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Posted: |
Dec 31, 2018 - 2:03 AM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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EL ANGEL (2018) - 8/10
EL ANGEL is set in 1971 Argentina, where "Carlos" (Lorenzo Ferro) is a teenager who enjoys cheap thrills brought on by criminal activity, often breaking into homes to live another life for a few moments, stealing valuables on the way out. His mother (Cecilia Roth) is concerned about his daily business, but remains powerless to do something about it, trusting Carlos to do the right thing. Unfortunately, the young man isn’t interested in changing his ways, soon pairing up with "Ramon" (Chino Darin), a classmate who comes from a criminal family, with Carlos welcomed by "Ana Maria" (Mercedes Moran) and "Jose" (Daniel Fanego), who teach him a thing or two about underground dealings. They embark on a path of theft and lies, and quickly killing becomes a way of communicating.
This film is based on the life of Carlos Robledo Puch, a real Argentinian serial killer whom the press dubbed "The Angel of Death" because of his cherubic appearance. The young man with the golden curls and the deadly aim was arrested in 1972, having just turned 20, with 11 homicides and over 40 thefts to his name.
The film is a study in the banality of evil, with Carlos barely giving a thought to his amorality. He doesn't actively seek to hurt people, but will commit any act for profit, for pleasure, or just to relieve his boredom. And he won't lose a moment's sleep over any of it.
EL ANGEL was submitted as Argentina's entry for the Best Foreign Film Oscar at the upcoming 91st Academy Awards. The flashy film was co-produced by Pedro Almodovar and his brother Augustin. We'll see if it receives a nomination.
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It was even more dangerous than depicted!
Suicidal!
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Posted: |
Dec 31, 2018 - 1:17 PM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WIND (2018) - 7/10
Watching THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WIND is like viewing a lost film that has been rediscovered in a Klondike gold mine--you are amazed that it has been released from its suspension in time, you hope that it will turn out to be a masterpiece, but you find that, had it been stripped of the name "Orson Welles," the film probably would not have been picked up by a distributor at Sundance.
Filmed in fits and starts between 1970 and 1976, the picture was to be Orson Welles' attempt to show that he too could have been one of the hot young directors of the 1970s--just like Paul Mazursky, Dennis Hopper, Henry Jaglom, and Peter Bogdanovich, all of whom appear in the film. The core of the story tells of a legendary Hollywood director, "Jake Hanaford" (a Welles-like figure played by John Huston), who emerges from semi-exile with plans to get the funds to complete work on an unfinished motion picture. The unfinished film, of which we see quite a bit, concerns an enigmatic long-haired biker type, "Dale" (played by Bob Random), who is pursued by an unnamed Native American woman, the frequently nude Oja Kodar (who was Welles' off-screen paramour at the time). As for what this unfinished film looks like, think Antonioni and ZABRISKIE POINT.
Aside from this film-within-a film aspect (not all that innovative even back in the 1970s), the primary conceit of THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WIND is that the film itself is an early example of the "found footage" style of film-making. Ostensibly, the film has been cobbled together from footage in a variety of formats (i.e., 16mm and 8mm) shot by journalists and scholars and critics, friends and foes, of director Jake Hanaford, a prickly character who for some reason has permitted legions of these ad hoc documentarians to shoot him and his guests at a birthday party.
This "found footage" supposition has the added advantage of papering over any film-making deficiencies, such as shaky camerawork, lack of coverage, or continuity gaps. But it does nothing to disguise the fact that events that are supposed to take place over the course of a single evening are played out by actors who have aged six years, gained or lost weight, or changed hairstyles over the actual filming period.
Regardless of all these quibbles though, THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WIND is a fascinating time capsule and a final glimpse into the inner workings of one of the powerhouse creative minds of the 20th Century. That assumes, of course, that what has been put up there on the screen by Welles' reconstructionists is a reasonably faithful reflection of what Welles intended.
There is a lot going on in the film (not the least of which is a retro score by Michel Legrand), and I don't believe a single viewing can do it justice. Since I don't have Netflix (I saw one of the theater screenings of the film), hopefully it will be released on video so that I can watch it again.
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I have always been fascinated by Welles; man and artist.
The doc about the making of OSOW is excellent- better than the flic itself!
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Posted: |
Jan 1, 2019 - 12:53 PM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK (2018) - 8/10
Adapted from James Baldwin’s novel, this film deftly avoids becoming a one-note polemic against American racism by focusing on family, relationships, and the love story between "Tish" (KiKi Layne), a 19-year-old perfume counter worker in ‘70s New York and "Fonny" (Stephan James), who is in prison awaiting trial for a rape he did not commit. The fact that Tish is pregnant adds to the story's tragedy.
