benjaoming Reviews

The Turin Horse (2011)

Depressively well-made

[7/10 · 22 April 2011]

To summarize this review: It's not a movie for anyone. It either demands a fanatical devotion to Bela Tarr's style or Nietzsche's life and philosophy. The movie is both relevant and radical but it won't capture anyone.

I'm a huge fan of Werckmeister Harmonies. This movie possesses the same qualities, but the theme is the biggest obstacle, both for the audience and the movie.

As Bela Tarr unravels the mystery of Nietzsche's vanishing, he fantasizes about Nietzsche's meeting with the horse and the horseman that could have caused for his sudden collapse. What sort of universe could they have come from? We see the opposite of God's creation of the world unfold: Instead of six days of creation, we see six days of slow, eerie dismantling of the lives of two people living in an inverted paradise - a dry, desolate, barren land with only a relentless wind, dead leaves and life decaying everywhere. The movie does not try to explain anything in explicit language, but uses masterly b/w cinematography, sporadic musical compositions, and whatever preconceived knowledge the viewer might have of Nietzsche's teachings. There is no god or godly energy, only (as noted by another reviewer) a mechanical struggle for survival. Everything is hopeless, and the destiny of the father and his only daughter is just a silent, anonymous life without joy or pain. Their emotions almost never show, and communication is kept at a secret-like minimum. And it seems like an ironical gesture that right as you look for some sort of rational sense of what's going on, a Nietzsche-like man suddenly appears and explains his thoughts about everything in this, the movie's world. The horseman simply replies: "What rubbish", and you're left with only a slight conception of the massive philosophical teaching that the mystery man just gave. But after that, the movie seems to have more focus.

There are many things about the movie, that I understand better while writing this review, but I don't think everything needs to be said, and I'm sure Bela Tarr lovers will have a good time debating the symbolism and cinematic craft.

After seeing the movie, I feel terrible. I fundamentally disagree with the meaningless struggle that we see portrayed, but I'm grateful to find myself strong enough to not loose hope after such a gloomy experience. A big quality in the movie is the existential challenges it brings about, but I can only wonder why it didn't show even the slightest hint of hope to bring about something more than just a momentum of deep depression, unlike the epic and beautiful Werckmeister Harmonies. Anyways, well done Bela Tarr - I look forward to hear more insights about the theme of the movie.

The Hedgehog (2009)

Wins your heart... and mind!

[9/10 · 16 August 2010]

This movie is like a cup of hot chocolate, a good book, and a cat sleeping in your lap. It's warm, loving, funny, sad, intelligent and quiet.

Apologies, if the metaphor sounds cliché or boring. But nothing in the movie makes simple happiness, love, sadness, or loss look that way. Instead it treasures the lives of everyone and admires our faults and habits with the refreshing curiosity of an intelligent, rebellious little girl.

I was about to give it 8 stars... but then I thought about how I felt during the film and added one more star.. from my heart *sob*

The Roof (1956)

Maybe not very different from the others, but certainly one of his best

[9/10 · 17 March 2010]

Having seen the amazing three masterpieces - Ladri Di Biciclette, Miracolo a Milano and Umberto D. - which De Sica made in a row, I was a bit worried that his formula could be worn out, that by '56 neorealism would be dead. I was worried that I'd grown apathetic to his tragic fates and epic portraits of the working class.. but I was WRONG! The characters in this movie are simply too real -- and most likely, they are real, since often De Sica didn't use pro actors, and none of the actors have a prior acting history according to IMDb). Growing tired of his formula would be the same as growing tired of people, stories and destinies all together. It doesn't take long for these poor Italians to win sympathy and capture emotions, and in those 8 years from Ladri di Biciclette and to Il Tetto, De Sica may not have changed his focus from the tragic lives in the lowest classes of Italian post-war history, but he's certainly gone from being just a bit over-the-top on how bad everything can get (which isn't necessarily bad) to an even more modest story. A story that could sound dull if retold with only words, but told in the hands of the genius De Sica, it becomes another gem. If you like anything else that he's made, you'll like this one, too. It's honest, it's historical, it's political, it's human, it's beautiful and more than any of his other movies, Il Tetto does shine a light for the poor.

The Man of the Year (2003)

A good start is only half the finish

[5/10 · 11 July 2008]

or that's what we say in Denmark. Anyways, this movie starts out extremely well - actually like a masterpiece. There are great characters and some really creative twists amongst the characters that stand out as so unrealistic and it gives the movie a kind of surreal touch because it simply works. Also there's the whole social commentary thing going on - same theme as in La Zona. It's good for about two thirds.

But then the movie begins to act out like any of those Snatch-inspired shoot 'em up action movies. Trust me, the end really doesn't match the beginning and should be viewed with extreme caution! La Zona took things a little too far, but at least managed to keep its style. Man of the Year totally loses its style.

I Am Legend (2007)

Earning money for rich companies

[1/10 · 19 January 2008]

Ingredients:

Will Smith - Yet another destruction of New York - Computer animated zombie-monsters - Christian moral that science is bad and God saves - Billions of chock-effects - Apple computers

The plot is just one long cliché. It's a good thing there were just a little bit of creative minds on this movie.. but that's just technical stuff. It doesn't make it a good movie. Anyone can go and pay a lot of good people to do a crappy movie.

Oh, and was it based on a book? Gee, then it must be a good movie. No! Forget about the book. This is Hollywood, and nothing else.

The only thing surprising is that the movie contains no sex. But I guess that's just for the ratings.. had they earned more money by adding the sex, they'd have done it with absolutely no consideration of the plot.