Charisma

IMDB
First time viewed: No
Current Release: No
Watched With: Jordan

Well, this is certainly a tough nut to crack. I have yapped on about the virtues of Kiyoshi Kurosawa's films and his style, it's taken pretty far here and leave the audience with a real head scratcher. This film requires much effort on the part of the audience, not just to interpret what's going on thematically but also contextually. Kurosawa likes to give the audience the bare amount of scenes necessary to get the story points across and leaves us with the heavy lifting of filling in the gaps.

But once you get your head around that, you are still left with a film that seems to be aiming for something specific but doesn't give nearly enough clues as to how to interpret. I read it was about politics after scrambling online the last time I saw it to get some sort of meaning out of it. So I watched it again with that in mind and it fit together rather well, however I feel like I could have read pretty much anything into it.

What I do love about it, apart from his stilted style, is this set up and some of the discussion it creates. There is a tree called Charisma and various groups or individuals are at odds over how to deal with it. Our protagonist (the great Kôji Yakusho) enters and they all try and persuade him to join their cause.

Whilst there is a lot I like about the film I think it's pretty much purely metaphor. Whereas in Pulse or my favourite, Cure, he manages to craft real characters with their own stories you can get emotionally invested in, that is lacking in this film.

It's one that'll be sure to cause debate when viewed and contains an ending I still can't quite fit into any of my theories. Very interesting but flawed.

Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Myself

Yeesh.

It's faint praise to say it's better than the first film. But I'm not even sure if I'd say it is.

Giving Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor this franchise is an interesting decision. They've made some crap but I have a big soft spot for the insanity they bottled in those Crank films. They have a wild dynamic style to their shooting and editing. And if there's one guy who's gonna go along with that insanity it's Nicolas Cage.

Unfortunately saddled with a PG-13 rating does them no favours. And their shooting style, whilst energetic, does not translate to 3D at all. The post conversion would have been a pain and a lot of the time it doesn't look too good either. If you absolutely have to see it, try and find a 2D session.

Nicolas Cage gives another wildly out there performance, almost as if he's parodying himself. But it is so very funny. Neveldine and Taylor's sense of humour slips through every now and then too. I don't know why Ciarán Hinds is in this but he's probably the best thing in the film. And that monk was totally Christopher Lambert...

There are some neat little graphic animation sequences interspersed though the film delivering the big mythological exposition. Why not. Even more stylistic are the one of one fights that are often done by jumping into a black void with a lot of cg slow mo close ups. It's kinda neat though. A lot of the editing was neat.

But none of this can make up for the story and the fact that nothing in the film seems to have any resonance or consequence. This is just some colourful noise. It doesn't all add up to a whole and in the end is very unsatisfying.

CQ

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: No
Watched With: Myself

Correct me if I'm wrong but after 11 years, this film still hasn't been released in Australia. I've been reading about it and intrigued by it for a few years now but only just managed to get a copy to see. It's totally my kind of movie though.

As far as I'm aware this is Roman Coppola's only feature film although we all know his writing with Wes Anderson. It gets away with a lot of the more pretentious art house self referential existential character crisis stuff purely because everything surrounding it is so much fun. And because Jeremy Davies is the one delivering it. And because the film actually takes the time to criticise this about itself so it kinda makes it intentional either way and hard to criticise it.

Besides Jeremy Davies, this film contains quite a few other things I particularly love to see. Period filmmaking, Bad 60's sci-fi, old school fx, the making of old school fx, Jason Schwartzman being ridiculous, Billy Zane not being terrible and a story that merges with the story within the story.

Ultimately the whole film is about filmmaking and the process. It's bound to appeal to me but the added sci-fi story just takes it to another level of awesome. If you can ever find a copy, give it a look.

21 Jump Street

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Myself

Alright, the first big comedy of the year and my lord it is fantastic. I'll definitely be seeing this one again. Of course I shouldn't expect anything less from the directors of the funniest animated film of the decade, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, and the writer of perhaps my favourite film of all time, Scott Pilgrim Vs The World. With credentials like that it was bound to at least be entertaining but this one really goes for broke.

Now I've never seen an episode of 21 Jump Street, I didn't even know the premise until I saw the trailer for this film. But it is rather ridiculous and the film makes ample fun of that fact without ever crossing the line too far into self referential parody. I was afraid I may have seen all the jokes play out in the trailers as one often does with comedies today (Project X, I'm looking at you...) but it turns out they took that increasingly popular route of only showing the set up and a few brief gags, often with different punch lines or takes than used in the film proper.

