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tim_footman
Reviews
Black Hawk Down (2001)
An analogy for U.S. foreign policy
There's been much comment about the political aspects of this movie: the 'facelessness' of the Somalis, the complete one-sidedness, the lack of context (the SNAFU in Somalia was instrumental in persuading the U.S. government to back away from involvement in foreign matters for several years, and the resulting lack of intelligence may have contributed to the events of 9/11 - but you wouldn't know this from Black Hawk Down).
However, Ridley Scott reveals a wryly subversive streak by creating a movie that acts as a sort of parable for American foreign policy. Americans don't understand 'abroad' - neither does the audience, thrown into a confused jumble of incomprehensible language, food, etc, and then a virtually plotless battle. Disorientation rules. But the Americans win in the end, so that's OK, even though it's not clear whether the objective was attained, or even what the objective was. (Compare this with the Gulf War and the 'War On Terrorism' - without a clear, coherent objective, it's impossible to say whether the conflict's been won or lost.) Also, a few Brit actors (McGregor, Bremner, Gruffud) are thrown into the mix, like the Allied forces who are just ballast to the US-driven war effort.
I still don't know whether it's a good or bad movie ('good' or 'bad' in both aesthetic and moral senses) but, if you look closely enough, it's a much cleverer movie than the multiplex droolers might have picked up.
The Passionate Pilgrim (1983)
Worth watching for historical value
This is an oddity, very old-fashioned and unsubtle. But it is worth a peek because it involves three of the greatest comic performers ever to grace British TV: I speak, of course, of Eric Morecambe, Tom Baker and John Le Mesurier. To see them at their best you will have to go elsewhere: for Eric, his TV shows with Ernie Wise; Tom in Dr Who and Nicholas & Alexandra (an extraordinary Rasputin); and John in Dad's Army and any number of British movies in the 60s and 70s (he usually played mildly perturbed diplomats or politicians with an urbane grace that is quite breathtaking).
Watch and learn.
Fah talai jone (2000)
Flawed, but certainly unique
Western viewers may miss many of the satirical references to Thai action movies of the 1960s, but there is still much to enjoy. The cinematography and production design are magnificent, all hot pinks and burnt oranges. The plot is hackneyed, but the sheer tongue-in-cheek bravado more than makes up for it, all sneering moustachioed villains, against a resolute, troubled hero and a fainting maiden. Just imagine if Jeunet & Caro worked with Sam Peckinpah on a remake of John Waters' Cry Baby, and got Pierre & Gilles to design the sets and costumes. Forget that it's foreign, leave your 'art-house' prejudices at home, go and lap it all up.
Ginger Snaps (2000)
Half a good movie
Starts like a sublime Gen X cocktail of Heathers and Carrie, with a soupcon of Clerks-ish dumb insolence, but eventually becomes just another OK werewolf movie. A pity. Emily Perkins, who sneers her lines like another Darlene (from Roseanne) looks unnervingly like Margaret Hamilton, who played the witch in The Wizard Of Oz.
Wo hu cang long (2000)
The greatest date movie of all time
Crouching Tiger succeeds aesthetically, without a doubt, but it says something about the intellectual poverty of Western distributors that they lacked the imagination to market it even better to the multiplexes (I know sales have exceeded all expectations, but some people still seem to want to go and see the orgy of product placement that is the emetic Cast Away. Go figure.) This movie has everything! For the guys, thrills, spills, action and not only the gracefully gorgeous Michelle Yeoh but also the profoundly impure-thought-provoking Zhang Ziyi. And for the women - has there ever been anything more heartstoppingly romantic on the big screen since the golden era of Douglas Sirk in the 50s? Titanic, Ghost, Pretty Woman? Pah! I'm a fairly cynical person, but when we get to the line 'I have always loved you. I would rather be a ghost, drifting by your side as a condemned soul than enter heaven without you. Because of your love I will never be a lonely spirit,' I started sobbing like a baby. If you never plan to see another 'foreign' or 'art house' movie again, see this. It may change your viewing habits forever.