In the small American town of Eastwick, where Christian values of morality and family life serve as the law, strange and violent events begin to occur with the arrival of a new, big city, millionaire charmer by the name of Darrell Van Horn (Nicholson). His entrance is seemingly brought on by the wish of three single women, who are supposedly Witches (played by Cher, Pfeiffer and Sarandon), who can make anything happen by wishing it at the same time. Soon we see Van Horn seducing and having a polygamous relationship with the three witches, which leads to happiness, laughter and disaster. Who exactly is this Van Horn character and is this the beginning of a new era in family values?
Like its other 80�s contemporaries, such as Working Girl and Fatal Attraction, The Witches of Eastwick doubles as a social commentary on the state of women in a male dominated society, as well as a simple point A to point B story. Here, the focus is on the new breed of middle aged single women, who can be mothers and career women and still have time for a cocktail at the end of the day, without the need for a providing husband.
While the film does work as a thought inducing critique on the perception of modern women and the men who have always tried to exploit them, as a whole, it lacks focus. At various points it tries to be a thriller, a satire and a serious look at modern America, but director George Miller never really manages to blend these different tones into one cohesive whole. As a result, the film seems a little confused. On the plus side though the whole cast give fantastic performances, especially Nicholson and Sarandon, who clearly seem to be having more fun playing their mischievous roles than others and the film does have quite a few dark �laugh out loud� moments.
For those of you looking for a fun, camp eighties movie, it might be a better idea for you to revisit Working Girl or Overboard, since you will clearly be disappointed by this picture. Fans of Nicholson and �Gurrrl Power�(in it�s most radical sense) should definitely check this one out.
Thursday 20 March 2008
Polarized by Polley.... Again....
In her second full length feature film, Isabel Coixot continues to explore unconventional characters and what lies behind their seemingly weird personalities. This time, the focal point is on the life of war refugees, unable to relate with the world outside them after witnessing horrible crimes and acts of violence.
Hannah Amir is a partially deaf Balkan war refugee living a solitary existence, working in a factory in Northern England, with no further interest in making her own life any more enjoyable. After working in the factory for 4 years, Hannah is forced in to having a holiday by her manager.
While on this so called �holiday� at a desolate rainy seaside town, Hannah overhears a man looking for a nurse to take care of a man who was heavily wounded in a fire on an oil rig and willingly volunteers for the job. On the rig, we are greeted to a multitude of charismatic characters, all living life on a bare minimum, not unlike Hannah herself. Her patient, Joseph (Robbins), has been temporarily blinded by the fire and needs round the clock treatment.
Over the course of Hannah�s stay on the oil rig, the various crew members, especially Joseph, try to make a connection with her in a different way, which at first she resists, but through her identification with her patient, we see that her emotional barriers slowly begin to come down, revealing a deeply affectionate person.
The Secret Life of Words, like its predecessor, My Life Without Me, is a quiet, somber film, which explores the basic human need to make a connection, despite the multitude of obstacles facing us. Coixot, for the most part handles this matter without resorting to the regular tactics of Hollywood manipulations on the viewers heartstrings. Polley is, as usual, incredible, delivering an understated multi layered performance. Why she still has not been nominated for an oscar or a golden globe for her string of amazing performances to this date is beyond me. Robbins and the rest of the supporting cast, including a cameo appearance by Julie Christie, give superb performances.
The only thing that really lets the film down, is its last 15 minutes, where Coixot seemingly gives into the temptation of resorting to a very neat and happy ending. This ending is not only wrong for the movie itself, but it feels like it is betraying the message Coixot is trying to send out regarding the destinies of the thousands of refugees from the Balkan wars.
Overall, I found The Secret Life of Words to a great film, only let down by its final act, but besides that one flaw, it is a brilliant film that challenges its audience as well as teaching it something new.
