and Price bring to the table. Contrary to that, Gene Tierney’s work as the title character is pretty dull. It’s an undeniable weakness of the film (maybe the only weakness) that the supposedly irresistible woman, whose mere presence inspires every other character’s actions, comes off as just another pretty face. In fairness to Ms. Tierney, there’s not much even the finest actresses could have done with her role, which is little more than an image of idealized perfection. See her in “Leave Her to Heaven” for an idea of what she was capable of doing with a meatier role to sink her teeth into. “Laura” exists today as a reminder of how much fun this type of film can be when the people behind the camera, and in front of it, don’t take themselves too seriously. If made today, this movie would likely be a brooding, violent bit of big budget exploitation, and it would suck! The difference between a good movie and a bad one is often a sense of humor.
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