The Filmcake

September 5th – September 11th

The Thomas Crown Affair — Holy crap, I love Faye Dunaway. She sported a great wardrobe for sure. And she looked amazing.

I loved the gamesmanship between Thomas Crown and Vicki. I liked how they were kind of set-up as intellectual equals. There was sexual tension, to be sure, but there was also just a battle of intellect going on. I never quite figured out whether or not the two characters were really falling for each other or whether they were just using that sexual tension to their advantage so that they could win. Was Vicki really coming on to Crown during the chess game, or just trying to throw his game off so she could win, or both? Also, when she cries at the end, it was unclear to me whether she was crying because she lost this person she was falling in love with or if she was crying because she lost the “game.” That ambiguity was quite appealing to me. My favorite of our McQueen marathon so far.

August 1st – August 14th

Badlands — Terrence Malick’s first feature film. I think I still like the esoteric later stuff better. But you can certainly see where Malick was finding beauty in a film like this, which is certainly more narratively straightforward than later works. Sissy Spacek and Martin Sheen are wonderful. And upon looking back, the violence that takes place, while misguided, certainly starts from an accepted place.

Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench — A small indie musical delivered in black and white 16mm. Very entertaining. A good find.

Soldier in the Rain — The first in our new Steve McQueen marathon. For me, this film was all about the love that comes out of a good friendship. It doesn’t have to be romantic or sexual to still be love. There’s a man’s love for his dog. There’s the unlikely friendship between soldiers of different ranks and backgrounds. And there’s the unlikely friendship between a teenager and an older man. I think one could argue, if they wanted to, that Eustis and Metzler had their own kind of friendship. The kind which is best, in the case of the military, not asked or told.

I liked how the film steadily progressed from something silly (that first scene was silly and a bit off-putting) to something with some emotional depth. The friendships all seemed unlikely at the start. But by the end, the emotional stuff coming from Slaughter’s death seemed completely earned. Sure its still a trifle of a film. But a nice early Bromance to be sure. A good start, I thought.

The Adjustment Bureau — Based on a story by Philip K. Dick, this was a fun scifi-ish diversion. Matt Damon and Emily Blunt are wonderful as the leads. The chase scene at the end was a lot of fun. But the denouement was a bit too preachy and over-explained. A little more mystery would have been preferred.

Sarah guest posts with her thoughts:

So I’m involved in a “film club” of sorts with a few friends, in part styled after the Filmspotting marathons. We take turns choosing a theme (could be a particular genre, director, actor, or simply “Movies I Loved As A Kid”), and then everyone chooses films within that theme – hopefully with an eye towards presenting a fairly comprehensive overview (well, maybe not so much with “Movies I Loved As A Kid.”). After each film, we discuss.

Our current theme is Westerns – one that I approached with nearly virgin eyes, having never really seen a Western aside from the Coen brothers’  True Grit remake. The genre has never been terribly appealing to me. But one of the things I like about our film club is that it forces one to try new things. And there have been a few surprises. For instance, I found that I really, really like The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.

However, the last two films (The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly and The Wild Bunch) have been a validation of my avoidance of this genre. Although I recognize and appreciate the stylistic flourishes and breakthroughs in filmmaking Leone and Peckinpah gave to the world, both films ultimately left me feeling bored and alienated. I’ve been trying to figure out why, since both are widely regarded as classics and are beloved by many.

The Wild Bunch, the most recent film in our marathon, made me feel like I was watching a foreign-language movie, without the benefit of subtitles. I could make out bits and pieces of what was going on, but any nuance or clarity that would be obvious to a native speaker, was lost on me. While I recognize the themes (adherence to a code of honor, betrayal, trying to adapt to a changing world) I guess I’m just not fluent in the language of this genre. Also, I realize how strange and kind of stupid it sounds, but there’s just something about these faces I’m not terribly familiar with, these actors of an earlier era, all with similar clothes, hats and facial hair, that make it really hard for me to tell them apart.