Writer-director Barry Jenkins, who helmed last years Oscar-winning Best Picture MOONLIGHT, again touches on big themes while keeping his focus squarely on the human dimension. We care about Tish and Fonny and their families as people, and not just as group representatives. Nicholas Britell provides the emotionally somber score, which is available only as a download.
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MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS (2018) - 8/10
Story-wise, this film pretty much trods the same ground as the 1971 Hal Wallis production. Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie are not the powerhouse actors that Vanessa Redgrave and Glenda Jackson were back in their time, but the two acquit themselves well enough. There are some changes to update the film. For one, it is directed by a woman, Josie Rourke, a British theater director making her feature film debut. The costumes and set decoration are drained of color to meet modern tastes (of film-makers, if not of audiences). And Max Richter's score is, of course, theme-less, but not overtly offensive.
The Wallis production included two face-to-face meetings between the queens, while history suggests there were none. While these were two of the more riveting scenes in that film, the picture was roundly criticized for the historical inaccuracy. The current film only has one such meeting, so I suppose it is only half as inaccurate. MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS is nevertheless worthwhile for the history lesson and for watching two young actresses on their way up.
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Infinity war 6.5 out of 10 (more endless superhero wrestling with destruction and not much actual death)
Sound of music (orig)
8.5 out of 10. A bit glib in places and 1 or 2 songs a bit dreary but a classic nonetheless.
Criminal (kevin costner)
Preposterous plot but fairly watchable 7.8 out of 10.
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Infinity war 6.5 out of 10 (more endless superhero wrestling with destruction and not much actual death)
Sound of music (orig)
8.5 out of 10. A bit glib in places and 1 or 2 songs a bit dreary but a classic nonetheless.
Criminal (kevin costner)
Preposterous plot but fairly watchable 7.8 out of 10.
I wish i could get Chris to be this succint in his reviews!
Lol!
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You’d miss my prolixity.
I didnt catch Prolixity. Was it on Sky?
Is that the one where Nicholas Cage knows whats happening 7.8 seconds before it does or where Denzel Washington is hunting for a serial killer's soul from the future that passes from person to person?
Either way you didnt give it a mark.
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Posted: |
Jan 3, 2019 - 12:09 PM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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THE FRONT RUNNER (2018) - 7/10
A film that would be perfectly at home as a made-for-cable-TV movie, THE FRONT RUNNER is the story of Senator Gary Hart's 1988 bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, and his downfall because of an extramarital affair. Hugh Jackman is excellent as Hart. The film is strictly a factual recounting of what happened, without any attempt by the film-makers to put forward a point of view as to "what it all means". That's left to the individual viewer.
The film chronicles a particular inflection point in the media coverage and public concern with American political sex scandals. Prior to the Hart case, the media generally left unreported the sexual dalliances of Presidents (FDR / Eisenhower / JFK), so the public never had a chance to weigh in. Hart's case was the first major reporting on a highly visible U.S. politician's sex scandal, and the public took notice and reacted so strongly that Hart was forced out of the race. The tag line for the film says that Hart's case "changed American Politics forever." But barely a decade would pass before media reports on Presidential sex scandals (Clinton / Trump) would be met with indifference by most of the public.
One can't help but think that if, say, JFK's dalliances had been widely reported, by the time that Hart rolled around, the public indifference would have already set in. Reporter Brit Hume recently recalled an off-the-record conversation that President Lyndon Johnson had with a group of reporters shortly after assuming the Presidency following JFK's assassination. "Boys," said Johnson,"You're going to see a lot of women coming in and out of the White House now that I'm President. And I hope you'll show me the same deference that you gave to Jack Kennedy." "And," said Hume, "We did."
A shout-out to Columbia Pictures for the poster design for this film. It eschews pictures of faces in favor of artwork, and includes credits that can actually be read. Not to worry, though; an alternate poster has a giant head shot of Jackman.
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) and yesterday watched the only one I’d seen before: That Obscure Object of Desire. Thoroughly accessible and enjoyable, the only real hint of surreality being the conceit of using two actresses (the lovely Carole Bouquet and the equally lovely Angela Molina) to play the female lead. For the first film in my Buñuel season, I’m going to give this 8/10 for the unashamed portrayal of an older man being led by the todger. 
