mike-544 Reviews

Blue Velvet (1986)

A small town satire played by unidimensional characters

[19 September 1999]

David Lynch's "Blue Velvet" is almost impossible to describe because the actors are so great portraying their roles that reviewing this film might create an anti-climax. Though, we immediately recognize David Lynch's touch, his obsession for the bizarre and the cruel. The film has a pulp simplicity, but it's self-conscious in its satire. Isabella Rossellini portrays a woman whose husband and son have been kidnapped by Dennis Hopper, and Kyle McLaghlan and Laura Dern are the heroes who try to discover what's behind the small town facade. They whisper corny lines to each other and their characters are purely mechanical; but there are times when they let themselves go and almost pull out from the unidimensional behavior of the characters. Dennis Hopper gives a strong performance as an obsessed and dangerous man, with a homicidal sexual behavior.

"Blue Velvet" could be better if only Lynch knew how to develop real characters instead of throwing at us the same old pessimistic satire and mechanical behavior for two hours.

7 Women (1965)

The final film of a great director that never lost his faith in human nature

[15 September 1999]

John Ford, usually with the reputation of misogynist, directed his last film surrounded by strong female characters and where the male characters are not particularly relevant. The movie is set in China, 1935, where a Civil War is taking place. Anne Bancroft, a female doctor who is also an atheist, says: "I spent years in slum hospitals. I never saw God come down and take care of anyone". Ford, with his catholic roots, allows himself to be pessimistic. Even when Margaret Leighton, a supposed strong believer is confronted by the female doctor, she says: "I've always searched for something that... isn't there. And God is not enough. God help me - He isn't enough".

The title refers to seven women, but the fact is that there are eight: What led us to believe that Anne Bancroft is excluded from the beginning? She wears man's clothes, she smokes and drinks. The loner Bancroft, condemned to always walk alone, like Ethan Edwards in "The Searchers". And what about the final scene, with a rare beauty, where the viewer isn't allowed to watch her fall? She is dressed in woman's clothes for the first time and is prepared to a truly catholic gesture, the sacrifice. "Seven Women" is a beautiful film, almost perfect. Towards the end, we become aware that Mr. Ford will live eternally.

The Mischief Makers (1957)

The cruelty of being too young

[5 September 1999]

Truffaut's first steps in filmmaking were towards adolescence and their response to the world. "Les Mistons" is not an enjoyable film probably because the young director captures beautifully the feeling of innocence and cruelty. It is a reminiscent film, keeping the viewers interested not just because it reminds them of their youth but also because of the rhythm: it's constructed like faded memories, and the passing of time comes in the end as a surprise. The opening shot, with a boy in his bicycle, is one of the most beautiful scenes ever filmed, as we instantly capture the essence of this truly unforgettable film. In French.

Agatha (1979)

Agatha Christie's portrayal of someone who tastes loss

[2 September 1999]

The title of this English movie refers to one of the world's most famous writer, Agatha Christie, who, in 1926, left her home without warning and created a public speculation about her fate. The director, Michael Apted, gives us a great amount of solemnity, using it to balance with the most trivial of human behaviors. Dustin Hoffman is rather theatrical in his portrayal of a famous journalist that falls in love with the fragile and dependent writer and Vanessa Redgrave captures perfectly the loss and solitude of the character. And suddenly, when the movie itself was imbued in its quietness, becomes something close to a thriller, a race against time, and its cleverness never compensates the unexpected loss. But it is a beautiful film, carefully constructed and with some good dialogue. Victorio Storaro's cinematography is excellent as usual and Timothy Dalton probably gives his finest performance as a rigid and paternal husband who doesn't allow his wife to act as one. "Would you care for a kiss?", asks Agatha. I would say yes, but only to this Agatha .

