En-Ra-Ha
January 12th – January 19th
Happy Go-Lucky – From what I’d heard, this one was either a love it or hate it type of movie, especially in respect to Sally Hawkins’ character Poppy. I was pretty sure I was going to hate it andher. But, I ended up liking it all quite a bit. For one, it passes the Bechdel rule with flying colors. There’s even a Dykes to Watch Out Forbook somewhat prominently displayed in the bookstore scene. A movie like this makes me realize how male-centric most good films tend to be. And while Poppy’s cheery personality is not mine, I appreciate that she doesn’t have to follow normal conventions in order to be happy. She makes her own happiness. And Hawkins and Eddie Marsan are both a joy to watch.
The Red Balloon – After catching The Flight of the Red Balloonlast week, I finally was able to see its inspiration. It’s hard to say anything bad about a movie featuring a young boy and a red balloon. It was full of hope and optimism to be sure. And it brought a smile to my face. But balloons (or Barack) don’t change the fact that the world can be a cruel place.
Burn After Reading- I certainly enjoy a John Malkovich performance. I still can’t decide if I love his acting or absolutely hate it. Nevertheless, I most always enjoy it. On the whole, I was lukewarm about this movie. I enjoyed the spy movie conventions that were sprinkled about. There were funny enough parts here and there. And I appreciate the reference to bungled intelligence. But it wasn’t either ambitious enough or funny enough for it to take its place along side Coen Brothers classics like Arizona, Lebowski, or NCFOM.
Miller’s Crossing- I can’t say I loved this one either. It seemed like a solid gangster movie. But I don’t know my noir well enough to see where this fits among the classics or what sort of homage it aspires to. Certainly after watching this movie, but also after watching You Must Remember This: The Warner Bros. Storyon PBS a few months back, I really need to find room on my queue for some Edward G. Robinson and James Cagney. And, Dashiel Hammett’s been on my reading list for some time too. While the Coen Brothers can leave me cold on occasion, they do often lead me to expand my Netflix queue and/or reading list with interesting stuff. I still need to get to Blood Simple.
I really like Miller’s Crossing. They really know how to shoot a picture; their cinematography is just beautiful. Take for instance the shot where “Oh Danny Boy” is playing over when the hit was attempted. Gorgeous.
That was a really great scene. The Coen’s are certainly masters at constructing a movie. I think I’m going to have to conduct my own Coen Brothers Movie Marathon at some point in the future.
I just can’t get behind the Coen Brothers to the extent that everyone else seems to (and believe me, I feel like I’ve given it a solid effort). While I haven’t seen every film they’ve ever done, there haven’t been any that I just loved. Some I can appreciate (NCFOM), some I even like (Arizona, O Brother Where Art Thou). But nothing has ever really just done it for me.
I felt absolutely “meh” about Miller’s Crossing. Sure, their shots are set up nicely and all that, but I think my distaste for the noir genre inhibited my appreciation of this film. It just seemed like a lot of stylistic flair, with little substance. To me, it was just a bunch of guns, dudes in hats and some zippy period dialogue (“Hey twist, what’s the rumpus?”).
Color me bored.
I don’t disagree with you. But I do appreciate the style even if it lacks substance. To me, some modern art seems like all “stylistic flair with little substance.” I appreciate it. And can even really love it. But it doesn’t always move me.