Week in Review #1

I'm gonna watch a movie a day except Sundays and read a book a week. I am then gonna review all of it on here.
Book:

Breakfast of Champions By Kurt Vonnegut
The book was interesting, but I was never stirred up emotionally. This book however is beyond criticism since it realizes this in the book itself. Kurt Vonnegut wrote himself in the book and talked about books that explain everything are stupid. This book describes everything about everyone in it from past to their measurements. It was pretty entertaining and better than Cat's Cradle, but definately worse than Slaughterhouse-five.
*** out of ****
Movies:
I'm gonna rank the ones from best to worst of this week.
1. Landscape in the Mist

I love these types of movies that seemed grounded in realism, but have surreal events and images that occur in them. One particular scene deals with a hand coming out of the water which was eerie yet brilliant. It reminded me of La Dolce Vita when the helicopter took it away. It was the longest movie I saw this week, but seemed to go by fast. This was my first film by Theo Angelopoulos and I hope to see more by him.
**** out of ****
2. Kanal

Andrjez Wajda directed one of my favorite films, Ashes and Diamonds. This film is considered one of his masterpieces and some prefer this to Ashes and Diamonds. I prefer Ashes and Diamonds still, but I can easily understand people's preferences. This is one of the grimmest depictions of war I've ever seen which seems rather odd with the lack of violence compared to modern films. It showed war as dehumanizing and degrading. A group of resistance fighters have to take to the sewers or they die. They all die anyways which makes it even worse. It was amazing.
**** out of ****
3. The Virgin Suicides

Sofia Coppola is one of my favorite modern directors just because of Lost in Translation. Some thought it was boring, but I loved the style and atmoshphere the film had. I expected more out of this film, but I wasn't too disappointed. The style and atmosphere was almost as enjoyable, but from the previews and pictures, I was just expecting more. The soundtrack was pretty bitching. It was really good and I was glad I bought it.
**** out of ****
4. Punch-Drunk Love

Paul Thomas Anderson failed me on this one. He seemed more interested in his style than actually presenting a story. There was some scenes I cracked a smile, but I think this just went over my head. I'll probably rewatch in a couple of weeks because a reviewer at DVDEmpire said he didn't like it the first time so I'll give it another try later. For now its....
** out of ****
5?. Mirror

This film is directed by Andrei Tarkovsky who directed Andrei Rublev. This film just seemed way too difficult for me. It didn't seem indulgent just too difficult. It was a new type of cinematic language that I have never seen before. There is a plot somewhat built off of his memories and so on. I definately need to rewatch it.
**? out of ****

Killer of Sheep Review

This can be considered my "holy grail" movie. I wanted to see it for awhile and it was on the top of my want to watch list. It is directed by a man named Charles Burnett. He is often compared to Spike Lee because he is a black director that tries to portray problems that are faced by the black community through his films. This was his first film and it was in response to all the blaxploitation films that came out during the 70's. This film is basically alot of little conversations and incidents. There is alot of children playing and other things. The incidents show more of the characters, but doesn't progress a real plot. The plot is basically life and about the characters. The sound quality isn't that good probably due to funding. The acting isn't also not that top-notch, but its the spirit that matters. I almost view this film like hardcore punk because the production values aren't stupendous, but the film somehow transcends that and became something amazing. It could be viewed as a real motivator for independent and upcoming directors. Children are shown playing throughout contrasted with Stan's family and friends and how they endure through the hardships of life. The children probably don't think they'll end up like Stan, but they will probably will. The title is somewhat a metaphor to life and also a reference to Stan's job. Sheep are viewed as innocence and the longer you live, the more innocence is drawned away. It can also be viewed as dreams since you count sheep in order to go to sleep. Stan probably dream of the life he has, but like the final image of the sheep pressing thru, he will endure and make the best out of it. It could be viewed as motivating, but not in a typical Hollywood way. They aren't gonna win a million dollars or be better people. They'll simply be who they are and thats all that matters. The last song you hear in the movie is called "Unforgettable" and thats exactly I feel about the whole film.
**** out of ****

Hard Eight (Sydney) Review

Paul Thomas Anderson is probably my favorite director that came out of the 90's. He has a dark side to his films, but he doesn't dwell on it to be edgy. It just seems like reality. Sure, a reality that he wants to show us, but all directors are like that. All good directors are like that. This was his first. It stars many actors that he would reuse for later films which are John C. Reily, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, and of course Phillip Baker Hall. This film was influenced by Jean-Pierre Melville's Bob le Flambeur which is understandable with its gambling themes and Phillip Baker Haller playing a character that is almost exactly like Bob. Hell even Gwyneth Paltrow's and John C. Reily's characters seemed lifted from that film. This film is definately not PTA's best in terms of screenwriting. It is filled with episodes that don't really add much. The whole episode with Sydney and Jimmy seems like it was lifted from a soap opera. The performances were relatively strong, but there was some instances that just didn't seem very natural. This is a very good feature debut from a director, but does not compare to the two films that followed this. While watching this, I came up with some connections between PTA and another director with the same last name that came out of the 90's, Wes Anderson. PTA's films deal with family. Wes's mainly deal with the father figure. Some of PTA's films have heavy themes dealing with fathers. This film does and so does Magnolia. Other than that, there really is no connection between the two filmmakers, but it is interesting how they deal with the themes. Paul seems more concerned with the father's perspective while Wes's films seem to come from the child's perspective except for maybe Life Aquatic and I'm not sure with Royal Tenenbaums. I enjoyed this film and some scenes that I thought were very good like the motel hostage scene. My feelings probably would have been different if the ending didn't feel so unsatisfying.
*** out of ****

Fight Club Review

Three people told me this was their favorite movie. So I wanted to see it because everybody gives this film praise. This is the first film that I have seen directed by David Fincher(Seven, The Game, and etc.). It started out with alot of energy and really had me interested until probably 90 minutes into it. The movie's biggest problem was the length. If it was only 90 minutes, I would probably be giving it 4 stars, but I'm not. I think alot of people probably enjoy it because of the "twist." That doesn't make the movie that great. The signs are easy to identify if you knew the "twist" beforehand so it might be a cool rewatch, but after that, I would probably get sick of it. It definately isn't the masterpiece as everybody says it is. It just felt like a film that was edgy to mainstream audiences. The whole thing with Bob with tits was pretty pathetic because it just felt it was trying to be edgy, but I should probably blame the book for that. There was alot of things that Tyler Durden says that probably gets endlessly quoted by fans, but his whole anti-consumerism slant seems rather hypocritical since he wears designer clothes that are nicer than anything Edward Norton's character wears. I don't know. It was pretty good.
*** out of ****

Persona Review

The beginning title cards and everything before was pretty impressive, but the rest of the film tries so hard to be artsy. It was interesting to say the least, but it tried too hard. All the Bergman I have seen has not convinced me that he is a master, but I could understand his appeal. Wild Strawberries was probably the worst film I've seen of his, but alot of people herald it as a masterpiece just like this. I thought Saraband was the best I seen of him and have to say that film was pretty good. Yeah...
** out of ****

The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada Review

This film is grimy, gritty, and feels suprisingly realistic. It is about a man seeking justice. Sure that description is off-putting, but theres alot more to it. The film centers on a man who befriends a Mexican that he works with on a ranch and does normal argiculture duties. His friend gets shot by a border patrol officer who mistakenly thinks he is getting shot at by him. The movie is edited in a very unique way. We get scenes from the past with Tommy Lee Jones spending time with Melquiades Estrada. These scenes are in actual Spanish instead of the unrealistic Hollywood fashion of having Spanish just be English but with Spanish accents. The characters inhabit a world that is grimy and pretty much morally depraved, but like most good film noirs theres a moral center. Tommy Lee Jones is the hero of this story, but probably the moral center is Estrada. One scene has Tommy Lee Jones and Estrada go to a hotel room with two married women to sleep with. Estrada does not sleep with the woman. They just sit on the hotel bed and watch tv and listen to music. The character is played with a suprising amount of innocence which makes his death more harrowing. One scene that makes this film a masterpiece occurs in Mexico. Tommy Lee Jones is in a bar drinking a beer and basically just sitting on stool. A little girl plays an out of tune piano and there is Christmas lights hanging down from the bar. It has such a surreal and beautiful effect on me that I think it is one of the greatest scenes I've ever seen. This is a stunning debut from a very talented director (Tommy Lee Jones).
**** out ****

