Films I Watched - November, 2002 (Plus Halloween, 2002)
Submitted by lbangs on Fri, 11/01/2002 - 13:10
Tags:
- 11/30 - The House of Mirth (2000) - The House of Mirth is an intriguing, absorbing film, offering enough pleasures along side its problems to make it well worthwhile for those with a love for costume dramas or fairly faithful adaptations of esteemed novels. Most people who have heard of this film know it mostly (as I did) for the critical praise showered on Gillian Anderson's performance as Lily Bart, and the truth is she certainly should have been among the best actress nominations of 2000. Her acting is fantastic and helps carry a film that threatens to slow to a halt forward with a mesmerizing quality. The rest of the cast shines, including a surprising Dan Aykroyd who continues to evolve from his SNL roots with startling results. Only Eric Stoltz seems a bit out of sorts, never really pasting a believable character together from the admittedly sparse material the screenplay gives him. The film, however, is quite long and seems to drag the slow, inevitable finale home much longer than it needs to. Additionally, The House of Mirth exhibits what I hereby, in honor of a conversation between Jim and I, dub the Zhivago problem. We constantly hear about how charming Lily Bart is and how many are her admirers, but the director never really lets us see this side of the character, and as such, it is hard to buy her allure. Anderson tries, but without an scene allowing her to display this facet, her hands are tied, which is too bad since the film, like Doctor Zhivago, demands we accept the fact that she is so charming; it is vital to the film. Additionally, the look of the film, which almost appears to be shot on Super Videotape in sections, works against the visual aesthetics, too often rendering the grand into the trite or fake. If this was intended, it doesn't really work, since it adds one more level between the viewer and a film that already threatens to distance itself too far away. If it was unintentional, then it is just as unfortunate. These flaws are not fatal, however, and even if this is a minor entry into its genre, it is still rewarding.
- 11/28 - Ocean's Eleven (2001) - Light, fun, breezy, and as minor key as it is minor, Ocean's Eleven is another Soderbergh genre film, this time with the director improving upon the rat pack heist template. The plot is rather clever, the filming always intriguing, and the pacing moves at a nice clip. Julia Roberts is woefully miscast and out of place - her appeal is based in qualities other than straight looks and the screenplay here really only gives her looks to build a supposedly alluring character around - but the rest of the cast falls into the cool retro style easily and comfortably. Ocean's Eleven is hardly earthmoving, but it is a fun way to spend two hours.
- 11/27 - Death to Smoochy (2002) - I have no doubt that most mainstream critics are well past their expiration date. Death to Smoochy was roundly blasted out of the critical skies while far lesser efforts such as Spider-Man were praised to the heavens. One was a creative comedy filled with strange, exciting imagery, the other was a bland rehash of superhero films with horrible CGI imagery and an inane script that supposedly a tongue firmly set in cheek redeems. I somehow doubt this film will stay in my top ten for long, but I swear, I'd rather watch this film again that sit through the corporate crap that was Spider-Man, or even the promising but ultimately disappointing Panic Room. Since that last film is still on my list, here's Death to Smoochy, a comedy that may not have you rolling on the floor, despite the delicious wicked streak running through the film, but will certainly not bore you. Ed Norton is terrific as a hippy dippy kid show host, Catherine Keener is just fine (even if she does seem to be simply Xeroxing her performance from Being John Malkovich), and Robin Williams, well, Williams is at times perhaps a bit over the top even for this over the top film, but he clicks for the most part. The real star here, however, is one of the most under-rated directors of the last ten years, Danny De Vito. His War of the Roses is a masterpiece of dark humor, and his visual work in Death to Smoochy is a hundred times more interesting and amazing that twenty computer-crazy Sam Raimis rolled into one. As the year rolls on, I bet this film will fall off my top ten for 2002, but as for now, it earns its place there. Ignore the irrelevant critics who constantly slam what they don't get, the same critics that praise tried, true, and slightly tired 70s rip-offs like Boogie Nights and Traffic over truly original and innovative fare such as Requiem for a Dream and Moulin Rouge (which, if you recall, was critically raked over the coals before the public starting catching on). Stick a fork in them - they're done. Oh, and Death to Smoochy is actually pretty good.