Reversal of Fortune (1990)

The mannerisms of aristocracy

[23 August 1999]

Barbet Schroeder's "Reversal of Fortune" works mostly because the director keeps us away from Jeremy Irons' character and his thoughts, and to adopt his point of view would surely be a mistake. The structure is intensely loose, and perhaps owes much of it to the celebrated "Citizen Kane". The film allows an unconscious Glenn Close to narrate some of the past events, but her calm and sweet voice may lead the viewer to believe she finally found her place, like the William Holden character in "Sunset Blvd.". Barbet Schroeder uses subjective flashbacks (which makes them not necessarily true), and we always adopt the lawyers point of view: the book that was the source of this film was written by the real von Bulow's lawyer. The relationship established between the aristocrat and the lawyer is very subtle: van Bulow's life depends on the lawyer's ability to succeed, and when the lawyer becomes sure of that, he attempts to eliminate class barriers, allowing himself to call the aristocrat for his first name and inviting him to his home. And yet, van Bulow is so intensely attached to his own way of life that he never loses his facade or temperament, and he says: "I don't carry my heart on my sleeves".

"Reversal of Fortune" never attempts to find a climax: its quality resides mostly on the ability of the viewer and in the mannerisms of the characters. The film is constructed to be a puzzle and its rhythm is pedantic but strangely fascinating. If the filmmaker was trying to create an exercise in style, he surely succeed it: we are left cold and doubtful and the movie lacks a purpose except entertainment.

Knife in the Water (1962)

A subtle study on vanity

[14 August 1999]

Roman Polanski directed his first feature film in a hale mood: we are sure of what's going on but the characters seem to be too anxious to reflect on their own behavior. The competition is based on a woman (Christine) and she lets the two men become more and more dangerous to each other. It's a subtle study on vanity. As we become more and more involved, the characters seem to become more vulnerable: they gain their own complexity never losing a truly human resemblance with each other. In Polish.

The Son Of... (1995)

A rather hollow piece of filmmaking

[13 August 1999]

"Le Garçu" offers the obvious, but the director, Maurice Pialat, only insinuates and never lets his actors to come up with anything original and fresh. Soon the camera seems to get tired to follow the same people all over around and not even the charm of Gerard Depardieu is enough to save this rather hollow piece of filmmaking. The actors are always on their own and their mannerisms depend on the reaction immediately before, so the dialogue seems so improvised that we begin to accept it as a truly realistic piece of writing. The young star, Antoine Pialat, offers himself as Antoine Pialat, and nothing dramatic comes from his character: he only exposes his qualities and refuses to act, and that explains why he is so handsomely irresistible. In French.

Life Is Beautiful (1997)

The comedy of life

[11 August 1999]

Roberto Benigni directed this wonderful little comedy in a subtle way: by the end,the viewers wonder what kept them so attached to a story that they probably saw many times before. Benigni never lets his camera stare the violence and we might think we are being treated like his little son. But this is a truly wonderful film, probably because it has so heart in it. Benigni's character is shaped under unconsciousness and we ask why he protects his son against something he ignores and refuses to believe. In Italian.

Roger & Me (1989)

Leftism towards capitalism

[4 August 1999]

Michael Moore sees his leftism as the only correct answer in a money-making world. He is manipulative, but there is no need to: we feel for the people on the screen because that's impossible to remain serene watching such human suffering. But after a while we get tired of seeing the same old faces and the same old complaints. It is a great film, with a kafkian quality. Released by Warners.

La haine (1995)

Violence in a cruel world

[1 August 1999]

"La Haine" is a self-conscious film about the struggle of three young suburban french boys. By the end, we sense we know their everyday life, their fears and ambitions, although the film only reveals itself from a racial and violent point of view. The black and white cinematography is dazzling, providing a stylish realism to the bitterness of the landscape. The director, Mathieu Kassovitz, tries too hard to adopt a feeling of innocence towards the characters and the viewer might be deceived by their lack of solutions: we immediately understand that these boys were driven to violence, so we might accept their own violence as a natural response to their cruel and ruthless world. In French.