Everything is Illuminated(dir. Liev Schreiber)
I liked it alot. It just feels really uneven with the beginning being a goofball comedy versus the ending which is very depressing and serious. It also felt the director was pushing his style too much.
*** out of ****

The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie(dir. Luis Bunuel)
This is my first experience with Bunuel other than the first few minutes of Un Chien Andalou. This film was pretty amazing and funny too. The bourgeoisie are portrayed hypocritical, extremely judging, and basically flawed human beings even a bishop is portrayed rather negatively. This film is funny because the situations are so bizarre yet the actors act so seriously when approaching them. It is an amazing satire on the upper class.
**** out of ****

Tokyo Story(dir. Yasujiro Ozu)
This film is considered the last of the Noriko trilogy and also Ozu's masterpiece. I actually felt pretty bored during the first hour and half or so because I didn't get into the rhythm. This lead me to extreme boredom, but the last half hour which I watched today, everything clicked revealing an astonishing film. I'm gonna have to rewatch it, but the last 30 minutes left with a profound impression.
**** out of ****

Early Summer Review

My second Ozu film and my favorite for now. The performances were much more natural compared to Late Spring. Late Spring had the actors have the same expression on their face even when they were going to sleep which made it distracting especially with the constant smiling. The music was also much better and subtle in this film. The film's stories are very similar with the marriage of a daughter effecting family life but instead of just a widower and a daughter, its a whole family. The film was subtle, beautiful, and gave me a warm feeling. I loved it and I'm looking forward to the next Ozu film on my queue Tokyo Story which closes this so-called "Noriko Trilogy" which contains Late Spring and this film.
**** out of ****.

The New World Review

Terrence Malick has now made only 4 films. His career started in the 70's. He made a film called Days of Heaven which should be here tomorrow in the late 70's and his next film came out in 1999. That film was The Thin Red Line which offered me a frustrating experience. I was enjoying it alot and all of sudden the film got too repetitive and it "unclicked" which made me frustrated and didn't end on a good note. The film is still worth watching and I should probably rewatch it. This film can seem long at times, but theres points of such extreme beauty that I feel I can simply overlook these instances. The last 15 minutes are amazing and should basically experienced by everyone. A lot of critics have called his films poetic and this film definitely is. The last 15 minutes and another instance in the film has such a sublime rhythm with the score going and Pocahontas's narration combining into visual poetry. I kept thinking for it for days after and feel it is a modern masterpiece.
**** out of ****

Late Spring Review

Yasujiro Ozu was considered too Japanese for Western audiences. His films didn't come over here until after he died. His films are often considered to Bresson's, but they have one thing Bresson's films don't. EMOTION. I can understand the comparision though. The characters seem like in a constant state of smiling and not just a blank expression. There are some scenes I found moving and they usually contained no words at all. It showed more emotion than any of the dialogue in the film. I don't feel I am used to style yet. I often heard he barely moves the camera and it is obvious, but not as off-putting. Probably the most off-putting thing to me was the conversations. Most of the conversations are done straight into the camera and goes back and forth between the characters which I feel doesn't flow that well, but this is one of earlier films so maybe his later films are more smoother or I grow more accustomed to it over time. I have another Ozu film on the top of my queue so I hope I get "into" this great filmmaker.
*** out of ****

Aguirre, The Wrath of God Review

Werner Herzog's films feel very raw as if what he is capturing is actually happening. He is obviously infatuated with nature and its creatures. There is one scene with a baby sloth and another of a mother rat-like creature carrying its babies somewhere out of their nest. There is also the infamous scene with all those damn monkies. Kinski's performance isn't that great. To tell you the truth, most of the performances feel very unnatural, but the overall feel to the film is pretty amazing. I liked the music alot especially the Indian pipe music. This film is usually considered Herzog's masterpiece and to an extent, I would probably have to agree with that. I'm not sure if I like this more than Enigma of Kaspar Hauser, but it was pretty amazing.
**** out of ****

Decalogue VI and VII Reviews

Decalogue VI(dir. Kieslowski)
This is easily tied or maybe even better than Decalogue I. It is tragic yet beautiful. I was very surprised by this one since it deals with love yet it is told in a very accessible way about a young man's fatuation with an older woman. He "peeps" at her all the time through his telescope and their eventual confratation. What leads after this might possibly the finest moments in the Decalogue and maybe even cinema.
**** out of ****.
Decalogue VII
The story is simple yet very complex morally. Most of the stories in the Decalogue are like that. This however feels different from the rest. It doesn't spend most of its time in the urban landscape that populates most of the other films/episodes. It mainly spends its time in rural landscapes. It poses the question about kidnapping your own child and young people having children. It is fascinating and is worthy of the Decalogue.
**** out of ****.

Decalogue 5 Review

Thou shalt not kill
That is basically the concept to this Decalogue and this is probably the most well known one out of the Ten Commandmants. This film could have a been a simple parable about the effects of killing, but it dwells more than just that. All the Decologues I've seen make the viewers wonder about morality and our actions. The protagonist(or antagonist?) is clearly not likeable or sympathetic. He kills a man for no reason and yet we somehow want him to live. The most interesting thing about the film is how the victim who is very similar to the protagonist. He does things that most people would think are wrong yet he still does him. The film raises questions about capital punishment. This film was expanded into a nearly 90 minute film called A Short Film About Killing.
Overall: A great Decalogue.
**** out of ****

Movie Reviews

Match Point(dir. Woody Allen)
I liked it alot, but doesn't really compare well to the other two movies I've seen by him. The film is basically a pseudo remake of Crimes & Misdemeanors which I love. Scarlett Johansson's acting is pretty shitty and overall the movie didn't blow me away. *** out of ****
Decalogue IV(dir. Kryzstzof Kieslowski?)
It took me awhile to watch anything on this dvd, but yeah. This story was pretty emotional and I liked the twist at the end even though I don't really like twists. I like Kieslowski's style alot. It feels very human and natural. **** out of ****

Blood of a Poet Review

This is my first Jean Cocteau film and yeah. It was bizarre which is something I didn't really expect. This film was made in the 30's so I just expected it to be a 30's movie that was bizarre then but not now. I was wrong. I found it to be interesting at parts. The first and fourth episodes were interesting. The third one seemed pointless and the second one I might have mixed up with the first. The film really had no continuity to it and felt pretty much slapped together. I don't understand what it means but thats beside the point. The whole film basically felt like a big display of trick photography so yeah. I want to see the films that are considered masterpieces by him like Beauty and the Beast and Orpheus.
Overall: Interesting, but lacking
** or *** out of ****