- 11/26 - Far from Heaven (2002) - I hate and love artifice. Much too often it is drenched in irony, reveling in kitsch, causing every attempt at emotion to slip through the confused viewer's fingers. I confess this artificiality rarely thrills me; I too often find it cheap to create and even less rewarding to work through. Other times, however, artifice creates a new world to dislocate, to place us into foreign terrain where the old rules loosen a bit. Lost, we are explorers, open to the improbable and the fantastic. I love this, and by God, I love Far from Heaven. You see, you know Todd Haynes isn’t just cracking a joke when, early in the film, Julianne Moore puts on that liquid pair of emerald gloves. They are thick and rich, and even though they are inconsequential to the position the scene holds in the film’s narrative, the camera almost seems to roll and savor them like brandy or smoke from a dark cigar. Mr. Haynes isn’t reviving this fifty-year-old melodramatic genre for a poke in the ribs and a good guffaw. He is breathing life into this faded style because it is another world to modern filmgoers, and by dislocating us, he short-wires our defenses and opens us to the new. Since we are wide-eyed with suspended critical reflexes, he slips melodrama before our moist eyes, and we eat up every second of it. Moulin Rouge did this last year – for all the wild antics of the first half which seem to annoy so many, I frankly doubt if we would have bought the broad tragedy which followed without the kinetics knocking us out of place – and Far from Heaven does this at least as well this year. Even as an admirer of Haynes' recreation of the seventies glam scene in Velvet Goldmine, I now see that earlier film was simply an appetizer to this much fuller realized and varied feast. Julianne Moore forces our forgiveness for Hannibal, and Dennis Quaid continues one of the most unexpected career rehabilitations in recent memory. Dennis Haysbert was so good that after a few scenes I was able to stop seeing President Palmer in gardener’s clothes altogether, and Patricia Clarkson (who always reminds me of the stellar first season of Murder One) stands out among the supporting players. This film starts by jarring us and ends by moving us deeply. I can hear the Academy clamoring already…
- 11/23 - A Beautiful Mind (2001) - Well, A Beautiful Mind was much better than I expected, and certainly not the shameful Best Picture Gladiator was. Still, this film is not a unqualified success, and I certainly would have rather seen Mulholland Drive, Moulin Rouge, or Amelie take home the Oscar last year (in fact, this isn't going to crack my top ten for 2001, so I feel any of those ten choices would have been better). Aside from one unbelievable and mawkish scene (one where I half expected E.T. to pop up, touch Russell's heart, and say, "I'll be right here..."), the main flaws of A Beautiful Mind are cliches and bad story decisions. While the story is pretty good, the script is nothing special, though not quite as silly as Akiva Goldsman's previous beauties, Lost in Space and Batman & Robin. Still, Akiva does not have a good script to his name, and A Beautiful Mind really fails to break that sad record. It sinks into cliche every time it threatens to take flight, but it is a step up from Akiva's past work. The visuals also are quite cliched, if well done. The old college scenes are shot in wood tones, Russell Crowe is alone in a dark suit to stand out, and other well-worn, cliched, but good-looking cinematic choices prevail. Luckily, the acting is top-notch, and that paired with a strong story goes a long way to saving A Beautiful Mind. Oddly, though, even here some problems pop up. After spending a good amount of time on John and Alicia Nash's early life, ABM seems to sprint towards the end in a mad dash to stay under two and a half hours. This gives the later years a breezy, inconsequential feel they hardly deserve. On the other hand, the issue of Nash's delusions are handled sympathetically and with flair, and impress as much as other elements here disappoint. It would be all too easy to see the pluses and minuses here and dismiss A Beautiful Mind as mediocre, but that really isn't fair. It is an above-average Hollywood drama in an age when Hollywood can't produce a great drama to save its life, and I'm not sure that the film isn't more affecting that it really has any right to be. It isn't great, and it certainly was far from the best picture last year, but it is worth a watch, and Mr. Crowe, Ms. Connelly, Mr. Harris, Mr. Hirsch, and Mr. Goldberg (a personal under-rated favorite actor of mine) do great work despite the downright ordinariness of their surroundings.