For another thing, despite the fact that there was probably a higher quantity of violence and action than in any of the previous films we’ve seen, it all became rather monotonous after awhile, and I was actually weirdly bored. (Oh, look – another shootout! Oh, look – more male bonding with booze and whores!)

Which brings me to my next point – the overwhelming absence of women in these films. I don’t want to reduce my disconnect from the Western genre to something as arbitrary as onscreen gender representation, but I do have a little bit harder time with a movie in which women are onscreen for approximately 10-20 minutes in a 2 1/2 –hour movie, and those roles are limited to old biddies marching for temperance, or whores to fuck and/or shoot. (And rarely did any of these women even get to speak.)

The reason I hesitate to wander too far off into this territory is that it’s not long before you then start dividing films into “men’s movies” and “women’s movies” and arguing that only men are interested in war and violence, and only women are interested in relationships. It also implies that women need women on screen in order to become invested in the story (and conversely, that men will only see movies about men). That’s completely bullshit, in 100 different ways. Personally, I adore a little of the ol’ ultraviolence, and there are plenty of movies with all (or mostly) male casts I enjoy. And I know several men who laughed their asses off during Bridesmaids. A compelling film is a compelling film, regardless of whether the protagonist has XX or XY chromosomes.

Since the True Grit remake was the only Western I’d seen prior to this round of Film Club (and I’d enjoyed it immensely), I next wondered if perhaps the age of the film might have something to do with it. Maybe contemporary films are still somehow easier to grab on to, even if they’re in a genre you’re not as familiar with, and even if they’re set in an earlier period. At least you’re more likely to recognize the actors’ faces. But by that logic, how could I explain my love for Hitchcock?

Even after some soul-searching, I’m at a loss to explain my lack of love with Westerns. I probably should seek out more films in this genre, since the five we watched, while perhaps a good introduction, could hardly be representative. Maybe someday I’ll get around to checking out a few more.

June 13rd – June 19th

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly — This one almost feels like a heist film in some respects, in that its not so much about the characters as it is about quest for the money. The three in this one are morally not that much different from each other, but the film tries to engage you in the search for the buried treasure. Will Angel Eyes resources prevail? Will Tuco’s perserverence prevail? Or will Blondie’s brains prevail?

Since this is my first Leone experience, I viewed this through Tarantino eyes as well. It didn’t make me appreciate Tarantino more so much as it made me realize how bad the Tarantino knock-offs really are. After seeing this, it seems more noticeable when someone is stylistically ripping off Tarantino rather than going back to the same source material and referencing it in their own way. Whereas I see Tarantino as repurposing Leone stylistic flourishes, among others, and creating somewhat of an homage in his final product, it seems like others simply copy Tarantino because it seems “cool.”

May 23rd – May 29th

Old Joy, Wendy & Lucy, Meek’s Cutoff — A trio from Kelly Reichardt viewed back-to-back-to-back. I love the ease with which these three films saunter from beginning to end. In their quiteness, they become all about a feeling. Not only are the characters searching for something that eludes them, but we begin to feel their emptiness in our own souls. In Old Joy, Mark is reunited with his old friend Kurt. He is searching for his place between the domesticity of his homelife and the wilder day of the past that Kurt represents. In Wendy & Lucy, the search is both for a home and a dog. In Meek’s Cutoff, the settlers are searching for the unknown. Not a lot happens in any of these movies, but they still remain so powerful.

Bridesmaids — A damn good comedy from writers Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumulo, director Paul Feig, and producer Judd Apatow. It’s funny and it’s kind of sweet. It follows the Apatow bro-mance formula only replacing the dudes with chicks. But I think a little bit too much was made of it though. Of its portents. It’s certainly better than average. And of course it’s nice to see a comedy like this that almost exclusively features female actors. But this film isn’t a game changer. I don’t know if I buy the suggestion that Hollywood doesn’t want to make smart movies that feature women. I frankly don’t think Hollywood wants to make smart movies. It would be great if Hollywood would change, but I’m not going to hold my breath. At least in the independent world of film, there appears to be somewhat more balance and smarter movies.

