The Filmcake

May 31st – June 5th

Dick — After catching Michelle Williams in a couple of films last week (Wendy & Lucy and Meek’s Cutoff) and seeing that Kirsten Dunst had won Best Actress at Cannes, I had a sudden desire to see this movie. I hadn’t seen it in a while, but I think it still holds up. Williams and Dunst are charming enough and the scripts is funny and smart.

Marwencol – A wonderful documentary from last year. Had I seen this earlier it no doubt would have ended up on my Top 10 of 2010. It follows a man who finds therapy in creating a miniaturized village populated by alter egos of the people in his life. It’s emotionally quite powerful while also feeding into that recent documentary zeitgeist that asks “What is art?” Highly recommended (and available now on Netflix Instant Viewing).

Zombie Girl: The Movie — Another good documentary. This one follows a 12-year-old filmmaker from Austin as she tries to make a zombie movie. It was great to see the passion of filmmaking living inside such a young girl. And beyond her age, the documentary showed both how hard it is to make a movie and what an accomplishment it is to complete one. Both Zombie Girl and Marwencol have provided me with some inspiration to get working on one of my projects. Hopefully, deadCENTER adds a little more.

Day Night Day Night — I first heard about this one from the 2007 IFC Spirit Awards. It was nominated for a couple of awards that year. Looked interesting, so I added it to my list. A few years later and I finally get around to it. I think it’s pretty damn brilliant. There’s basically one true actor and really only two sets (a hotel room and Times Square). The film is basically about a young woman who straps on a bomb and heads to Times Square. But how it plays with the audiences expectations and biases, and how it only vaguely asks questions to which there aren’t clear answers, and the way it slowly yet tensely develops is masterful.

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.

May 2nd – May 8th

The King’s Speech – Colin Firth is great as usual. Certainly Oscar bait though. Royalty. A debilitation conquered. It’s got everything the Academy wants. Firth almost humanizes King George VI. You almost begin to feel for this man. But like the royal wedding of a week ago, you soon realize that these are the most privileged of the privileged. Then it becomes hard to really care.

Titanic 2 — Not really a sequel, but a direct-to-DVD disaster (movie) from the people at The Asylum. Not much of note. Not even particularly entertaining trash. But sometimes Netflix Instant Viewing and a tiring week lead to really stupid movie choices.

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.

April 11th – April 17th

Super — Another in the deconstructed comic book movie genre. And I really liked this one. Although not a Troma film itself, this one still hearkens back to those films. This one was written and directed by James Gunn who wrote and co-directed Tromeo & Juliet. This one seems to have that wonderful vulgarity that Troma brings to their movies along with that heart that makes them worth their weight.

The Small Back Room — The fifth installment in our Michael Powell marathon. Once again, another real surprise from the Archers. Although shot in black and white, this one still has its own visual stunners. There’s a pain and/or drug induced “dream” sequence that rivals the Dali sequence in Hitchcock’s Spellbound. And there’s an extended bomb-diffusing scene that presages The Hurt Locker and is every bit the heart-stopper. This movie is a little bit thriller, a little bit love story. To me, the movie seems to say that love is the best drug of all. And the title seems to refer to that place where we go for comfort where our friends are and where our loves are.

April 4th – April 10th

Fair Game — Director Doug Liman’s take on the Valerie Plame affair based on her memoir. The movie is maddening in its revisting of that shameful moment. But at the same time, the Plame Affair is neither another Watergate nor another Bourne installment. The facts of the case, while certainly serious, do not lead to a great movie about governmental intrigue nor a fantasic spy thriller. Even when the movie tries to energize some of these facts for cinematic purposes, it still ends up a bit lukewarm.

Rubber — An interesting one from Frenchman Quentin Dupieux (aka techno musician and producer Mr. Oizo) that gets at movie watching itself. Even at 83-minutes, I think it runs a bit long. But it’s such a valliant effort from Dupieux that I ultimately think it succeeds. The movie essentially follows a tire named Robert on a killing spree, as a bunch of onlookers watch the events play out via binoculars. It’s beautifully shot. There are some genuinely hilarious moments. But it eventually plays out its premise a little too long. For horror fans who can appreciate a movie that looks and talks back to them, I would strongly recommend this film.

