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Reviews
Sleuth (2007)
Superb scriptwriting.
I've seen the original Sleuth many times so I was not sure I wanted to see a remake I thought could only disappoint me. Well, I was not disappointed, and not because I am now ready to say that the Brannagh's Sleuth is as good a film as the first one (in fact, it's not). But if comparisons in this case are unavoidable, they are also out of place, because what screenwriter Harold Pinter does is a reinterpretation o characters and situations, keeping the essence of the plot, its surface, but trying to go one step beyond. It's like a cubist version of the Mona Lisa: Pinter uses the characters and the plot to his own ends, he makes them his own and takes them where he wants to. It's another turn of the screw, it gives something new.
So I was pleasantly surprised, specially by the third act. The game here becomes much more sophisticated, extreme and dangerous than in the first one. ¿Is Jude Law really trying to seduce Michael Caine? ¿Is Michael Caine's proposal genuine? ¿How can we possibly know? We don't know. We know nothing. They are playing with reality and in the end they lose the sense of reality and so do we. In fact we don't even know to what extent they are still playing or simply becoming a hideous parody of themselves. This makes this film a much more disturbing experience than the 1972 version
and also a more interesting one.
I think Harold Pinter's script is superb in every sense, the dialog is both naturalistic and full of second meanings. I particularly like the way in which the very idea of "acting" is present throughout the film (when Caine complains about the jewels not being "his style", or when talks about an "italian" called "tandoori"; also when Jude Law asks if he is playing "me" or "you"). Pinter exploits wonderfully the possibilities of the plot.
But unfortunately all of this is not matched by Brannagh's direction, which I found mostly mediocre and predictable. On the other hand, Jude Law is hardly convincing in key parts of the plot when less overacting would be desirable. His characterization as Inspector Dopler may be funny, but too grotesque. Michael Caine delivers beautifully, as expected.
It could have been a masterpiece; unfortunately it's just a good film. A great script in the wrong hands. Such a pity.
Der Kongreß tanzt (1931)
A masterpiece.
This film is a treasure. It's really witty, funny... full or light eroticism, beautifully performed... lovely songs.
The long sequence of Lilian Harvey being driven to her "new Villa", singing a song is nothing less than a 10 minutes masterpiece in its own right. Harvey is sensational, wonderfully spontaneous. The song is instantly catchy. The hundreds of extras waving at the carriage, throwing flowers and balloons... the children dancing. Everything wonderfully filmed, timed and choreographed. There is a genuine joy in it that will make you feel like a child and smile.
This sequence catches the spirit of the film, but YOU ARE GETTING IT ALL WRONG IF YOU THINK THIS IS THE ONLY PART WORTH SEEING. The film is a wonderfully funny comedy to be compared with a masterpiece like "To be or not to be". In fact my rating is 10.
Films just DON'T GET ANY BETTER.
Sorry if I sound too enthusiastic, but I was just amazed. Don't miss it. It's really special.