- 11/17 - The Thomas Crown Affair (1999) - This film is no masterpiece, or even a outstanding film for its year, but seeing the reams of praise hurled at such mediocrities as Spider-Man, I can't help but feel like this remake got a critical raw deal. This film harks back to the stylish heist films of yesteryear, and Rene Russo, Pierce Brosnan, Denis Leary, and (briefly) Faye Dunaway are more than up to the task of pulling that difficult caper off. John McTiernan again shows his too-rare talent of crafting crime and action films that never fail to keep their characters front and center (one of the major strengths of his Die Hard), and the breezy, twisty plot line keeps you from asking too many questions of the surprises in the film. This won't change your life, but Hollywood constantly tries to make these sort of films and very rarely ever does so with any merit. On top of that, it is that odd beast - a good remake that stands on its own. I'm baffled by the collective critical shrug this inspired. Back in the days when most critics used a four star scale, this would be known as a perfect example of a three-star film - solid and fun, if nothing more. This film deserves a second look.
- 11/16 - Pulp Fiction (1994) - Yep, still one of my very favorite films. My wife and I sat down to watch the recent DVD with the trivia track on, and I think Miramax has come up with a great solution for releases where directors would really rather not do commentaries. We enjoyed the film yet again, learned quite a bit about its creation, and were left smiling. Here's hoping for more discs using this solution. (Steven Spielberg, you listening?)
- 11/15 - Meet The Parents (2000) - Meet the Parents is a mainstream, studio-budgeted comedy that works better than I expected it to. Jay Roach allows a much darker, painful humor to develop here than is usual for such an expensive film, and the comedy is much stronger for it. De Niro and Stiller are both fine in roles that are hardly much of a stretch for either, and it is certainly always a pleasure to watch Blythe Danner again. This film really blossoms in the middle, when the horrible circumstances combine to bury Stiller's unfortunately-named Mr. Focker. The beginning is slight enough, and as is all too often the case with major-studio comedies, the ending simply grows completely unfunny with attempts at half-assed drama and warm fuzzy moments. Still, the funny scenes are surprisingly funny, and if Meet The Parents is no great comedy, it might fit the bill when only a few good laughs are required. De Niro's cat accusation and the unfortunate pool party certainly had me laughing.
- 11/14 - Amores Perros (2000) - Amores Perros is a very promising debut by director Alexandro Gonzalez Inarritu. As is becoming more and more common in ambitious films, three stories share a common event (a car crash) and a common theme (troubled love). They all also feature dogs involved in that car crash. Sure, the structure itself is a grand challenge for a new director to keep on top of, but I was more impressed by his ease in telling stories that may occur in the same city but still unwind in very different settings. This strength means that both the opening story, depicting two lower-class brothers (one the terrific Gael Garcia Bernal, who proves here and in Y tu Mama Tambien that he is a star waiting to go super-nova) involved with the same woman, and the following story showing the struggles of an upper-class model recovering from the devastating crash with her boyfriend who recently left his wife for her, achieve a sense of realistic intimacy despite their vast differences. If these two stories never really gain much from their intersections, and if they completely overwhelm the slighter third story, that is perhaps simply to say that Inarritu hasn't quite matured into a master of his ambitions yet. This is, after all, a first film, but one that reaches far enough to hint that its director might well grow in leaps and bounds, and viewing the strength of his first film, that is an exciting premise indeed. Amores Perros may be over-rated by some, but it has certainly been seen by too few. I can't wait to see what Inarritu will offer next.
- 11/13 - Amelie (2001) - Another reviewing. I loved this film when I first saw it in the theater, and I still adore it on DVD. Even with No Man's Land as competition, this film was absolutely robbed of the Foreign Film Oscar last year.
- 11/08 - Chinatown (1974) - Some films are simply better each time you watch them. This film is already in my top ten favorites, so you can only guess what that means. In fact, AAA may not be wrong at all when he puts this as the best film ever. When Polanski was at his prime, he had an amazing ability to create genre films so intense and serious that they resonate with the same strong echoes of great dramas. Chinatown is certainly a film noir (although one confident enough to use color rather than shadowy black and white) - he even casts John Huston, who had a great hand in shaping film noir with his debut, The Maltese Falcon, back in 1941. Keeping with Polanski's genre finesse, this piece of casting never feels like a stunt. In fact, it is nearly impossible to think of who else could have played the role of Noah Cross after Huston gave life to that morally dead man. The acting, the mood, the visual story-telling (note how many scenes make scarce if any use of dialogue), his myriad ways of building suspense, the evocative use of music to conjure nostalgia while at the same time Roman wipes the rose tinting from the glass, the dry desert hues spiked with lush moist blues, the slow pace that ends up being much too fast as time runs out... This is a master film, one of the very, very best ever made, by one of the undersung masters of film. It is also one of the most cynical, depressing films you'll ever see. Try, but you'll never forget it. It's Chinatown.
