Re: Track the Films You Watch (2006)
The Gunfighter (1950, Henry King)
Gregory Peck gives another outstanding performance as the titular gun fighter, Jimmy Ringo; a man ready to forget his hell-raising, criminal past to settle down with the woman and child he left behind. But he's haunted by his reputation as a feared killer and by the younger gunmen in every town who want to test their mettle against the legend.
Like its contemporary, High Noon, The Gunfighter also makes use of a real-time structure of impending danger to create suspense and foreboding, even if we never feel Peck is in the same physical danger as Gary Cooper. The film has a fine supporting cast, including Helen Westcott as the woman left beind, Millard Mitchell, Jean Parker, and Karl Malden as a bartender who both idolizes and fears Ringo. Using stark, b&w cinematography that reflects the melancholy mood of the film, Henry King's assured direction of this fascinating subject matter produces an emotional wallop while revealing sobering truths about a mythologized existence. - A-
Marie Antoinette (2006, Sofia Coppola)
In re-telling the story of this young Austrian Princess who becomes Queen of France at one of the few times in history it was a bad deal to be royalty, director Sofia Coppola jettisons the usual flowery language, witticisms and literary screenwriting one usually associates with period royal court films, in favor of a much more natural approach. Coppola "tells it like it was" by positing that "they" are pretty much just like us. Marie, Louis, and their entourages are teenagers. Much like teenagers throughout time, they are concerned with boys, girls, hanging out with friends, what to do on Saturday night, food, clothes, sex, etc., only this particular group of teenagers has the fortune, or misfortune, to rule France. Thus their teenage preoccupations and mistakes have an enormously higher degree of consequences than crashing your parent's car.
I found this an extremely interesting way to interpret this particular set of historical events; interesting enough that I saw it twice in the theater, something I haven't done in 2 or 3 years. The camera work is energetic, at times even hypnotic as it takes in the lushness of the surroundings at Versailles and all the sensory elements of the experiences of the characters. You can virtually taste the deserts as the camera lingers over them. The soundtrack which combines the expected period classical music with mostly 80's English New Wave tunes, may seem a questionable idea, but works perfectly within the context of the film. It makes the proceedings less historybookish and remote, and more a part of a universal experience.
Beyond these elements, Coppola also extracts an actual acting performance from star Kirsten Dunst, if not the best of her career, than easily the best of her adult career. She even manages to make the stiff-as-a-board, personality challenged Jason Schwartzman likeable, a yeomen effort indeed. Judy Davis, Steve Coogan, Rip Torn, and Asia Argento all make memorable impressions in supporting roles. While the film is hardly perfect, a too longish middle passage set at Marie's country retreat feels as if Coppola decided on an impromtu Terrence Malick tribute, this combination of mood, energy, theme, and sensation is one-of-a-kind. - B+
The Black Gestapo (1975, Lee Frost)
On the opposite side of the spectrum from films like The Spook Who Sat By the Door and Superfly is this film, which aside from the absence of pimps, is pure blaxploitation. The half-baked script drops us right into the story, with no set-up or context other than some inexplicable WWII newsreel footage of goose-stepping Nazi's Sieg Heiling and the same Hitler footage we've all seen hundreds of times. This is yet another movie where a black charity group is subverted from within by members who form a violent, criminal army (led by Mac from 80's TV staple Night Court ) , only instead of crimes, we mostly just see this army training and hanging out at their Playboy Mansion esque compound full of hot white chicks. Of course than it falls to the leader of the charity group, himself a self-titled "General"!? (we're given zero background on this guy or his group other than it is supported by the government), to single-handedly take down Mac's underworld empire.
This movie is brutally bad - shoddy wouldn't begin to describe the "filmmaking" on display, it's most likely offensive to just about any viewer, the acting such as it is, is terrible - and yet this almost achieves "so bad it's good" status. I got some laughs out of it, I could see MST3K types having a field day with the movie. I don't think I'd actively seek it out to watch again, but if I stumbled on it, I wouldn't turn it off. - C+
The Host (2006, Joon-ho Bong)
Due to a scheduling snafu, I only caught two films during the St. Louis International Film Festival. This SteveGon endorsed bit of inspired monster-goodness that was a box office smash in South Korea, was easily the best of the two. A hilariously over-the-top American scientist at a military base orders dangerous chemicals dumped in the sewer. Any monster movie fan knows what this will lead to - Human Chomping! A breathtaking monster rampage scene that simply has to be seen. Some of the best monster action in years.
From there the film settles down, introducing us to the usual disfuntional family with kids that is a staple of modern Godzilla films. Only director Joon-ho Bong does something truly innovative, he actually makes these people worth spending time with. The Host is that rarest form of monster movie where we don't mind so much when the monster isn't on the screen. Of course all the better when he? is, making for some quality suspense-filled scenes as the creature is lightning fast and has a propensity for hiding in bridge supports until it can snatch peole up with a long tentacle. Only a tacked on extra ending in which the creature and action CGI/FX isn't close to the same quality as the rest of the film, feels out of place and makes me wish it had been left out. Until that ending, I had it graded even higher. Still, definitely see it if it gets a theatrical or DVD release prior to the inevitable American remake. - B+
The District (2004, Áron Gauder)
The 2nd SLIFF film I saw was this animated work from Hungary. Set in a gritty, urban slum environment where the streets are controlled by white and gypsy gangs, a group of kids hits upon the idea of going back in time, planting dinosaurs in the ground, and then returning to the present, where there street is now sitting on a giant oil reserve thanks to those decaying animals. Then add in some "shocking" cartoon sex (meant to be transgressive I suppose, but it's extremely mild compared to Parker/Stone or even Ralph Bakshi), recycled Romeo and Juliet material, lots of racial epithets and fist fights, Hungarian hip-hop (which I'm hoping faired poorly in translation) and some social commentary in which racial differences are set aside when there's a mountain of money to be made, even if the underlying racism still exists, and you have this decidely underwhelming film. I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure this was supposed to be a comedy. I might have chuckled once. Some of the highly stylized animation is cool, but at the end of the day, it can't shine in service to such a mediocre movie. - C-
Happy Feet (2006, George Miller)
Thoroughly underwhelming CGI animated tale of a penguin who dances instead of sings like all the other penguins. It basically exists on this single gimmick of dancing and/or singing animals as the script is recycled from dozens of other children's films, most of the characters are stereotypical caricatures, and it is only funny in extremely limited stretches. I also found it too sexualized for a children's film. The suggestive dancing and Prince's lyrics went over the top. Who listen's to "Kiss" and thinks that's an ok song for 5 year olds? - D
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