cardboard adolescent

adidasss always struck me as one to investigate things others rate very highly and not be influenced by the hype one way or another. i appreciate it, even if i disagree every now and then.

adidasss

Sigh...sure.

In a lonely place (1950) - Nicholas Ray - 7/10
Very good noir (although it's much less about murder mysteries than about abusive relationships). I suppose it could have gone up to 8 but I felt Grahame's character went through an odd change (from femme fatale to "battered wife") and the whole murder case seemed a little out of place/underdeveloped. I'm thinking it could hold up to repeated viewings though (especially on account of Bogart's performance and (I'd say) unusual choice of negative role).

Tokyo twilight (1957) - Yasujiro Ozu - 4/10
Started watching this about a year ago, fell asleep after about 40 minutes. Tried it again in the morning, started falling asleep again, but was determined to finish it because I can't stand to look at it collecting dust anymore. I took 3 breaks but I finally did it. Extremely slow paced (2h 20 min.), stiff acting, not a particularly interesting story, nothing particularly inventive in the directing or visuals and a pretty problematic message (as I saw it at least): single parents raise troubled children, therefore, it's best to give an abusive relationship another go than to risk raising a wayward child? Yah, I don't think so Mr. Ozu. I suppose it says something about the slow decay of traditionalist Japan but I don't really give a shit. :\

Pitfall (1962) - Hiroshi Teshigahara - 5/10
I guess I'm just not a fan of absurdist, abstract(ish?) cinema. I'm pretty sure I understand what it wanted to say, and appreciate all the technical aspects (and especially acting which, after the Ozu debacle, was a blessing), but I was still mostly uninterested. I'll watch his other stuff though...

Nights of Cabiria (1957) - Federico Fellini - 8/10
Obviously much closer to my kind of mentality/sensibilities. I liked La Strada better and thought it was much better suited for Masina's face and gesticulations (some of the clownishness was seeping out in Cabiria too which I could have gone without) but she's still pretty spectacular and carries the entire film really well. I love the host of street characters, the jocular/tragic street life and atmosphere of Fellini's Italy and particularly the ending. Definitely adding it to my collection.

The cranes are flying (1957) - Mikhail Kalatozov - 6/10
Ok, the first half hour of this one is extraordinary. I can't remember if I've ever seen any pre-1960s film which managed to show such incredible intimacy and genuine tenderness between a love couple. A lot of this is probably due to the casting, especially with Tatyana Samojlova who has a very Audrey Hepburn-like charm. But as soon as the boyfriend gets sent off to war the flow is lost, the characters start behaving oddly (I'm still trying to process why she married Mark) and the story is underdeveloped. In that sense it's kind of similar to Atonement which was brilliant until the shift to the front when it loses all its momentum. I would have preferred it had they kept the focus on their relationship (kept him alive perchance, which would have added all sorts of interesting complexities to the plot)...alas...:\

So yeah...:\

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“Think of what a paradise this world would be if men were kind and wise.” - Kurt Vonnegut, Cat's Cradle.

Last.fm

dollarsandcents

The Shape of Things.

I thoroughly enjoyed this, and not just because Rachel Weisz was in it. Didn't know where it was going but I'm glad it went where it did. Great ending and some great dialogue. Thought provoking film. A lot of my favourite films are films like this with few characters and a lot of dialogue, like Closer and Lost In Translation. Anyone else seen this? What did you think?

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bungalow

No. And I'm not saying he's wrong for not liking the films, it's just that slapping a 6 on a film like The Cranes are Flying with no explanation is sort of suspect. His explanations a few posts up are perfect, just a sentence or two to justify assigning a number to a film.

adidasss

Oh and I'm definitely looking forward to seeing The letter never sent and Soy Cuba from Kalatozov, especially the former after seeing some screen shots. Check this shit out:

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“Think of what a paradise this world would be if men were kind and wise.” - Kurt Vonnegut, Cat's Cradle.

Last.fm

jackhammer

The second time I have seen this and still as enjoyable as ever. I love the fact that although the charcters could be classed as 'quirky', that is never emphasied and instead the characters are well rounded. a fantastic feel good movie.

For about the twentieth time. Still the greatest rites of passage movie ever.

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BamBam

On LOST right now..season 3 at the moment...slightly losing interest, but cannot give it up just yet.

Akira

Once you get past season 3 it picks up a bit again.

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BTown

It was long overdue and it was pure awesomeness.

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NumberNineDream

i re-watched The Wall last night, the last time i watched it was more than a year ago.

i remembered it to be amazing now it seemed just a a good movie that could've been great. but the animations in there still seem breath-taking.

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