bbriatte Reviews

The War of the Roses (1989)

A missed opportunity

[6/10 · 2 November 2006]

Great interaction between Turner and Douglas and some good lines. And yet not a very good movie.

What I believe it lacks is credibility. You never truly understand why they keep fighting for the house (when you've the money, you can start again from scratch; why bother that much for that stupid house ?). But OK, the basic assumption seems maybe a bit far-fetched, but this is a movie after all. You've to start somewhere.

Worse is that the characters of Douglas and Turner aren't well developed. War of the Roses in principal exists out of a succession of dirty tricks they do to each other but which don't touch you because you don't believe in the characters and their motives. And what a pity this is, because this movie touches a subject that is really important. The battle of the sexes, with the husband who works hard to give his family a (very) decent life, thinking he is doing well but by not giving enough attention to his wife looses her. Suppose you'll redo this film with a credible development of story. What a movie that would be ! A missed opportunity.

The title sequence is very elegant (Saul Bass). The movie that sprang to my mind when seeing this was Spielberg's Catch me if you can. After you've seen the title sequence you've also had the best part of the movie ...

Boerenpsalm (1989)

Professional filmed, but a bit flat

[6/10 · 27 October 2006]

Flanders, end of the 19th century. Boerenpsalm tells the story of a farmer from his twenties till he is sixty. Notwithstanding a life full of misery (his first wife dies from sorrow, his second wife from drowning, his first child also dies, a daughter is blind, a son commits suicide) he sees back to his life as a good life thanks to his love of the earth. 

Based on the novel with the same name of Flemish author Felix Timmermans, the script follows too close the book. Timmermans was an author of the vitalism school (main idea is the love of life/nature) who uses a lot of symbolism in his books to express his ideas. What you not always can or have to transpose realistic to the screen. The scene where the farmer's wife at the cemetery gives birth to their second child during the burial of the first child can work in the book, but looks very ridicule on the screen. Good acting of the entire cast with an excellent Jef Burm as pastor.

Ran (1985)

OK, but ...

[6/10 · 14 August 2006]

Eager to see Ran in 1985 when it came out on the screens, I only managed to see it more than 20 years later on DVD. Is it for the high expectations built up in this period, or the ageing of this film, but I found Ran a rather disappointing viewing experience.

The story of course is known, but the elaboration on the screen lacks some consistency in my mind. It's too long (the wandering scenes with the "fool" Hidetora accompanied by his jester could have been much shorter without missing anything essential) and in general it remained too superficial. The leading parts don't get any development of character (only exception: lady Kaede), although you could have been expecting this with such a tragic story as King Lear on the background.

Although the mass fighting scenes, seen in the light of today's CGI, are not spectacular any more, they're very good done. The acting performances are fine too, topping Mieko Harada as lady Kaede, an intrigante who wants to take revenge on the Hidetora family. She gets some marvelous scenes and manages them very well. I also enjoyed Hisashi Igawa as the down to earth general of the second son, Jiro.

Announced as a masterwork of the late Kurosawa, I'm glad to have seen Ran at last, but the 99th best movie all times … no, it isn't.