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Hi all,
Vanilla are planning an update to the site on April 24th (next Wednesday). It is a major PHP8 update which is expected to boost performance across the site. The site will be down from 7pm and it is expected to take about an hour to complete. We appreciate your patience during the update.
Thanks all.
Vanilla are planning an update to the site on April 24th (next Wednesday). It is a major PHP8 update which is expected to boost performance across the site. The site will be down from 7pm and it is expected to take about an hour to complete. We appreciate your patience during the update.
Thanks all.
MUBI
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Touchez pas au grisbi I watched a few months ago on my "mubi travels" has been added to the Irish version of Mubi.
Its a brilliant crime thriller from the 50s which flies by and has a great lead performance.
Pops up on lists when people talk about best French gangster films.
Looking forward to that.
Just watched Terry Gilliam's Brazil - anyone who hasn't seen it, do yourself a favour and watch; unique, bizarre, surreal, massively imaginative, with a killer cameo from De Niro. 1 -
This Boy’s Life – Caton-Jones – 1993
De Niro’s character is such a hateful buffoon that it is hard to spend so much time in his company; he’s too one-dimensional. Not convinced by Di Caprio as the bad kid. The soundtrack is syrupy and sentimental. There are a lot of tropes and cliches we’ve seen many times before. A really young Eliza Dushku from Buffy turns up, but that is about as interesting as it gets. Formulaic and disappointing.:)
Brazil – Gilliam – 1985
“Don’t suspect a friend, report him!” says the poster. Made one year after 1984, and that is not coincidental; it has a lot in common with the Orwell novel, especially on the theme of bureaucracy gone made. The only drawback is the protagonist, Sam, who is annoying and ineffectual, tho Gilliam’s imagination is impressive; there is a never ending stream of weirdness, curiosity, eccentricity, surrealism and hilarity. A bizarre, unique joy (also, De Niro’s appearance is the best cameo ever).:):):)
Ghosts - Okyay - 2020
Not sure about the significance of the title; there are no ghosts – literal or metaphorical – in the film. It is very much about the present; present day Istanbul and ordinary people’s struggle to survive. It centres on Didem, a young dancer who is having boyfriend trouble. There is the predictable conflict between modernity and the old ways, feminist protests while the call to prayer sounds in the background. Good, but lacks depth.:):)
Cruel story of youth – Oshima - 1960
A tangled web in sixties Japan. It is the old story; a young woman falls for a bad boy, who in turn is seeing an older woman. Mako’s sister gets involved, wishing for her lost youth. An intense story – there aren’t a lot of laughs – where women are treated as property or objects. Atmospheric, a snapshot of its time and a changing culture.:):) -1 -
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LA Confidential – Hansen - 1998
Some wonderful moments in this movie; Lana Turner, Rolo Tomasi, Russell Crowe breaking the back of a chair with his bare hands. Fabulous cast; Kevin Spacey before he got cancelled, Guy Pearce, Kim Basinger. Stylish, fast moving, it has a moral heart; it is essentially about being a good person. Just great, pure entertainment.:):):):)
Reunion – Odell – 2013
Fascinating. A film within a film, within a real story. The first part is something that never happened; the second feels like a recreation of something that did. A lot of questions come up; is Anna Odell using her trauma for personal success? Is this good for her mental health? Has it helped her to heal? There are questions of the outsider here, group dynamics, group think. One of a kind.:):):)
Touchez pas au grisbi – Becker - 1954
One bunch of crooks tries to rip off another bunch of crooks. The film suffers from the same issue that any gangster film has; there are no sympathetic characters and so it is difficult to identify with anyone here. There is a certain style to the action, but the cast is just a bunch of French guys in suits called Max, Ramon, Jojo and Angelo, and there is nothing deeper than this spat between criminals. Meh.:)
X & Y – Anna Odell – 2018
We are supposed to be playing with fact and fiction here, but it is clear that this is all pretend, despite the constant demand for a script from the ‘actors’. Real Danish and Swedish actors playing a version of themselves, who in turn are supposed to be playing various elements of the personalities of two other actors. A hall of mirrors, a labyrinth, a tricky little story that doesn’t completely convince but is always fascinating. Konstbarn!:):):) 0 -
One from the heart – Francis Ford Coppola – 1984
Looks great, though very artificial, more like a play at times than a movie. The colours, sights and sounds of Las Vegas, though apparently not filmed there but in a studio in California. The downside is the story, which is slight and unengaging; hard to care about the central couple or anything that happens to them. I was rooting against Frannie and Hank at the end. It gets worse as it goes on.:)
Personal shopper – Assayas – 2016
Truly silly. Kristen Stewart says the word “ectoplasm” in the middle of this film, and I stopped taking it seriously. All the spiritualist stuff is just nonsense. Kristen Stewart just plays her normal angsty young woman character and is mostly contorted with anxiety throughout the story, making her hard to watch. It briefly gets tense and interesting, and then just wastes this. Laughably bad.
Mayor – Osit – 2019
Eye-opening, especially now that the conflict is as bad as it's been. The street battle is hair raising, and the eponymous mayor trudges his way through the story, keeping going but with the weight of the world on his shoulders. An education.:):):)
Thirst – Park Chan Wook – 2009
Do we need another vampire film? This one is very stylish, but there isn’t really anything new here. Though the priest is the central character, Tae-Ju is the heart of the story; put-upon, abandoned, taken advantage of but also daring and passionate and uncontrolled. The film is bloody and brutal at times, but also tender and driven by a fcuked up love story.:):) 0 -
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The Outsiders – Ford Coppola – 1983
The scene near the end where Ponyboy reads Johnny’s letter is truly trite and cringeworthy, and shows how badly this film has aged. The music is truly awful; Stevie Wonder’s theme tune is syrupy and sentimental, like a lot of the soundtrack. A star-studded, brat-pack cast, but there is a lot of overacting, melodrama and cliched dialogue. Has some emotional power but is largely a failure.:)
Billy Liar – Schlesinger – 1963
A perfect portrait of a fantasist. Billy is happily detached from reality, and in the end it is clear that his fantasies are more satisfying than any potential excitement or adventure in the real world. The Julie Christie character is his counterpoint; just as restless but with the strength of will to do something about it. Very British, some wonderful moments, like those of Billy and his mate imitating the councillor. “In my day….”.:):):)
Ring – Nakata – 2018
A bit creepy, but not really frightening. Once you suspend disbelief there is a lot to like about this bizarre story of a cursed video. None of it really makes any sense; the only explanation seems to be that “maybe the father was not of this world”, but it holds your interest. There is a build up of tension and an effective climax, and room for a sequel.:):):)
Jerichow – Petzold – 2008
An intriguing love triangle, with betrayal, exploitation, friendship, suspicion and obsession all mixed up together under what seems to be a tranquil surface. An ironic ending adds to the mix.:):):) 0 -
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State Funeral – Loznitsa - 2019
Would not recommend watching the whole film; it is as tedious and repetitive as an actual funeral. It does, however, display something frightening about humanity. A wave of public grief, grim faces and despair, rousing speeches – “to his people he has left his genius, his heart of steel” – all for a mass murdering tyrant presiding over a system of repression and control. A terrifying glimpse into an authoritarianism based on the purest of lies.:):)
Death will come and shall have your eyes – Leiva - 2019
Slower than slow. A film about dying, but the film itself is mostly dead. There are two random stories in the middle that have nothing to do with the main narrative, and no real explanation for why they are there, but at least they give a relief from the snail-paced tedium of the main event. This may appeal to some people, but it said nothing new to me about its central theme.
The Hummingbird Project - Nguyen - 2019
A story that illustrates the absurdity of modern capitalism; a millisecond can mean hundreds of millions of dollars, and can inspire an insanely ambitious project. Jesse Eisenberg just plays his usual angsty self but Stellan Skarsgard really plays against type as a hunched, socially awkward nerd savant. Salma Hayek breaks balls. A weird little story that kind of works, though not sure about the Mennonites' role in this….:):):)
Tetro – Coppola – 2009
The choice of black and white for this film seems perverse; it is set in the vibrant, colourful city of Buenos Aires, which is drained of life. The whole father/son thing is melodramatic and overplayed, and the story never engages; it kind of limps along. It has Carmen Maura but it is no Almodóvar. Could have been good, but is just aimless and disappointing.:) 0 -
The Hummingbird Project - Nguyen - 2019
A story that illustrates the absurdity of modern capitalism; a millisecond can mean hundreds of millions of dollars, and can inspire an insanely ambitious project. Jesse Eisenberg just plays his usual angsty self but Stellan Skarsgard really plays against type as a hunched, socially awkward nerd savant. Salma Hayek breaks balls. A weird little story that kind of works, though not sure about the Mennonites' role in this….:):):)
Tetro – Coppola – 2009
The choice of black and white for this film seems perverse; it is set in the vibrant, colourful city of Buenos Aires, which is drained of life. The whole father/son thing is melodramatic and overplayed, and the story never engages; it kind of limps along. It has Carmen Maura but it is no Almodóvar. Could have been good, but is just aimless and disappointing.:)
I enjoyed The Hummingbird Project too, more than I expected. The storyline didn't sound very interesting but the execution of it was very good, creating suspense in places I would never imagine. Very good performances by the 3 leads, especially Alexander Skarsgaard and Salma Hayek.
Tetro isn't amongst the best Coppola films but it's decent enough. I actually enjoyed the black and white cinematography, although your point about Buenos Aires is valid, figson. I thought it was a bit long, they could easily have edited 20 minutes and not lose the core of the story. Not everything works but I was impressed by the attempt to combine different themes and styles.
I also watched Under The Skin earlier today based on the very positive reviews and because I like Scarlett Johansson. Though I liked it, I will say that it's not for everyone. For me though there are many things to admire. There is a minimalist approach in Glazer's approach, from the drown out "black" intro, to the economy of dialogue. Glazer also makes great use of locations. And Mica Levi's soundtrack is absolutely fantastic and helps enhance the atmosphere of the film. The story is a bit obscure at times and that could turn some people off, but if you are willing to let this slide (or dive deep into the themes of the film) you can enjoy this.0 -
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Under the skin – Glazer – 2013
Profoundly weird and intriguing, right from the beginning. The guy with the facial deformity in the middle just adds to the deep strangeness, as well as the incongruity of Hollywood star Scarlett Johansson driving around Scotland in a white van picking up guys. Loses its way a little in the Highlands, a little like Scarlett, but still absolutely unique. One of the strangest things I have ever seen.:):):)
Old Joy – Reichart – 2008
No idea what the point of this film is. It is very short, yet still feels slow. There is obviously an issue between the two men, but it is never made explicit. Some nice shots of Oregon countryside soon get old. A tiny, tiny story that is so slight it feels like it might blow away. An almost completely empty hour and ten minutes.
Two days in Paris – Delpy – 2007
Charming and funny at times, the real problem with this film is that the central couple are obviously a bad fit and it is hard to care what happens to them. Neurotic and self-obsessed, they obviously make each other unhappy. Split up, stay together – who cares? There are some amusing American-in-Paris set pieces, but it is impossible to care about Jack and Marion.:):)
Kala Azar – Rafa – 2020
There is nothing post-apocalyptic about this film, despite the description on MUBI. In fact, there is almost nothing interesting about this film at all; it is incredibly static and flat, little dialogue, no action, no real themes or ideas of any sort. Hard to see how a decision was made to actually go ahead and make this film – why does it exist? Almost completely pointless. 0 -
Under the skin – Glazer – 2013
Profoundly weird and intriguing, right from the beginning. The guy with the facial deformity in the middle just adds to the deep strangeness, as well as the incongruity of Hollywood star Scarlett Johansson driving around Scotland in a white van picking up guys. Loses its way a little in the Highlands, a little like Scarlett, but still absolutely unique. One of the strangest things I have ever seen.:):):)
I actually watched "Under the Skin" only a few months ago, but like yourself, I found it profoundly weird, unique & difficult to connect with. So I'm glad it's arrived on Mubi, because I think it may be one those movies that requires a rewatch, which I will do so in the coming days.0 -
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Bozo Skeleton wrote: »Finally finished The Pusher trilogy. All three are excellent.
Agree, like a cross between the Sopranos and a Danish Trainspotting. 0 -
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A week of American Indies, of varying quality. Especially liked John Waters' crazy offering...
Shiva Baby - Seligman - 2020
It starts off interesting, all set in a Jewish wake in NY city, but it gets repetitive and a little annoying. The story drags and doesn’t really develop, Danielle just gets more and more unbalanced and childish. The self-conscious Jewishness – “Bubbalah” this, “fakakta” that – is both charming and little overdone. Most characters are just annoying. A weird, at times tiresome mix.:)
Piercing – Pesce - 2018
Curious, intriguing, table-turning weirdness, though the characters lack depth. Stylish and dark, though a little insubstantial.:):)
Pvt Chat – Hozie – 2020
Not entirely sure how we got to the situation at the end, but the journey there is an intriguing one. Ne’er do wells, cam girls, hipsters, people on the edge of the margins in Brooklyn, NY, a guy who seems to make a living playing games of chance online while living in a semi-hovel and indulging his fantasies on a cam site. Urban alienation, the difficulty of connection, some quite explicit scenes. A curious mix.:):):)
Cecil B Demented – Waters – 2000
Various Wire actors show up, inevitably, in this movie set in Baltimore, by Baw’more native John Waters. Great fun, organized chaos; couldn’t be more meta; a film about people making a film about film-making. No attempt at realism, but that’s ok. Satanism, Stockholm Syndrome, Celibacy for Cinema. Demented by name, demented by nature.:):):) 0 -
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