The start of the film plays out just like in the trailer and just as fast. It doesn't take long at all to get this odd couple out of high school into the police academy and then back into high school undercover, now as best friends.

The real joy for me was the do over role reversal story of getting a second chance to go back to high school. Jonah Hill is great and Channing Tatum matches him toe to toe. I maintain that when directed by the right people, Tatum is fantastic and he certainly proves that here.

The film effortlessly follows all the right beats but manages to keep them fresh and the lead up to the climax is wonderful.

There is plenty to enjoy here. So many gags that if one does happen to fall flat, there's something else coming up 5 seconds later that'll make you forget. Brilliant cameos. This is the comedy to beat this year so far.

Coriolanus

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Mum

Didn't know this play, by the bard. I do like the modern interpretation though. And apparently this is the first feature film version of the play. Ralph Fiennes does a good job in front and behind the camera.

The opening moments play out like a modern warfare game. I heard he had ramboed up Shakespeare but it didn't take long for it to become just talking heads for the rest of the film and my hopes for any more action were dashed. But who goes to Sheakespeare for the action?

Great cast doing solid work. For Brian Cox and Vanessa Redgrave this just seems second nature. I must admit towards the end I started drifting off whilst deciphering this archaic language but I attribute that more to malnourishment than the performance of the film.

Using the language in modern times has been done before but I don't think it feels too jarring here. The whole world that is created seems every so slightly removed from out reality anyway. I can't comment on the adaptation but, at the star at least, things moved pretty swiftly with the use of television broadcasts getting across exposition and allowing jumps to various scenes.

Good to know the story now I guess, the film was ok.

Like Crazy

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Myself

Oohh, what a bitter movie. Bittersweet maybe but still, it's pretty sad, which I guess usually works in a romance but this is almost an anti-romance.

Being an emotionally cut off cold hearted loner, the first thing I noticed was the DSLR cinematography. I instantly recognised those Canon colour spaces and seeing it put onto 35mm film and projected I thought it held up really well. That in itself makes me excited, to think that I could just use the camera I have lying on my couch next to me to make something that looks good enough to be projected in a cinema.

Felicity Jones and Anton Yelchin are really great and craft a believable relationship that the universe seems to be destined to break up. The meet cute at the start made me worry about how sappy things might get but those fears were unfounded.

It's pretty short and sweet, doesn't overstay its welcome, tells its story with a simple directness and makes a pleasant change from the usual romantic fare. Very well put together and I loved the ending.

The People Under the Stairs

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: No
Watched With: Myself

Oh man, how have I never seen this before? Amazing.

I love that I can still find a few John Carpenter or Wes Craven horror films I haven't seen and be surprised by them. This one is so much fun. It feels like a kids move but it's made by an adult horror film maker, who doesn't pull any punches.

Now its a pretty ridiculous premise and the film has a lot of fun with that. One of the odd things about it is the tone, it's very funny in parts, very kids adventure movie in others and then there's all the flat out horror stuff on top.

I think mostly it's these big cartoonish characters that gets me. I don't think it entirely works but good or bad, either way it's entertaining. An hey, it's the couple from twin peaks, so it's kinda to be expected. It's too kiddy to work as a horror film in places and too horrific to be able to show it to kids in others. But that also just makes it funny to me.

Anyway I really loved this one. That 90's Universal logo just flooded me with nostalgia and got me in the right frame of mind for this kind of film. Delightful.

Puncture

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Myself

This was an interesting one. I really like the story it was telling and it's nice to find a true story that doesn't exactly have a hollywood ending but that nonetheless was still made into a hollywood film.

Chris Evans gets to put on the charm, which is what he's good at. But he also is playing a very obviously flawed character and he looks fantastic in suspenders, so that was all good too.

There's a lot that's familiar but for the most part it was all engaging and interesting and it told this story well. I quite enjoyed it.

The Ninth Gate

IMDB
First time viewed: No
Current Release: No
Watched With: Mum, Dad

Write Up.

This one really does have that rewatchability factor. There's so many clues and hits and visual callbacks layered in right from the beginning that pass most people by on first viewing.

The Cup

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Myself

I didn't see this in it's theatrical release last year. They were pimping the trailer so hard it made me sick of the damn thing.

I should have probably just left well enough alone, you get the whole film in the trailer anyway and really, this film offers nothing more.

Look, horse racing movies aren't my thing, but pretty much everything about this rubbed me the wrong way. The script was terrible and if that wasn't sappy enough the horrendous music took it to new heights of ineptitude.

Avoid at all costs.