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance — The second installment of our Westerns Marathon. I REALLY liked this one. Some great lines of dialogue. Tom and Ransom seem to symbolize the changing face of Western movies and of society at large. They also seem to represent today’s political divisions. On one hand, you have Tom Doniphon who symbolizes the rugged gunslinger, the status guo, and the law & order conservative values. Then you have Ransom Stoddard who represents a change towards the educated, progressivism, and a new way of doing things. I’d imagine that one’s political views shape how you view both Doniphon and Studdard. Still we can all agree that Liberty Valance is clearly the enemy. And ultimately, the thing that stopped him was a bullet. A true masterpiece.

Piranha — A schlocky and fun comedy horror remake of the 1978 film. I would have liked to have experienced it in 3D. While I doubt there was much subtlety to the 3D effects (stuff just flying out at the viewer), I think it would have added to its enjoyable terribleness. It’s also one that would work great at the drive-in. Which is just another reminder that I need to hit the drive-in before they are no longer in existance.

May 16th – May 22nd

The Searchers — This is quite possibly the first John Wayne film that I’ve seen in its entirety. My film knowledge is sadly lacking when it comes to Westerns. So, this was a perfect film to kick off our Westerns Marathon. It is problematic, for sure. But I also think it’s pretty great.

I loved those outdoor shots. Of course those grand shots just made the ones shot on a sound stage look all the more fake and small. And I didn’t really care for Mose and Charlie all that much…pretty much solely based on they way they sounded. I can see those characters as a product of the time though. But John Wayne really surprised me. Sure he’s got his drawl…but I think it totally works here. I figured I’d hate him but I quite liked him.

Of course Ethan Edwards is despicable. But the key for me is viewing the film as a post-war film. The circumstances are left vague. We know that he apparently fought on the side of the Confederacy….but didn’t surrender (or didn’t fight?). We know there was a gap between the end of the civil war and his return home. According to Wikipedia, the medal he gave to Debbie was a Mexican Revolutionary War medal. Does that mean after the war he fought in that war as well? Given that he is in possession of a bunch of money that doesn’t have a mark on it, could he have been a paid mercenary or perhaps he just stole it (he admitted that being sworn in as a Texas Ranger wouldn’t be legal).

At any rate, it all creates a morally ambiguous sort of fog of war. At this point, he’s seen blacks and whites, Union soldiers and Confederates, French, Spanish, Mexican, and Native Americans. I don’t think he really knows who he is supposed to hate anymore…who the everchanging enemy is. The only thing he has is family…and that was ripped away from him. I think by the end he has learned that his niece is worth saving.

I Spit on Your Grave — Quite disappointing. The original controversial 1978 version is much, much better. It kicked the audience between the legs, made them feel complicit, and then cautiously urged them to root along with the revenge. This one just seems like someone wanted to make more of a Saw ripoff than a film that questions the role of the viewer and of gender. Maybe the acting was terrible in the earlier version, but it is horrendous here. The girl is okay, but the rest of the cast was disappointing. Maybe the gloss of a newer film just makes it more pronounced.

The Fighter — A not disappointing but not entirely impressive movie from David O. Russell. Sure it’s a boxing movie that isn’t really about boxing (hint: it’s about family). It’s good. Christian Bale is wonderful as is his norm. And Marky Mark is kinda believable as a boxer. Otherwise, it was just one of those good movies that you could recommend to anyone but probably won’t remember or care about too much later on.

April 18th – April 24th

Peeping Tom – I really like this movie. It’s a film theorist’s wet dream. It’s hard to know how much film theory played into the direction of Powell and Hitchcock, or how much was just overly emphasized by the film theorists and critics who talked about their films. But this one is pretty overt. He literally shows us the male gaze. He literally shows us how filmmaking is voyeuristic. He literally tells us how a boy’s torturous childhood affects his adult life.

January 24th – February 13th

As a result of a new promotion, I’ve had less time to get to my weekly posts. I’ve still managed to watch a few things, just never seem to find the time to write about them. What follows is a complete, but altogether too brief, recap of the last three weeks.

