Sunday, December 30, 2012

Best Films I Saw for the First Time in 2012

I don't go to the multiplex enough to warrant a typical Best of Year list. So here are the films I saw in 2012 that I rated 4.5 stars or higher:


35 Shots of Rum (2009)
"35 Shots of Rum is a remarkable existential drama about the intersection of some thoroughly unremarkable lives."

Room at the Top (1959)
"The prequel to 1962’s Life at the Top, this bleak British New Waver shows how that blackguard Joe Lampton (Laurence Harvey) weaseled his way to a good job and lasting unhappiness."



Spirit of the Beehive (1973)
"A classic horror movie becomes a symbol for humanity’s deceptions and delusions in The Spirit of the Beehive, Victor Erice’s minimalist allegory from 1973."



Oslo, August 31st (2011)
"Joachim Trier’s Oslo, August 31st is the antithesis of the seasonal blockbuster, but this brooding portrait of a recovering drug addict will remain in your mind long after memories of summer’s superheroes have faded."





Meek's Cutoff (2010)
"Meek’s Cutoff captures the brutal slog faced by the pioneers without a hint of the traditional romantic heroism, grinding the dust, heat and discomfort of the undertaking deep into its characters’ faces."





Man Without a Past (2002)
"Man Without a Past encapsulates just about everything that is good about the Kaurismäki canon, and creates a new appreciation for the director’s ability to craft eccentric realties."




Hide Away (2011)
"Morose and meditative, Hide Away is a film that’s executed to near perfection."



Chico & Rita (2010)
"The movie is a sensory fest, with superb visual design by Javier Mariscal and Fernando Trueba along with some great Jazz tunes. "


A Separation (2011)
"A Separation is a work of such assurance and skill it stands as that rarest of commodities; a film you don’t want to end."



Take Shelter (2011)
"The thunderheads that form in the late afternoon sky are not mere meteorological phenomena, but harbingers of a new and powerful malevolence; their golden slimy raindrops a dire warning to a distracted world."



Late Spring (1949)
"Societal customs and early forms of feminism collide in Late Spring, a masterfully delicate family drama from director Yasujirô Ozu."






HONORABLE MENTION



Margaret (2011)
"Anna Paquin, despite pushing 30 in real life, is totally convincing here as a privileged teen from the Upper West Side who learns the hard way that life is not all about designer shoes."




City of Your Final Destination (2009)
"With the passing of Ismail Merchant --and director James Ivory and screenwriter Ruth Prawer Jhabvala both well into their 80s-- The City of Your Final Destination may mark the last production of this legendary creative team."




The Concert (2009)
"Think Rocky for classical musicians, and if tears aren’t streaming down your cheeks by the end, have someone check your pulse."




Film Socialiisme (2010)
"Beautifully shot on digital video, Film Socialiisme contains visual allusions to earlier Godard pieces that seem to organically expand on the original sources."





Best Films I Saw for the First Time in 2012

I don't go to the multiplex enough to warrant a typical Best of Year list. So here are the films I saw in 2012 that I rated 4.5 stars or higher:


35 Shots of Rum (2009)
"35 Shots of Rum is a remarkable existential drama about the intersection of some thoroughly unremarkable lives."

Room at the Top (1959)
"The prequel to 1962’s Life at the Top, this bleak British New Waver shows how that blackguard Joe Lampton (Laurence Harvey) weaseled his way to a good job and lasting unhappiness."



Spirit of the Beehive (1973)
"A classic horror movie becomes a symbol for humanity’s deceptions and delusions in The Spirit of the Beehive, Victor Erice’s minimalist allegory from 1973."



Oslo, August 31st (2011)
"Joachim Trier’s Oslo, August 31st is the antithesis of the seasonal blockbuster, but this brooding portrait of a recovering drug addict will remain in your mind long after memories of summer’s superheroes have faded."





Meek's Cutoff (2010)
"Meek’s Cutoff captures the brutal slog faced by the pioneers without a hint of the traditional romantic heroism, grinding the dust, heat and discomfort of the undertaking deep into its characters’ faces."





Man Without a Past (2002)
"Man Without a Past encapsulates just about everything that is good about the Kaurismäki canon, and creates a new appreciation for the director’s ability to craft eccentric realties."




Hide Away (2011)
"Morose and meditative, Hide Away is a film that’s executed to near perfection."



Chico & Rita (2010)
"The movie is a sensory fest, with superb visual design by Javier Mariscal and Fernando Trueba along with some great Jazz tunes. "


A Separation (2011)
"A Separation is a work of such assurance and skill it stands as that rarest of commodities; a film you don’t want to end."



Take Shelter (2011)
"The thunderheads that form in the late afternoon sky are not mere meteorological phenomena, but harbingers of a new and powerful malevolence; their golden slimy raindrops a dire warning to a distracted world."



Late Spring (1949)
"Societal customs and early forms of feminism collide in Late Spring, a masterfully delicate family drama from director Yasujirô Ozu."






HONORABLE MENTION



Margaret (2011)
"Anna Paquin, despite pushing 30 in real life, is totally convincing here as a privileged teen from the Upper West Side who learns the hard way that life is not all about designer shoes."




City of Your Final Destination (2009)
"With the passing of Ismail Merchant --and director James Ivory and screenwriter Ruth Prawer Jhabvala both well into their 80s-- The City of Your Final Destination may mark the last production of this legendary creative team."




The Concert (2009)
"Think Rocky for classical musicians, and if tears aren’t streaming down your cheeks by the end, have someone check your pulse."