A Separation

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Tyler

I think this might be the first Iranian film I've seen. I know it won the Oscar for best foreign film but that's all I knew going in. Once again I have to wait for a foreign film to be able to see something with no preconceived notion of what to expect.

This is one of those really uncomfortable dramas where the central conflict is a little grey as to who's in the wrong and everyone is angry and upset as hell. It's superbly acted and feels very realistic. It's also just interesting to see a story about regular life in Iran.

Much like my favourite separation themed movie, The Squid and the Whale, the film is left open ended, with the feeling that these kinds of arguments will be ongoing and there's not much anyone can do about them. It's a sobering film, well made, with some very honest portrayals. While it's not a barrel of laughs, it is still very engaging and enjoyable.

The Raid

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Paul

Managed to get into a preview screening of this action film from Indonesia I've been hearing so much about lately. This film is wall to wall action, intense and extremely violent with a great set up and a simple story and a lot of bug nuts insane stunts accompanied by some of the juiciest punching sound effects ever put to film.

I was surprised at how quick the whole thing started. No less than 5 minutes in and the titular raid has begun. A building 15 stories high and the police have to make their way up through all the levels of hoodlums that live their to get to the crime lord sitting pretty on the top. It's almost like a computer game.

Needless to say it doesn't take long for folks to realise what's going on in their building and fight back at which point all hell breaks loose.

The whole first section is a lot of gunplay, but once the numbers dwindle to a handful of main characters you can follow and the bullets run out everyone else becomes a martial arts expert. And their fights are impeccably staged and choreographed. And extraordinarily brutal too. It's sure to get the adrenaline pumping.

The film was shot on the Panasonic AF100 and a lot of it in quite low light. There is some strange grain, possibly the result of smoothing in a few shots here are there but overall it looks okay. The handheld wobbliness can get a bit much at times but they always pace their action with intercut dialogue scenes and gives the audience a chance to refocus.

I missed Gareth Evans' fist film but heard good things about it too. I'll be interested to see if he continues this story along. It's as pure an action film as I've ever seen in the last decade or so. Incredibly visceral and relentless. Well worth checking out.

Nice Girls Don't Explode

IMDB
First time viewed: No
Current Release: No
Watched With: Jordan, Tyler

The result of looking into an Absolute Balderdash movie category title that came up during a recent round of board game playing.

A very silly movie. As to be expected. A girl induces spontaneous combustion anytime she gets overly aroused. Or is it just her mother trying to stop her from hanging around boys?

Wallace Shawn shows up as a very strange pyromaniac.

It's quite funny, both intentionally and not. Overall not entirely successful but it's just ridiculous enough to be an amusing diversion.

Animal Kingdom

IMDB
First time viewed: No
Current Release: No
Watched With: Jordan, Tyler

Brief Write Up.

It's interesting, I only watched this the second time with the commentary on so I wasn't following the story as closely. This time watching it, armed with the forewarning of the ending that was approaching, it played a bit differently.

Maybe because our protagonist is so shut off emotionally you have to read into him what you think he's doing or feeling and the first time through the film positions you to presume certain things. At least it did for me. Which made the ending such a surprise the first time. But this time I can see the set up there and the thought process that leads inevitably to that ending. Or perhaps that's just me reading into it. That's both the advantage and disadvantage with such a blank protagonist.

Still, cool film.

John Carter

IMDB
First time viewed: No
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Michael, Jordan, Tyler, Paul, Alex

Write Up.

The 3D is well done but I think I prefer the 2d version. Still a fun pulp adventure ride.

Albert Nobbs

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Myself

One of the oscar films from last year I missed. All I knew about it was Glenn Close played a woman pretending to be a man.

Once I realised it was set in Dublin in the late 19th century and concerning the working class of servants, I figured it had to be a tragedy. And it was indeed. But it was a kind of a sweet one. Glenn Close really does give an amazing performance. The hair and makeup manages to transform her face in oddly subtle ways but it's the body language and the speech, the demeanour of the person that seem quite different from anything I've seen her play before. It's a part that calls for a lot of subtlety and quiet moments. I don't see it working as well on stage as it does here.

The rest of the cast are all pretty good too. It's a pretty slow moving story and it's only by the time the end comes around that you can realise how it's been working right under your nose, much like the main character in the film. The emotional investment in these characters grow organically as we get to know them but it's only when the climax hits at the end that you realise just how well that worked. It works remarkably well for a tragedy, just as we are getting to understand something, to rip it away from us.

It's a small subtle film about people trying to lead simple lives and lead simple dreams. Perhaps to slow for my tastes but the end worked rather well.