Buried — Surprisingly well-executed considering it takes place entirely within a wooden coffin.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World — Playful diversion from Edgar Wright that ultimately lacked any emotional core to make it great.

The Last Exorcism — Good concept that starts out rather nicely only to fall very flat in the last scenes.

Jack Goes Boating — Not a bad movie at all. But one I could definitely see living much more comfortably in its former incarnation as a stage play.

Blue Valentine — Just a really solid film. Great performances from Michelle Williams (I could look at her all day) and Ryan Gosling (he’s growing on me). The story seems both well examined and comfortably lived in such that a real honesty emerges. The camera maintains a perfect distance that is intimate yet unobtrusive. Even the Grizzly Bear score seems to fit perfectly.

The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp — While it clocks in at nearly three hours, this first film in our Michael Powell Marathon really engaged me. It seemed quite subversive for what I expected. It seemed to both show a sympathetic German solider (during the heat of WWII) as well as criticism of imperial England (asking, in a sense, how is what the Nazi’s are doing that much different from the worst of imperialism). It’d probably help if I remembered my British history a little better though. I know Powell is praised for his use of Technicolor. But, my god, this looked beautiful. I was genuinely surprised. I was expecting B&W. Definitely better use of color than I was expecting for a 1943 film. And how about Roger Livesey. I literally looked him up on IMDB after the movie to see if it was just him or if there were three separate actors that played Candy. He was just that good.

Letters to God, Left Behind: World at War, MST3K: Laserblast — A trio of movies best viewed with good alcohol and/or good friends. Luckily I had both.

January 3rd – January 9th

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo — Now after getting through the first two books in the Millennium trilogy, I decided to give the Swedish films a shot. The first one is okay. There’s nothing spectacular about it. Noomi Rapace, as Lisbeth Salander, is quite compelling. Otherwise, it seems like a middle-of-the-road thriller. And a bit long. I do look forward to David Fincher’s take on the film. I think his use of integrating CGI could benefit the film. I’m also curious about Rooney Mara’s Salander.

My Dog Tulip — A beautiful animated film about a man and his dog. Based on the book by J. R. Ackerley, the movie relates through pen and watercolors the friendship between an aging man and his German Shepherd. Sex, death, vomit. All of life’s riches. The movie doesn’t shy away from illustrating some of Ackerley’s distaste for women. Ultimately, it’s not that problematic. It’s clear that Ackerley has found it difficult to cultivate friendships, or even respectful relationships, and even those type of people deserve the wonders of a pet dog.

The Wizard — The last in our 80’s Movies We Loved in Our Childhoods marathon. Featuring a very precocious Fred Savage and young Jenny Lewis (Rilo Kiley), the movie did manage to get some things right. While aimed at the young, it still looked at what works in other movies (hustling, cross-country chases, etc.). It still managed to be entertaining–much more than I had expected. Plus it introduced Super Mario Brothers 3!

Splice — Not a perfect a sci-fi/horror film, but a pretty damn good one. It’s basically a modern B-movie or a modern monster movie. Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley are fully aware of the movie they are in and act accordingly. While two of the creatures (Fred & Ginger) are too CGI-ish, the main creature (Dren) makes a wonderful transition from infant to adult (where she is played, with enhancements, by Delphine Chanéac). The film, directed by Vincenzo Natali (isn’t that fun to say?), is promising but seems just shy of being wonderful. It does some interesting things, but feels just short of doing what needs to be done. Still, I would definitely recommend it to the sci-fi/horror fans.

Frozen — Wow. Just wow. All I can say is that I’m glad that I didn’t wait to watch this when our heat went out yesterday (when the temperature outside dropped well below freezing). This one, by Adam Green, scared the shit out of me. The premise is pretty straightforward. Three friends get accidentally left behind on a ski lift. I didn’t expect that premise could be executed so adeptly, but Green certainly pulled it off. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. It’ll definitely make me think twice before ever getting on a ski lift.

