Sight and Sound (2002) Greatest Films Club - Page 114

Bob Turnbull · 06-16-2007, 04:01 PM

I'll try to eventually post something about the last 5 S&S I watched (months ago at this point). I just haven't been posting much the last little while...

I agree that All That Heaven Allows is more subversive, but I just plain enjoyed Written On The Wind more. It just totally ran with the story and became soap-operatic.

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rich_d · 06-18-2007, 08:11 PM

City Lights

Boy, this film has been on my list to watch for a long long time. Fine film with funny moments as well as The Tramp at his most endearing.

Good solid story that flows really well. The music score is quite good too.

Bottom line if someone said they were a bit apprehensive about silent films, I would think this would be a fine film to recommend.

Seth Paxton · 07-06-2007, 12:07 PM

Man, seems like forever since I had an update. Finally got Pickpocket and Don't Look Back out of the house.

Pickpocket is a great example of classic Bresson to me, for better and worse. His claim to fame is his attention to details, almost an obsession. What works for Pickpocket is being a voyer into the world of pickpocketing and seeing it alive in all it's intricacies. On that count Bresson is amazing.

But his other obsession with "dead" characters, people with almost zero expression who go through life like zombies is also here, and intentional according to the interview extras on the disc (in case it was in doubt). He seems the most guilty of "characters are just props" of any director.

The defense of this is left to "but this amplifies the slightest emotional nuance at key points". Perhaps, but the process comes off a distractingly artificial.

I'd put this a rung below A Man Escaped where the lifeless detachment was most in it's place, and where sound cue details were an added part of the mix as well.

Don't Look Back is brilliant work by Pennebaker. Just the invention of the methods that allowed for cinema verite make this a groundbreaking piece of work. But on top of that his methodology to shooting makes this a brilliant behind-the-scenes documentary. When you see the Warren Beatty scene in Madonna's Truth or Dare you see a moment influenced by the entire tone of Don't Look Back. The reactions of outsiders to the star attraction are what tell the real story.

He doesn't linger on the craziness so much, but the personality issues that lie behind the scenes. Pennebaker also is smart to get out of the performances early enough to avoid them dominating (mentioned by him in the commentary in fact). The "Scientist" scene is pure brilliance simply by the moments it captures, stuff you can't fake.

That puts me at 99 to go.

Seth Paxton · 07-06-2007, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brook K

Seth, as a veteran HTF'er, I hope you got a kick out of the scene where J-P goes to the projection booth to complain that the movie they're watching is in the wrong AR.

You know it, though I was thinking "man, you're missing the film to do this", unless of course it was during a trailer tagged to the front of the reel.

That's the catch 22 with that crap, put up with inferior situations or watch and hope they get it right.

One benefit of the multiplex - we went to Payback and the audio was clearly off, no center channel. I wasn't 100% at first due to the commercial, but the first trailer I knew. Rather than complain and risk missing the start we just walked to the next theater for the showing that started 20 minutes later. The perfect solution.

But I've had my fingers crossed that house lights would be turned down or the framing would be fixed. It usually is, only had to complain a couple of times.

Brook K · 07-06-2007, 11:33 PM

I never want to miss anything so I always sit tight and hope someone else complains. Usually works

I'm up to 301 as I recently watched Sansho the Bailiff. Beautifully shot, at times powerfully emotional, but the sum total of the film wasn't quite the enrapturing experience for me that is discussed in the Criterion disc's extras. What is really interesting is that according to the AD, Mizoguchi was unhappy with the film as the studio execs forced a lot of changes on him. Yet the final product is regarded as one of cinema's greats. - B+

Adam_S · 07-07-2007, 04:32 AM

I agree, in general Brook. It's a beautiful film to look at, but I feel the story isn't as strong or perhaps it's simply too overwrought with misery and is overwhelmed.

Martin Teller · 07-17-2007, 11:10 PM

#261 - Remains of the Day

I've avoided Merchant/Ivory for no good reason (in my defense, I had only seen Slaves of New York, which wasn't that appealing). In fact, I would have skipped this one if not for its appearance on the Sight & Sound list. Which would have been a shame, because it's quite superb. The story explores the disastrous effects of always acting in the name of dignified honor and appeasement, both in the geopolitical and emotional realms. If the parallels are a bit obvious, they're still handled thoughtfully and are quite engaging. The contrast between the "old" way of buttoned-down, mannered restraint (in the form of Stevens, his father and his employer) and the "new" style of more direct expression (i.e., Miss Kenton, Cardinal and Congressman Lewis) is intriguing and provides for situations both comic and tragic. The whole cast is superior, although naturally Hopkins and Thompson deserve special kudos. If there's one drawback, it's that the aura of restraint does make the film a bit of a challenge in the early stages; I was convinced at first that I'd be bored to tears. After a while, however, particular following the introduction of Miss Kenton, some air gradually seeps in and the movie opens itself up to the viewer. Rating: 8

Martin Teller · 07-21-2007, 11:24 PM

#262 - Chimes at Midnight

I couldn't get into this much. Straight Shakespeare is really off-putting for me. I prefer a modern adaptation (for example, My Own Private Idaho, which served as a cultural reference point for me during certain scenes in this film). The language is fairly easy to digest when read off the page, but when it's being rushed out of the mouths of actors, many of whom have difficult accents, it makes it tough to figure out what's going on a lot of the time. Still, the actors did seem to be doing a good job of it -- at least most of them act as you would expect people to act, and not like they're showboating for an audience (I wish Jeanne Moreau had been used a bit more). And the photography was, as expected, astonishing. The battle scene in particular was magnificent. Still, I didn't get a lot out of it, and watching the movie was often quite a chore. I hate to give Welles such a meager score, but this one is more for the Shakespeare lovers out there. Rating: 6

Cees Alons · 07-28-2007, 06:21 AM

Lew,

OT

Very happy birthday and lustrum, dr. Crippen!

I noticed that you didn't post for about half a year, but hopefully you read this!
Have a great day, Lew, and many more to come.

Cees

Holadem · 07-28-2007, 11:25 AM

Happy Birthday old man, you're very much missed.

--
H

Adam_S · 07-28-2007, 02:03 PM

Happy Birthday Lew, hope you're living it up down in mexico.

Bob Turnbull · 07-29-2007, 09:37 AM

In Honour of Lew's birthday yesterday, I'll post these quick reviews (whi