How to Chase One's Tail for 30 Years or so... (A review of David Fincher's Zodiac)
As the lights went on and the credits rolled, I looked around to see the reaction of the audience around me. The looks on the faces of people ranged from baffled to disappointed to �why have a spent my money on 3 hour movie where the killer never gets caught?�� Indeed, I think I can confidently assume that David Fincher�s new opus into the heart of the dark side of the American Psyche is sure to garner reaction of this sort in movie theaters across the globe. That is no to say that this film is anything short of brilliant, it�s just not �Seven: pt deux�, starring Jake Gyllenhall instead of Brad Pitt.
Instead, Zodiac is a slowly paced, meticulously planned, study in to obsession and the human quest for answers in order to validate ones purpose in life. The film follows the story of four men, all involved in different ways with the case of the Zodiac killer, over the span of thirty years. Jake Gyllenhall plays the role of cartoonist Robert Graysmith, who becomes obsessed with the murder mysteries after deciphering a coded message sent to the newspaper by the killer. In his quest to find out who the murder is, we see him slowly sacrificing everything important in his life (job, family, etc.). This is by far, Gyllenhall�s finest performance of his career, as is that of Mark Ruffalo, who excels in the role of Inspector David Toschi. The real scene stealer in this movie though, has to be Robert Downey Junior whose portrayal as journalist Paul Avery manages to be both funny and heartbreaking at the same time. It is worth noting that Downey injects a much needed sense of humor in am almost exhausting film, allowing the audience to breath every once in a while.
The most striking aspect of Zodiac is the way is decides to scare its audience, not through its murder scenes, but through its ambience, showing Fincher�s growth as a director since his earlier films, such as Seven and The Game, which relied much more on shocking its audiences into submission. The most terrifying scenes are those where we are shown the impact of the unsolved case on lives of those involved with it.
One large problem with the film though, is the barrage of information it unloads on its audience over the course of three hours, most of which is meaningless and has the films main characters chasing their own tails. Although this element of the film serves its plot and purpose very well, there were a few moments where it weighed the picture down very closely to boredom. That one gripe aside though, Zodiac is a highly recommended film which not only challenges the concept of the run of the mill Hollywood thrillers, but re-invigorates it with new life.
Instead, Zodiac is a slowly paced, meticulously planned, study in to obsession and the human quest for answers in order to validate ones purpose in life. The film follows the story of four men, all involved in different ways with the case of the Zodiac killer, over the span of thirty years. Jake Gyllenhall plays the role of cartoonist Robert Graysmith, who becomes obsessed with the murder mysteries after deciphering a coded message sent to the newspaper by the killer. In his quest to find out who the murder is, we see him slowly sacrificing everything important in his life (job, family, etc.). This is by far, Gyllenhall�s finest performance of his career, as is that of Mark Ruffalo, who excels in the role of Inspector David Toschi. The real scene stealer in this movie though, has to be Robert Downey Junior whose portrayal as journalist Paul Avery manages to be both funny and heartbreaking at the same time. It is worth noting that Downey injects a much needed sense of humor in am almost exhausting film, allowing the audience to breath every once in a while.
The most striking aspect of Zodiac is the way is decides to scare its audience, not through its murder scenes, but through its ambience, showing Fincher�s growth as a director since his earlier films, such as Seven and The Game, which relied much more on shocking its audiences into submission. The most terrifying scenes are those where we are shown the impact of the unsolved case on lives of those involved with it.
One large problem with the film though, is the barrage of information it unloads on its audience over the course of three hours, most of which is meaningless and has the films main characters chasing their own tails. Although this element of the film serves its plot and purpose very well, there were a few moments where it weighed the picture down very closely to boredom. That one gripe aside though, Zodiac is a highly recommended film which not only challenges the concept of the run of the mill Hollywood thrillers, but re-invigorates it with new life.
Last Exit to Brooklyn Review
Based on the Hubert Selby Jr novel of the same name, Last Exit to Brooklyn weaves 4 separate stories of four Brooklyn citizens in the 1950�s whose dreams of a better life prove to be mere illusions leading to a broken existence. These are characters to which the concept of happiness is alien, since life in the dock area of Brooklyn is reduced to a minimum of sex violence and survival.