Everyone Else — This one was a bit of a surprise. I’ve been thinking about it ever since. It has apparently been described as the movie that Blue Valentine (Ryan Gosling, Michelle Williams) wants to be. While I haven’t seen that one, I can definitely get behind Everyone Else. Directed by Maren Ade, the film follows a young couple as they vacation in Italy. She gets at what we expect out of other people, what we expect out of others and ourselves, and how very tough it is to keep a great relationship running smoothly. I think this one is pretty much pitch perfect.

December 27th – January 2nd

Cold Souls — A more boring and less funny version of Being John Malkovich. When you have Paul Giamatti (who I really like) instead of Malkovich, there is going to be a sizable drop in inherent excitement. This wasn’t a bad movie so much as it seemed incomplete. It lacked something–maybe a fully realized premise, more comedy elements, or a more political bent (I would’ve liked to have seen the human trafficking angle explored more). Still, I’ve spent much of the week hypothesizing what the souls of my various pets would look like (chickpea? cotton candy? cat turd?).

I’m Still Here — Both better than expected as well as somewhat of a let down. On the one hand, it did have something interesting to say about celebrity (and celebrity-ness) and all of its perks and pressures. And Joaquin Phoenix’s performance was certainly compelling. But on the other hand, once director Casey Affleck came out and admitted that it was a hoax, the power of the thing was instantly diminished. It’s obviously not a pure documentary. It’s a performance for sure. But admitting that fact only destroys the hard work in getting there.

Troll 2 — In preparation for watching Best Worst Movie we had to see the original piece of cinematic magic. Despite numerous problems with Netflix Instant Viewing, we finally made our way through it all. It’s bad. Really bad. And earnestly bad. I still think, when it comes to such bad movies, that my allegiance lies with Tommy Wiseau’s The Room.

Best Worst Movie — A documentary from Michael Paul Stephenson who played the son in the cult classic movie Troll 2. I really enjoyed the documentary. I think it was an elegant example of the power of film. There are the fans. Even if the movie is horrible, it has brought so much joy to its fans lives. It’s an excuse to get together and have a good time. And there are the actors. George Hardy, who plays the father Michael Waits in the movie, appears to accept his cult status positively and gratefully. You can also sense his longing to get back into acting and reclaim that spotlight. For some of the others, acting seems like their solitary connection to the world. Then there is the director. Claudio Fragasso seems painfully out of step with the cult status his film has achieved. Whereas Troll 2 fans across the world revel in its badness, he continues to claim its greatness. It’s a little sad to see someone who just doesn’t get it, although its understandable that an artist would be disappointed to learn his movie is regarded as epically awful. Nevertheless, I find it admirable that this man made a feature film when so many people never do much of anything. You have to respect that.

Midnight Madness — Another for our 80s Movies We Loved in Our Childhoods Marathon. I don’t remember hearing about this one much less ever seeing it. But I sort of enjoyed it. It’s basically a fictionalized and Disneyfied 80′s take on the current TV show The Amazing Race. A group of teams gets a clue that leads them to another location and clue and so on and so on. The movie does get a bit shrill at moments. Some of the broad stereotypes get taken a tad to far. There were too many participants so many become broad generalizations of actual human beings. That being said a road race game lends itself to an entertaining film…multiple locations, a built in plot, and a clear arc. It’s a movie that practically makes itself. It’s also notable for being Michael J. Fox’s first film and for a bit part by Paul Reubens (aka Pee-wee Herman).

Restrepo — An excellent Afghan war documentary. This one concerns a group of soldiers stationed at outposts in the dangerous Korangal Valley. Very powerful. Directors Sebastian Junger and Tim Hetherington, an American journalist and a British photographer respectively, capture some amazing footage of the harrowing warfare, fraternal camaraderie, and memorable landscape. It’s strange. I found myself admiring the landscape while comparing the countryside to video game maps (doesn’t that village look like that one level on SOCOM?). And then suddenly I was slapped back into reality. There’s a very memorable scene of one soldier’s reaction upon realizing the fate of one of his comrades. And in one of my favorite moments in film from 2010, another shot shows a group of soldiers dancing together in one of their shelters. Lows and highs. Or real life, in a war zone. Highly recommended.