Recent films

It’s been a while since I noted recent films hence the longer than usual list…

Les Nuits de la Pleine Lune [1984]
dir. Eric Rohmer

Brilliant study of character, entirely convincing, engaging viewing. The strangeness of people. Rohmer’s courage to present imperfect characters and leave the audience to engage or reject, empathise or judge is admirable and a relief after so many films which patronise and manipulate their audience as if they were children being taught by an overly strict teacher.

An American In Paris [1951]
dir. Vincente Minnelli

The film Gene Kelly made before the brilliant Singing In The Rain turns out to be surprisingly disappointing. Kelly is unconvincing in the title role, his friends are Hollywood cliches and his relationship with the romantic lead, crass and oddly uncomfortable. Gave up on it 1/3 to 1/2 way through.

Adaptation [2002]
dir. Spike Jonze

Excellent, postmodern or is that post-postmodern? Playful, stimulating, certainly watchable more than once. Clever, but not excessively clever-clever. Brilliant acting particularly on the part of Nicholas Cage, very funny too.

Four Adventures of Reinette & Mirabelle [1987]
dir. Eric Rohmer
Low-key (surprise) and wonderful (ditto).

Spirited Away [2001]
dir. Hayao Miyazaki

Plot outline from IMDb: “In the middle of her family’s move to the suburbs, a sullen 10-year-old girl wanders into a world ruled by witches and monsters, where humans are changed into animals.” All in all, I prefer Castle In The Sky, but Spirited Away is pretty stunning all the same. Are these two films just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to fantastical Japanese animation? Who knows?

Talk To Her [2002]
dir. Pedro Almodovar

Much more enjoyable than All About My Mother which crammed too much into its plot, Talk To Her was a pleasure with a highly likely verging on incredible scenario, but that’s par for the course with Almodovar and no complaint.

L’Avventura [1960]
dir. Michelangelo Antonioni

Awful. Bloody awful, pretentious tripe. Gives arthouse a bad name. I was not a fan of Above The Clouds or the majority of Blow-Up either.

Three Colours: Blue [1993]
dir. Krzysztof Kieslowski

Long time since I saw this. The reliance on the unique classical composition is problematic and the climax confusingly paced. Not a patch on the dekalogs.

Dekalogs 4 and 5 [1988]
dir. Krzysztof Kieslowski

Relating to the commandments Thou shalt not kill and Honour thy father and thy mother. Masterful verging on astonishing dealing with the latter subject, recognition of the complexities that life imposes upon us, the former less innovative/subtle, but fearless indeed in its tackling of the subject. The circumstances and detail of the murder don’t fade easily from the memory.

Platform [2000]
dir. Jia Zhang-ke

Strange film. Traces lives of four friends in a remote province over a decade of change in which China opens up to Western influences. Watching feels like eavesdropping, but never quite being party to the most intimate parts of their lives, just chance encounters broken by long, unspecified periods of time.

All About Eve [1950]
dir. Joseph L. Mankiewicz

Highly problematic in gender terms, but enjoyable, particularly Bette Davis’s performance.

Signs [2001]
dir. M. Night Shamyalan
Reasonably enjoyable, but highly reactionary and quite ridiculous crap.

A Summer’s Tale [1996]
dir. Eric Rohmer

Possibly my favourite Eric Rohmer, which is saying something. Wonderful, engaging, convincing, leisurely drama that prompts contemplation of relationships, love, etc. Marvellous.

Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown [1988]
dir. Pedro Almodovar

Fun, enjoyable entertainment. Difficult to find any deep waters to it, as with any Almodovar film, but fun doesn’t necessarily need depth.