Henry, the strike leader of a union fighting against poor working conditions, is living the American dream. He has a wife and daughter, and is well respected by both his friends and work colleagues. Still, he is unhappy and is bored the paint by numbers life he lives. After meeting Georgette and Regina, beatnik transgenders, he finally begins to feel as if he is living his life truthfully.
One of the beatniks, Georgette, is struggling to be accepted as who he is, by both his family and the members of the Red Hook neighborhood in Brooklyn. His methods of escapism; dreams of a local thug called Vinnie (who ridicules him) and getting high.
Tralala, is the town hooker who sees men as only a method of survival, using her sexuality as way to get herself money and liquor. During a visit to the city with one of her Johns, Tralala meets a marine who is willing to see her as more than a sexual object and display the unknown affections of warmth towards her. His exit prompts a trail of self destruction on her behalf.
Finally, we have Big Joe, the all American father, husband and provider, who has just discovered to his dismay that his daughter has been impregnated by a fellow union trucker. Joe�s tale is a tale of growing old in the Hell of Brooklyn, and of the need to maintain respect and honor.
Directed by acclaimed director of �Christiane F�, Uli Edel, Last Exit to Brooklyn is a beautiful, grimy and heartbreaking story of struggling to survive on the bare minimum in an American Asphalt jungle. The four main actors all give breakthrough performances, but it is Jennifer Jason Leigh and Stephen Lang who truly stand out the most as Henry and Tralala. Lang gives a sincere and heart felt performance as the gay man trapped inside the ideal American�s body, watching his portrayal of Henry�s evolution and demise is a true marvel and still feels fresh 18 years after the films initial release. Meanwhile, Leigh gives the performance of her career as the hooker who discovers realk love, bringing new life into a character we are all already familiar with.
Edel, alongside legendary cinematographer Stephen Czapsky, manage to create a truly grimy, dangerous world in which we can almost smell the desperation of the inhabitants of the Brooklyn Harbor. Whats truly remarkable though is how Czapsky manages to inject beauty into every shot of the truly disheartening landscapes (both geographical and emotional) while never letting us forget where we are.
To conclude, Last Exit to Brooklyn is a forgotten gem that I would recommend to anyone who is passionate about film, photography, social commentary and good storytelling, although it is not for the faint hearted or for those who prefer a happy ending.
An Almost Electraumatic Experience
Experimental art films, how does one approach reviewing them in an objective manner that caters both the �art crowd� and the regular viewing public? The answer to that question is that you probably can�t, but nevertheless I will try to do so in my review of the new Daft Punk feature film �Electroma�.
Electroma follows the story of two unnamed robots, who for the sake of comfort I shall call Gold and Silver (the color of each ones helmet), who take their hand at trying to take on a human form. A process which not only their electronic society of robots rejects, but also their mechanical bodies as well. Directors Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter make a boldly stated attempt to show us how programmed we are as a society and our fear of change. The use of skillful photography is evident throughout the picture, with beautiful long shots of different types of landscapes and the carefully selected songs on the films soundtrack help us guide through the emotions of our faceless heroes. So, in its own way, Electroma does get its point across successfully. But I do wonder, hasn�t this point been made many times before? Or more importantly hasn�t it been made before in more concise, simple and effective ways.
Additionally, although it�s running time only stands at 70 minutes, Electroma is a very lllllllllllllooooooong film to watch, and even with all its visual metaphors, it still could have been made in to a 30 minute presentation. As a result, at many points the film comes across as highly self indulgent (not unlike Daft Punks previous motion picture, the animated Interstella 5555), as if to say �look and marvel at how amazingly talented we are!� Therefore, I would mainly recommend this film to Daft Punk fans and people interested in the increasing integration of technology with human life, all others, read a Phillip K Dick short story or watch Daft Punks last 2 or 3 videos and save yourselves the time and effort.
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