127 Hours — A very nice movie from Danny Boyle about a guy (portrayed by James Franco) who must do the unthinkable in order to survive. I think the thing I appreciated the most about this movie is that I don’t think God was invoked a single time throughout the ordeal. Nothing but gravity and poor planning put the man in that situation. And nothing but the courage of the man got him out of it.

It’s Kind of a Funny Story — A middling movie about a kid who after he gets himself institutionalized finds that he’s not so bad off after all. It was predictably entertaining. Zach Galifianakis is fine. But upon reconsideration, it almost seems a bit offensive in its portrayal of the mentally ill. It seems to imply that it’s something that can just be brushed off. It nearly equates youthful ennui with depression. Sure, there is likely some overlap between the two, but they are not nearly the same. I know plenty of movies have treated mental illness much worse, and this one doesn’t exist only to have the mentally ill be the butt of the jokes, but still something seems a bit off.

The Red Shoes/Black Swan — A great double feature. The first was the fourth film in our Michael Powell Marathon. I loved it. Like the other movies in this marathon, it took a little time for its greatness to really sink in. In fact, I think watching each movie made me appreciate the other even more. There are certainly a lot of similarities between the two. The Red Shoes was clearly an influence for Darren Aronofsky’s film. But where The Red Shoes delves into the creation and collaboration of art and the madness it invokes, I think Black Swan sticks more to madness.

March 21st – March 27th

A Serbian Film — I’ll leave this one to Sarah and her guest post which can be found here.

Let Me In — Not a bad Americanized version of the original Swedish film Let The Right One In. The original was one my favorites when it came out. This one doesn’t stray too far and gets most of the moodiness right. I had some issues with the CG version of the vampiric Abby (Chloe Moretz). It just seemed a bit too fast, jerky, and fake. Otherwise, Moretz was absolutely fantastic. She really has impressed me.

Rabbit Hole — A nice one from John Cameron Mitchell. I wouldn’t have expected this after Hedwig and Shortbus, but I am terribly impressed all the same. The two leads are absolutely wonderful. Aaron Eckhart does his thing, while Nicole Kidman reminds us once again of her former emotively-capable self. I’m impressed with a movie that treats this husband and wife as real people instead of saints or martyrs or devils.

A Dirty Shame — Tame in comparison to A Serbian Film. John Waters aims to shock with his movies as well. He just goes about it in a completely different way. It’s certainly a more positive film. It embraces the freaks and freakish things people do. It’s explicitly A Serbian Film’s opposite when Johnny Knoxville’s Ray-Ray states: “you’ll learn to accept anything sexual as long as it’s safe, consensual and doesn’t harm others.” Still while I can support that attitude, the movie is just overly grating. It reminds me of Medieval Fairs and geek conventions where people roam around in costume. On one hand, I feel wonderful that all these people have some outlet to let their quirky interests and personalities fly. But on the other hand, part of me worries that some might be blurring the lines between the outlet and reality. I call them freaks with pride and judgment. I can’t help it.

March 14th – March 20th

Fish Tank – A nice one from Andrea Arnold. Michael Fassbender continues to impress. Newcomer Katie Jarvis is the real standout though. Discovered on a train platform arguing with her boyfriend, she holds her own with Fassbender here. She is very compelling. Her Mia is a wonderfully devastating figure. You can’t help but hope the best for her.

The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia – A crazy documentary populated by some crazy hillbilly folks. Don’t know if there’s much revelatory here. It’s a bit of a train wreck. But freakshows are compelling for a reason. The soundtrack, for sure, was quite nice.

Monsters – A weird cross between Werner Herzog’s Aguirre and mumblecore. A low-budget sci-fi movie that isn’t great but does some interesting things. It’s one of those movies that may not be wonderful but that clearly shows the promise of its creator. In this case, director Gareth Edwards is scheduled to direct a Godzilla reboot.

The Last Station – Eh. Good performances, I guess. Christopher Plummer, Helen Mirren, Paul Giamatti, James McAvoy, etc. Just one of those costume drama/biopics that didn’t really grab me. I felt like it would have been a couple hours better spent getting started on War & Peace or something. Leo Tolstoy is certainly an interesting character…it’s just this movie didn’t really inspire much to that effect.