- 10/31 - The Others (2001) - Much to my delight, The Others is actually better on second viewing. Unlike many modern twist films, this one stands up to scrutiny, and the scares and suspense still set off squirms long after the viewer learns to pay attention to the man hiding behind the curtain. Regardless of what Nicole Kidman says, The Others might very well contain her best performance, and the child acting is top-notch. Really, looking over the horror films of the past ten years or so, this easily ranks as one of the best, and could easily hold its own against any spooky house or ghost movie I know of. I may even be forced to revise my 2001 film list and find a space again for this terrific, creepy movie. Let the public say what it will, viewing The Others and Open Your Eyes, I can only conclude that Alejandro Amenabar is the twisty, scary genius every one seems to have mistaken M. Night Shyamalan for. Here's to his continued success in Hollywood.
- 10/31 - From Hell (2001) - Well, this is a bit of a leap for the Hughes brothers. They started with Menace II Society, continued to Dead Presidents, a documentary titled, American Pimp, and now, well, a film about Jack the Ripper. Not that this is completely foreign territory, though. Shooting a film set in 1880s London provides plenty of opportunity to capture urban filth and squalor, the subject matter is, as you may suspect, hardly bloodless, and the brothers even manage to again paint a government in a dim light. They also continue their terrific work at capturing dazzling images on film. But is it scary? Well, no, not really, nor does the mystery survive the first hour of the film, but the story is still quite interesting, the directing is often captivating, and most of the acting impresses. Also admirable is their skill in knowing what to show and what not to show to achieve maximum effect. If the questions could have held until the last few minutes of the film, and if the suspense could have built to a fever pitch, this could have been a minor classic in the modern horror genre. As it is, From Hell is still worth a watch and much better than the average horror, or even Jack the Ripper, flick.
Author Comments:
I was bad and failed to create an October installment. Here's one for November, with a bit of a cheating Halloween entry...
You have an uncanny knack for making me want to rewatch movies. I'll have to give Chinatown another go-round one of these days.
I'll take that as a compliment. Thanks!
To these eyes, Chinatown is always worth watching again. I hope you enjoy!
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
Definitely a compliment. I wasn't going to mention that you're also good at making me reconsider movies I didn't much care for on my own (although that's not the case here - I already liked Chinatown). But what the heck, I've mentioned it. Don't let it go to your head. :-)
[blush] Thanks, Jim. {/blush}
Before leaving the last comment, I searched to see if I could find Chinatown on one of your lists. I couldn't, so I wasn't sure if you dug it or not. My, what a film...
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
Unfortunately many of my "recommended" lists are stacked towards stuff I've seen in the last couple years, since I haven't backfilled as much as I should have. So they are far from complete! Chinatown will certainly find a home somewhere, when I rewatch it.
I look forward to your comments when you do!
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
Wonderful write up on Chinatown. As I noted somewhere on this list, I have always found it fascinating that Chinatown was made between Sharon Tate's murder and Polanski's exile for diddling the underage girl.
He was definitely on a downward spiral and the fact he was able to make a wonderful "Cynical, Depressing " movie is an amazing accomplishment.
And Kudos on the Huston praise. Fascinating family. I wonder what the best Huston performance is? Chinatown's John, Walter's Treasure of The Sierra Madre or Anjelica's Prizzi Honor's?
Thank you!
I also find the timing of Chinatown in Polanski's personal life rather fascinating. I will, however, pass on trying to pin the medal on the best Huston performance, as I am too much of a wimp and I love all three performances. In fact, it has been too long since I have seen Prizzi's Honor (gee, I think I was in high school). Maybe I'll rent it again soon.
Although maybe I should watch a non-black comedy first, just to break Prizzi's and Chinatown up a bit...
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
Wow, you've been on a roll! Five movie days in a row!
I couldn't agree more with your Amores Perros review. You liked Meet the Parents and The Thomas Crown Affair a bit more than I did, but I did have an intersting realization: I had voted for Entrapment as the better movie over on bertie's famous copycat list, but I'm finding the hat scene from TTCA more memorable than anything in Entrapment.
