Week in Review #2

I watched two movies a day this week to make up for not reading a full novel. I started reading For Whom The Bell Tolls, but couldn't really get into it so I read The Metamorphosis instead.
Book:
The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
This could have easily been turned into a horror story, but it was more a domestic drama. A man turns into a vermin and causes his family great grief and problems. When he finally dies, his sister is allowed to metamorposize into a beautiful young women. Christ symbolism with cockroaches is good in my book.
**** out of ****
Movies:
1. A Generation directed by Andzrej Wajda
This is considered the weakest of his so-called War Trilogy. However, I enjoyed it more than Kanal. Kanal felt uneven with its depiction of war and their journey through the sewers. Both films are clearly anti-war. The only thing that doesn't work in A Generation is the ending. Sure, it makes its anti-war clear, it just feels out of place. I thought it was amazing.
**** out of ***8
2. Belle De Jour directed by Luis Bunuel
I'm surprised that I waited so long to see any Bunuel. His films are very normal. He is kind of like Franz Kafka of film. He presents bizarre situations in such a realistic fashion that it never becomes uncomfortable or even bizarre. This film however does not have a very bizarre situation. The ending I believe is pretty much the same as Discreet Charm, but I can't help, but this film is less surrealistic. I enjoyed it immensely.
**** out of ****
3. The Player directed by Robert(o) Altman
Robert Altman is one of my favorite directors. His films have a sense of humor that works very well with me. This could be considered his Breakfast of Champions. He criticizes film-making as Vonnegut criticizes writing, but it is what it criticizes. The film is made in a Hollywood fashion, but has a higher degree of artistry. One of its targets is how Hollywood have to end happily. The film ends happily even though it is unrealistic. The film is uncriticizable since it criticizes itself which makes it so great. The first time I saw it I didn't like it. I had a headache or something because I don't understand why I didn't like it.
**** out of ****
4. Naked directed by Mike Leigh
I haven't really watched that many British films which would make sense. Are they considered foreign films? I am not sure. This film has been often called bleak and it is. It is pretty uncomfortable watching it. It kind of reminds of a not as stylish A Clockwork Orange, but it seems more moral. I didn't really get the character of Jeremy or Sebastion. He seems to be an example of how Johnny could be. Johnny is the lesser of two evils. It presents the situation as it is unflinchingly and that is probably its greatest thing. A great film.
**** out of ****
5. Mystery Train directed by Jim Jarmusch
I've seen Stranger than Paradise and feel I should reassess it because I love the style of the film, but the reason I gave for not giving it four stars was lack of emotional involvement, but is that really a problem? There is some emotion to his films, but it doesn't go overboard like Hollywood films. I loved the first story in this film and the other two I liked. I digged it.
**** out of ****
6. The Naked Spur directed by Anthony Mann
I felt the need to get into classic Hollywood westerns. This film is alot alike his other western that I have seen by Anthony Mann called Winchester '73 in the sense the shootout is almost done in a similar fashion. This one is better since it has Jimmy Stewart throwing a spur at the villain's face and it got stuck in there until his partner shot him. Yeah...
**** out of ****
7. Winchester '73 directed by Anthony Mann
The situation is not as interesting, but the film feels more epic with its sprawling narrative about a stolen rifle. The narrative structure was very interesting and the action was grand.
**** out of ****
8. High Plains Drifter directed by Clint Eastwood
The film has a wierd feel to it. It can be considered a continuation of Clint's character in the Man with No Name Trilogy, but lacks their sense of humor. This film isn't very campy or as aware of its old-fashionness. It seemed bleaker, but not as artisitc as say Once Upon a Time in the West. The biggest fault is it takes itself too seriously. The supernatural aspect made it very interesting.
*** out of ****
9. Syriana directed by ?
The plot wasn't as confusing as people make it out to be, but I don't get how the stories relate to each other. I understand alittle bit, but not that much. The biggest problem for me was the editing. It was edited in a very Hollywood fashion which shows me its techniques and makes the thing easy to see where its going. The plot was interesting. More interesting than Crash. It didn't have a real message to it either that corporations are greedy and people die for oil which seems very true. What makes a effective movie is one that you don't understand how it has an effect on you. Directors are basically liars so what they need to do is cover up their lie. If they do this well and are original how they do it then they are a good director. There was one scene with a suicide bomber that had a typical scene of silence with the score going. This is done in alot of films today. It was still a good film.
*** out of ****
10. She's Gotta Have It directed by Spike Lee
This was Spike Lee's debut. It has modest production values and he doesn't take up very heavy handed subject matter. Race doesn't really come into play in this film as much as his others. The acting was not very good. Spike and his sister Joie probably give the best performances of the film. The pseudo-documentary film made it interesting.
*** out of ****
11. Johnny Guitar directed by Nicholas Ray
A western with women? Is this The Quick and the Dead? The women seem like total bitches in the movie even Vienna who is the protagonist of the movie. She is played like a bitch out for blood, but she somehow never wants to fire a weapon and kill anybody which doesn't make sense since how she is acted by Joan Crawford leads me to believe something else. Emma is played as a bigger bitch which makes you sympathize with Vienna more just because shes the lesser of two evils. It dragged alot, but when action happened it was entertaining. Not as good as a western as Anthony Mann's, but had a more interesting situation.
*** out of ****
12. On the Waterfront directed by Elia Kazan
This film is an allegory for the blacklist and the director ratting out people that were commies. Personally, I was bored with this film. The only thing I found interesting was the cinematography. I might need to rewatch this, but for now...
** out of ****

TV:
Coach Season 1
I love Coach. It has a feel like Cheers of warmth and familarity. It is a comforting feeling. I'm surpised by how much I care about Hayden and his friends. Hayden is not very likeable yet you care immensely for him. I love this show.
**** out of ****