Taste of Cherry Review and Analysis

Original review:
Taste of Cherry(dir. Abbas Kiarostami)
I'm borderline whether this film is actually good or bad. It was interesting and different. It was not as good as The Wind Will Carry Us which had conversations that felt natural and pointless yet meaningful. The whole film really doesn't engage the viewer but there is something bold about it that I have to respect.
*** out of ****
Rewatch Review:
I've never done this. I have never done a rewatch review on here, but I feel I need to. In all honesty, my first time watching the film was one of extreme boredom. I did not like it that much. The ending was interesting, but that was it. I thought the whole stages of life dealing with the passengers just seemed dull and pretentious. It was too self-conscious, but now I think about it, it goes well with the ending which is basically a giant self reflection of movie making. The film is much more intellectual stimulating on this viewing. Kiarostami constantly gives hints throughout the film that I never picked up on on my first viewing. The characters constantly refer to the earth and dirt. One conversation between an Afghani security guard and Mr. Badii reveals that Mr. Badii loves the earth. His form of suicide deals with earth. He has dug a hole to lay down after taking all his sleeping pills and he must have someone bury him if he dies. Why does he try to kill himself? I don't know for sure, but I'll get into that right now.
Analysis(SPOILERS):
All of this is purely opinion, but I feel it could make some sense. Earth is constantly referenced. Mr. Badii loves the earth. We constantly see the earth being shaped and manipulated which leads me to believe that Mr. Badii hates what human beings are doing to it. He constantly drives with his Range Rover on roads that were made by the manipulation of earth. I now see this as a metaphor for Kiarostami's style of film-making. He does not want to manipulate audiences or hijack them emotional. This film is emotional, but not to the extent a Hollywood film would be. It is much more intellectual. This is how Kiarostami makes his films. You could view Mr. Badii killing himself as a form of sacrifice for the earth. Kiarostami's films could be seen as "suicides" where he sacrifices his artistic control for his audience. He cares about them too much just like Mr. Badii cares for the earth. He wants the audience to defer from the film and be intellectually stimulated. He wants them to breath life into the film, not him breath life into the film for the audience. The ending however is a tricky bastard. It is self-reflexive as hell and does not correlate with the rest of the film. I realize now maybe I figured out something. The last time we see of Mr. Badii is sitting in that hole waiting to see if he dies or not. Obviously, Kiarostami wanting to have his audience intellectually stimulated and moved by thought would not give us an indication of whether he dies or not. We never find out, but after that scene we see Kiarostami directing a group of soldiers. Mr. Badii talks about his days serving in the army. He states that it was the best time of his life. The whole ending reminds us of earlier scenes in the film. There is a tree with probably mulberries on it since the Turkish passenger did not kill himself because of mulberries. The whole ending is however kind of reminscent of the scene that came right before it. Sure, Kiarostami is not lying down in a hole wondering if he will wake up tomorrow, but him film-making is the equivalent of that. He has no idea whether this film will be liked or disliked. Just like Mr. Badii's death is, its up to fate and the viewer. Kiarostami has sacrificed himself in this film for all cinema fans to enjoy. I love it and I feel I am now Sherlock Holmes and have solved some sort of mystery. This is a modern masterpiece and I take back every bad thing I said about this film.

**** out of ****

Quick Reviews

Walk the Line (dir. ?)
It is a by the numbers Hollywood biopic, but done really well. I thought it was really good and felt pretty honest in the way it portrayed him. I don't really know anything about Johnny Cash, but I know one thing he is not a very good singer. He kind of reminds me of the spirit of punk. Most punk bands are shitty musicians, but its the spirit that wins you over. It could have been grittier to me and could have got rid of the whole childhood segment of his life. Overall, a really good film.
**** out of ****

Swingers (dir. ?)
This is a guys hanging out sort of comedy. They don't really talk about anything that is really important except about themselves and each other. It was a nice little film I guess you would say. It is about a man's dealing with leaving the woman he loves back home and how he gets back on his feet again. Vince Vaughn was in it and he suprisingly not annoying. I thought it was pretty good.
*** out of ****

Movie Reviews and Oscar List

The 40 Year Old Virgin (dir. ?)
Not as funny as Anchorman, but it is a better movie. What does that mean? Its kind of like Anchorman is Hard-Boiled and The 40 Year Old Virgin is The Killer. Hard-Boiled has more and better action, but The Killer has a better storyline. This started out pretty vulgar and unintelligent and the further it exposed more warmth to the film. I think it is one of the best comedies I've seen in a long time.
**** out of ****

Days of Heaven (dir. Terrence Malick)
I just realized something about Terrence Malick and his "20 year sabbatical." Before the "sabbatical", he made 90 minute films and after he made pretty much epics. I think the best poetry is short and sweet. I probably enjoy The New World more than this, but this didn't have any parts that were slow. It was very brisk and pretty amazing.
**** out of ****

Munich (dir. Steven Spielberg)
Francois Truffant once said you can never make an anti-war film because the action on screen would still be exciting to audiences. This doesn't falls in this category. There is alot of violence and stuff that tries to make it an anti-war in Israel film, but it fails to disgust. It seems too exciting. That is probably the biggest flaw. Alot of critics says this film is pretty thought-provoking, but it really isn't. As an intense espionage film, it delivers. As a thought-provoking work of film, it fails. I still thought this film was pretty amazing.
**** out of ****

Bottle Rocket (dir. Wes Anderson)
I've officially seen 3 1/2 out of 4 1/2 Wes Anderson's works. He seems to be going downhill. I haven't seen The Royal Tenenbaums, but based on this, Rushmore, and The Life Aquatic, he seems to be more going for entertainment. I find Rushmore and this to have a certain depth that is simply untouchable. I was amazed to watch the short film version of Bottle Rocket then watch this. They are completely different. I found this film to have such depth and warmth that it gives Rushmore a run for its money. Rushmore is still my favorite film by him though.
**** out of ****

Best Picture Oscar List According to Me, Myself, and I:
1. Brokeback Mountain
2. Capote
3. Munich
4. Crash
5. Good Night, and Good Luck