Pierce Brosnan has been on a bit of a roll in your book, hasn't he?
What's the "trivia track" on the Pulp Fiction DVD?
I've said, it on
You've said it on reply to Jim? :)
Meet the Parents and Thomas Crown are both good example of what I used to call 3-star films. Nothing great, but certainly a little above average, and not a complete waste of time.
Yeah, as long as Pierce ain't playing Bond, I tend to like his films as of late. As you know, I especially enjoyed Tailor of Panama.
The trivia track is actually an encoded subtitled track. Instead of dialogue, the subtitles area flashes up scene-specific information such as trivia, basic shot discussion, actors' comments, and the such. You read it instead of listening to it, but I found the new feature loads of fun. No doubt, how neato the feature depends greatly on who puts the track together with what information, but as an alternative to directors' commentaries (especially when the director refuses), I think it works.
The new Jackie Brown DVD also has a trivia track. Hopefully, this is the start of a trend...
Thanks for the comments!
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
Ha! I have no idea what happened there. If you have any idea you can
:)!
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
Right on the mark with Thomas Crown Affair. A very enjoyable movie that could have easily come from Hollywood when they used to actually care that all the movies they made had some quality and not just the ones released in December to try to cash in on Academy aspirations.
Thanks. I first saw Thomas Crown Affair with a group of people, and to be honest, I entered the theater expecting to be bored to tears. I was very pleasantly surprised.
I suspect this film is gaining a second life on video and television, so hopefully more will enjoy this fun film.
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
Great comments on A Beautiful Mind. I agree with your "better than average Hollywood drama" assessment, although you've renewed my outrage over its theft of the "Best Adapted Screenplay" Oscar. Ah well.
Yeah, I suspected that what was good in A Beautiful simply survived the transition from book to screen rather than was enhanced by it, making Akiva's award for Adapted Screenplay the most baffling win for the film. Many better choices were out there; Ghost World and Lord of the Rings leap to mind.
Thanks for the compliments!
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
So, will Far from Heaven be finding itself on your top ten of the year?
It found a home there last night, in fact! Thanks again for the recommendation.
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
So I noticed, I spoke to soon! I'm happy that you enjoyed it, it's one of my favorites of the year. In fact, it's one of the few English-language films that I've put in my top tier this year.
thank you for your thoughts on far from heaven--i wasn't sure i wanted to see it but your opinion clinched it for me.
(don't you love listology?!)
Yes, I do Listology, especially since I really was only swayed to check Far from Heaven out by AAA's recomendation for the film.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
Well, true, I do Listology, but the above should read, "I do *love* Listology."
Garsh...
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
One of life's little coincidences: I think I watched the original Ocean's Eleven on the same day you watched the remake.
Oh, one more thing, thanks for dubbing "The Zhivago Problem" and finding a supporting example. :-)
And thank you for the inspiration. The Zhivago problem has now been observed and classified. May many films now avoid the discovered error and soar!
Or, something like that... :)
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
A quick observation on the Zhivago Problem, it came to me recently watching the movie The Farmer's Daughter , There are tons of examples where a script wants the viewer to have certain favorable impressions about a character without any supporting evidence. I think for this to work you need a very strong and believable supporting cast.
In the Farmer's Daughter you believe Loretta Young is so wonderful because you instincually believe Joeseph Cotten. In Zhivago and The House of Mirth there is no real strong counter balance that convinces the viewer about the wonderful qualities of that particualr character.
A Strong observation on both movies but especially Zhivago which is one of those movies that always left me a little uncomfortable.
Good point. Great acting can so often cover a multitude of cinematic sins. If Joseph Cotton could convince he found a woman attractive, I think I would find it hard not to buy it!
I started the Farmer's Daughter late one night back in college and had to turn it off when a room-mate decided sleep trumped art (a decision I rarely make, as I am sure you can relate to), and I haven't been able to find my way back to it yet...
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs (who also agrees with every bit of praise you lavish on Joseph Cotton)
For attractive above, read wonderful.
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
Someday folks will be able to edit their own posts. Someday. I always do more extra-curricular programming in the winter, so maybe before the frost breaks . . .
That is a bit odd. Adding to that oddity is the fact that I really didn't choose that day to watch the film. It just happened in a way where it was hard not to watch the film that night. Truthfully, I was planning to read some Herodotus, so I'm glad the film turned out well!
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs