Kar-2 Reviews

Let the Devil Wear Black (1999)

Awful movie, total waste of time

[1/10 · 10 June 2001]

One of the worst movies I have ever seen. It is beyond me that such a thing gets actually produced. The only remarkable moment in this pathetic effort of an Hamlet adaption is when the Ophelia (Julia) character eats dry dog food.

Baise-moi (2000)

Pretty good, but the book is lightyears better

[9/10 · 20 March 2001]

After I had finished the book (in one session) I was totally smitten. And one of the first thoughts that occured to me was, damn, this is the stuff good movies are made of, but then I thought, no, you cannot possibly make a movie that does the book justice and get it actually shown on the big screen at the same time. Baise Moi, for whichever reason, was never released in Austria. I have watched it on DVD, an Italian release with a runtime of 75 minutes. I have no idea what cuts have been made but there are a lot of essential scenes missing that were in the book. I'd really like to know what the runtime of the original cut was and if some of these missing scenes have actually been shot or not, specifically, to mention just one, the scene in the pastry shop where they shoot the toddler. Still, this is a very good movie - if you judge it per se and not in conjunction with the book. I'd probably give it higher credit had I not read the book before. Both leading ladies, Rafaella Anderson and Karen Bach, are excellent and thoroughly convincing in their roles. The music by Varou Jan really kicks. Benoit Chamillard's cinematography with ample use of steady cam takes you on a visually stunning thrill ride that leaves you catching for breath. Coralie Trinh Thi's direction is very good, too. she lead her principal actresses (and the rest of the cast) to top performances. Still she is to blame for the movie's main shortcomings as she co-wrote the script. I am totally disappointed (maybe my expectations were just too high) by Virginie Despentes' adaption of her own book. Probably her own inner censor took over, or, to phrase it differently: cinema as the art of the possible. I voted it a 9.

Unbreakable (2000)

Worst pretentious crap I have ever seen, total waste of time

[1/10 · 5 January 2001]

This is the worst film I have ever seen in my life. No acting, not a single good shot, music that does not deserve the name and totally inept direction. Plot, story development: subzero. But we want to be art, we breathe it in every single cut. All the "actors" look meaningful all the time. God, and do we get rave reviews. Totally worthless piece of ... Seeing it means you waste two valuable hours of your life! There are not so few people, though, who mistake it for a documentary.

Goodbye Lover (1998)

Very pleasing neo-noir with good cast and lots of humor

[9/10 · 25 April 2000]

I wrote this comment mainly because there are so many negative reviews posted here and fewer positive ones and I think this film definitely deserves better. I liked it very much, have seen it twice, once on the big screen and just now on DVD. It was not the least bit boring the second time even though the film relies heavily on its plot twists and the suspense they produce. I think many people just don't come to terms with cross-overs, they want either a suspense film that takes itself dead serious or a clear cut comedy. I liked the humor in the film and its outrageous characters well played by a perfectly assembled cast. Patricia Arquette is just great, a pleasure to watch! She deserves the price for the funniest sociopath femme fatale ever seen on the silver screen. Vincent Gallo in his tiny role as contract killer is the icing on the cake! The film is superbly shot and directed and features a brilliant soundtrack. I voted it a 9.

The Mephisto Waltz (1971)

Excellent occult thriller with a surprising end, worth to be seen

[9/10 · 19 December 1999]

This is one of the best occult thrillers ever made. Direction, acting, cinematography and the music score are superb as is the script based on the Fred Mustard Stewart novel with the same title. Curd Juergens plays a famous concert pianist and Barbara Parkins his adoring incestuous daughter. Wanting to make their illicit love eternal they feel compelled to make ritualistic human sacrifices to Satan. The film aided by an excellent Jerry Goldsmith score manages to create an unsettling and more and more threatening atmosphere as the true nature of these two becomes clearer and a journalist played by Alan Alda gets drawn into their web. His wife, played by Jacqueline Bisset, sees the imminent danger in nightmares. These dream sequences that gradually unveil the shocking truth are extremely well filmed and the music enhances the emotional impact even further. This one is a real chiller with some very frightening moments and a very surprising end. Its many disturbing images will haunt you for quite some time. It proves that elegant filmmaking becomes the horror genre very well. I'd love to see The Mephisto Waltz released on DVD!

Rosenkavalier (1997)

nasty thriller with some good scenes for lovers of the genre

[7/10 · 24 October 1999]

I saw this one on DVD, running time 85'. I don't know if this is the uncut version. The film is thrilling enough to keep you glued but it is a pity that the good plot idea is wasted by poor direction and a totally implausible script. Thanks to the above average cinematography and the excellent soundtrack the film manages to create quite an intense, threatening athmosphere. The ritualistic murders are very graphic and some of the images are pretty hard to stomach. Acting by the two main characters, the murderous sisters played by Esther Schweins and Stefanie Stappenbeck is quite good but they suffer from the scripts shortcomings on character development. For true fans of the genre only.

The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970)

Excellent thriller, intelligent with surprising end

[9/10 · 8 December 1998]

This is one rare jewel of an intelligent thriller that was also the break-through effort for people like Dario Argento, the director and scriptwriter, Vittorio Storaro, the director of photography, and last but not least Ennio Morricone who composed the soundtrack. There are great performances by a cast of lesser known European actors who did not make it big but are great in this one. I would just like to mention two outstanding supporting performances by Eva Renzi who was never better before or after, and by Mario Adorf who convinces as half-crazed cat-eating painter. The movie will keep you glued to your seat and surprise with an absolutely unexpected twist at the end. Watch and enjoy!

Final Vendetta (1996)

Thriller, disappointing end, fine performance by Bridgette. Wilson

[6/10 · 7 December 1998]

Ths movie is thrilling enough to keep you glued to your seat to its (predictable and disappointing) end. What makes it worth watching is a fine performance by Bridgette Wilson who has to lead an otherwise pretty mediocre cast. Peter Boyd and Seiko Matsuda at least manage to look desperate enough to give their characters some credibility. Direction and script are also not really inspired but provide the suspense necessary to keep you thrilled right to the end. Photography and music are above direct to video standard.

Night Moves (1975)

Excellent Film Noir, Superbly acted and well directed

[8/10 · 10 September 1998]

Night Moves is an underrated Film Noir. Directed by Arthur Penn (Bonnie & Clyde) it is an absolutely outstanding genre piece. Gene Hackman plays an L.A. gumshoe who is hired by a well to do ex-actress to find and bring home her runaway daughter (Melanie Griffith in her first role!). What seems to be routine detective work soon turns out to be a complicated case which finally ends in murder and mayhem. There are some remarkable stunt and underwater sequences, well photographed by Bruce Surtees (Director of Photography of many Clint Eastwood action movies). Not only Melanie Griffith but also another of today's stars, James Woods, gave his screen debut in this film. See it, it is worth the while!

Innocent Lies (1995)

Very good movie

[9/10 · 2 August 1998]

Very good movie even though a bit complicated to follow when seen for the first time. It is one of those movies you need to see at least twice to fully appreciate it. The principal actors, first of all Gabrielle Anwar, and Stephen Dorff, are outstanding. Noteworthy is also Patrick Blossier´= s excellent photography.

Having said that I still think with this highly imaginative and original story at his hands Patrick Dewulf could have done more, simply by concentrating on the main characters. There are too many subplots there that are rather superfluous in that they do not contribute to the main story which is intense enough and need not be pepped up.

But still: An excellent movie! I highly recommend it.