xaviertoy Reviews

Barbarian (2022)

Consider the source...

[2/10 · 3 November 2022]

I didn't understand the high ratings on such a poorly executed film. So I had to share in telling the truth.

This is a great concept (the mistakenly shared Air Bnb) that ends up having the worst script come out of it.

If you want a horror film, please go elsewhere. If you want some social commentary, please seek better attempts. The only thing going for this is the actress at the center, and even she is wasted in this.

If you think a horror movie consists of using the same set piece many times over (while it gets decreasingly scary as you care less and less about what's "down the dark hall"), or a loud, screaming character that makes no sense (but is also not scary) this is for you.

It was a huge miss for me. (It honestly felt like a rejected piece from 2020 that got thrown together and pushed into distribution) Don't waste your time. No scares. Not something to think about. Just scrambling down a long dark hall, looking for a point.

Inland Empire (2006)

Empire of the Senseless

[6/10 · 30 January 2007]

There are really two people who need to be praised for this film: Grace Zabriskie and the incomparable Laura Dern. Both of their performances are top notch and Laura Dern's is particularly astounding in its breadth and scope. That being said, I would hate for those great women to be hurt by my following review. What I have liked about Lynch films in the past is how beautiful they are, even if they don't make a lot of sense. The symbolism, imagery, cinematography all and sheer emotion make up for a sometimes atypical narrative. I'm afraid this film lacks most of those positive qualities. Don't get me wrong, I am not upset that I can't figure the plot line out, or that this film is long. I just found it weaker than Lynch's other offerings. First of all, there was no need for the 3 hours, having just said I didn't mind the length. I liked that it took its time to start to unravel. This was most effective. But the dream-like sequences and "shocks" were less pointed and planned than usual. They were... well... just weak. Usually you leave a Lynch film feeling that you don't know what you saw, but you were enriched for having seen something you couldn't have possibly imagined yourself. Here we have too much emphasis on the fact that you are supposed to try to figure out what's going on. And, I have to say, that I think Lynch is suffering from an old, white, heterosexual stereotype. He is obsessed with prostitutes. And, I'm sorry, that's boring. The laughing, buxom, grotesque prostitute shots are abundant and overwrought. The only thing I couldn't get enough of was Laura Dern's talent. She is so amazing and gets to do so much in this film it's such a treat. But Lynch's contribution seems meager in comparison. Only Grace Zabriskie's extreme and menacing close-up at the very beginning of the film brought me unending joy. All of Lynch's other usual tricks, long hallways, bright flashes of light, spotlights in the face, ponderous, long, senseless dialog were heavy-handed. "Like I was in a dark movie-theater waiting for the lights to come up" is a line in the middle of the film, that is then replayed IN a movie theater later on. Come on, that's heavy-handed. And not the beautiful heavy-handed, either, it's mundane. I wish Lynch had a better self-editor on this one. It could have been great if it had been strung together at a better pace. See it if only for Laura Dern's power-punch of a performance. Oh, and leave before the ridiculous, mood-destroying final credits. Nina Simone has never been more misused.

3 Women (1977)

70's cinema not quite ready to be unearthed

[3/10 · 3 September 2006]

Altman is often highly praised even through his lesser achievements. But I had high hopes for this film I'd never heard of. Spacek and Duvall are some of my favorite actresses and I was ready to see them bring about a really meaty delivery. Instead this film and its ideas are as dated as the costumes. I have also recently viewed Bergman's Persona which was first and far, far superior to this languid, dull attempt at the psychological puzzle. There were no character developments that anyone could possibly be interested in, and the whole film is underscored by one of the most annoying, overused score in any film I've ever seen.

I loved the performances of these actresses, but there is no script or anything of interest to put them into context. There are a series of events that at this point are mundane and uninteresting if you've seen any of Altman's films. Sure, this is an attempt at the extreme, but for my time there was zero to no payoff. At least Bergman's cinematography alone makes his film memorable. No such luck here. The imagery is heavy-handed and obvious. Sorry guys, NOT a masterpiece.

The Niklashausen Journey (1970 TV Movie)

Paintings with commentary

[8/10 · 17 June 2006]

I've always known Fassbinder was a kindred spirit, but after watching his highly political doctrine (hard to even call this a film) Niklashausen, I'm all the more certain. This film would appear to be a mouthpiece for his political views more than any other he made. Multilayered and extremely anti-capitalist (and anti-religious?), this slow-moving, religious fable is hard to watch, but full of inciting ideas. Each scene is set up like a painting and then only slightly changed or expanded upon. Most notably are a murder on the steps to a house and the crucifixion in front of a heap of demolished cars, complete with shirtless boy-choir and mourning onlookers. You can see influence everywhere from Derek Jarman to Peter Greenaway. This is one of the earliest art films of its kind. And it is an art film--a call to arms--. Or not one. Certainly not for someone seeking plot or story, but for sheer imagery and intelligence, it's astounding.

Tarnation (2003)

Who funded this guy?

[4/10 · 12 January 2006]

In Seattle the film community seemed to eat this one up with an unequaled voracity. I was excited to finally watch. After the first 15 minutes I was both shocked and deeply emotionally involved. By the end I was ready to disown anyone even remotely attached connected to this film. Apart from the idea that the filmmaker is gay, I don't know why the producers (Gus Van Sant and John Cameron Mitchell) felt the need to support this man's personal congratulations to himself. There were many reasons to appreciate the story--the true despair of mental illness and it's effects on a family; the corruption of the medical industry; the isolation and fear of growing up as a homosexual. All of these are themes that pretend to be touched upon. In reality, this is just an excuse for the filmmaker to laud himself at every turn. From his documentation of his own successes in high school (for desperation's sake) to the final act of saving his mother (from a frail and "hateful" father), this is less about his mother or his own challenges as it is about someone still looking for attention. I'm sorry that this is his story. But his depiction of it does not lead to much sympathy.

Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris (1975)

proceed with Caution: Jaques Brel is alive and Insane

[5/10 · 15 September 2005]

This adaptation of the stage play is so dated that it almost overshadows the amazing performances. Elly Stone does not have your typical voice but she does have all the power and passion that you could ever add to an interpretation of a Brel song. Watching her sing "Sons of..." is the highpoint of the film.

The worst thing about this film is it starts out so poorly it is hard to recover. The opening renditions are very poorly shot. and there are some non-singing, non-vocal moments of "surrealism" that are too awful to be believed. But as we settle into the idea of not having a plot and not apologizing for this fact, the songs become more straight-forward performances. The heartbreaking "Song for Old Lovers" is the highpoint towards the end. It is, however, unfortunate that such a crazy song as sung by Ms. Stone, namely "Carousel", is ruined by some very petty editing "techniques" that climaxes in an image we've already seen and that wasn't effective the first time.

Some other song highlights are "Next" and "Mathilde", but it is Ms. Stone that really makes you feel the urgency of these songs. If we could just watch her and the other cast just perform these the way they did on stage, it would have been a better film. But the director decides to rely on some cinematic tricks that just look worse after time.

As for Brel's appearance, it is slightly anti-climactic, but utterly moving. His is the saddest and most recognizable of all the songs gathered here, and in its original French the most authentic. We should consider ourselves lucky for the documentation of that moment.

I would advise anyone who is willing to watch this to skip the first 8 chapters or so, and start with "Alone" sung by the Priest at the funeral. Then the film is shorter and you miss the embarrassing opening numbers...