Film Socialiisme (2010)
"Beautifully shot on digital video, Film Socialiisme contains visual allusions to earlier Godard pieces that seem to organically expand on the original sources."





Saturday, December 29, 2012

TCM for January 2013



TCM's January Schedule customizable for your time zone: Click Here

Here's my picks:


1/5



A mysterious stranger plays dueling families against each other in a Mexican border town.
C-100 mins, TV-14, CC, Letterbox Format

The mob sets out to catch a child killer whose crimes are attracting too much police attention.


 1/6

An aging Cavalry officer tries to prevent an Indian war in the last days before his retirement.
C-104 mins, TV-PG, CC

A middle-aged prostitute reflects on her past.

1/7


An aging housewife seeks direction when she catches her husband in an affair



After seeing the classic Frankenstein, two naive young girls go searching for the mad doctor's monster


1/8


An old gangster and gambler decides to rob a gambling casino


1/11


Industrial film showing the making of Tupperware


1/13


A small town postman tries to adopt modern efficiency techniques.
Dir: Jacques Tati 



Two children are stranded in the Australian outback and are forced to cope on their own.


Onetime college friends cope with the sexual revolution of the '60s.
C-98 mins, TV-MA, CC, Letterbox Format



A classical pianist who's dropped out of society returns to the family he deserted.
C-98 mins, TV-MA, CC, Letterbox Format



A cross-country trip to sell drugs puts two hippie bikers on a collision course with small-town prejudices.
C-96 mins, TV-MA, CC, Letterbox Format

Vladimir Nabokov's racy classic focuses on an aging intellectual in love with a teenager.
BW-153 mins, TV-14, CC, Letterbox Format

1/21


A rock star's personal appearance turns a small town into a disaster area.
C-112 mins, TV-G, CC, Letterbox Format



A banker who's lost his job for growing a beard embraces the cultural revolution.
C-90 mins, TV-PG, Letterbox Format

1/22


A young bride is terrorized by the memories of her husband's glamorous first wife.
BW-130 mins, TV-PG, CC

Scientists turn a mentally challenged man into a genius.
C-103 mins, TV-14, CC, Letterbox Format

TCM for January 2013



TCM's January Schedule customizable for your time zone: Click Here

Here's my picks:


1/5



A mysterious stranger plays dueling families against each other in a Mexican border town.
C-100 mins, TV-14, CC, Letterbox Format

The mob sets out to catch a child killer whose crimes are attracting too much police attention.


 1/6

An aging Cavalry officer tries to prevent an Indian war in the last days before his retirement.
C-104 mins, TV-PG, CC

A middle-aged prostitute reflects on her past.

1/7


An aging housewife seeks direction when she catches her husband in an affair



After seeing the classic Frankenstein, two naive young girls go searching for the mad doctor's monster


1/8


An old gangster and gambler decides to rob a gambling casino


1/11


Industrial film showing the making of Tupperware


1/13


A small town postman tries to adopt modern efficiency techniques.
Dir: Jacques Tati 



Two children are stranded in the Australian outback and are forced to cope on their own.


Onetime college friends cope with the sexual revolution of the '60s.
C-98 mins, TV-MA, CC, Letterbox Format



A classical pianist who's dropped out of society returns to the family he deserted.
C-98 mins, TV-MA, CC, Letterbox Format



A cross-country trip to sell drugs puts two hippie bikers on a collision course with small-town prejudices.
C-96 mins, TV-MA, CC, Letterbox Format

Vladimir Nabokov's racy classic focuses on an aging intellectual in love with a teenager.
BW-153 mins, TV-14, CC, Letterbox Format

1/21


A rock star's personal appearance turns a small town into a disaster area.
C-112 mins, TV-G, CC, Letterbox Format



A banker who's lost his job for growing a beard embraces the cultural revolution.
C-90 mins, TV-PG, Letterbox Format

1/22


A young bride is terrorized by the memories of her husband's glamorous first wife.
BW-130 mins, TV-PG, CC

Scientists turn a mentally challenged man into a genius.
C-103 mins, TV-14, CC, Letterbox Format

Thursday, December 27, 2012

A Couple of Fair to Middlin' Time Wasters...



                                                       Eva (1962) ✬✬✬


Opening with a very 60s score by Michel LeGrand that runs from ultra-cool to manic and back again, dotted with bits of Billie, EVA made me apprehensive that it would be a bad flick from the getgo. Appallingly over-exposed (or badly filmed or poor production) harbor shots. But how intoxicating to be in Venice! About ten minutes along, the production quality improves. OMG, it's a shag fur bedspread. Whether it's shoes or booze or both, Eva (Jeanne Moreau) looks like she couldn't walk a straight line if her life depended on it. Very funny. 


The guy obsessed with her is too cool for human consumption, an exaggerated drip of a guy, directed by Joseph Losey in a very silly mood. The story is very not really (sic), the cinematography, carefully aimed, framed and lighted. Made back in the self-conscious days when boobs and nipples were all the rage, we are treated to naughty peeks at a couple of side views, one naked nipple and a few sticking out from behind vaguely transparent blouses. All very early Eurotrash and liberated. Ultimately, this is one of the silliest of the pretentious artsy efforts of the era, and it was way too long, but I'd say see it for laffs and historical interest and the always extraordinary Jeanne M.

Reviewed by Shu Zin





                                 Joe Dancer: The Big Trade (1981) ✬✬✬


I've always considered Robert Blake a short, chunky guy with a slight hint of Donald Duck in his voice and no real acting creds since he played a crybaby in The Little Rascals. He was never convincing in any of the private detective roles he so lusted after during his career as a television actor. JOE DANCER – THE BIG TRADE, atrociously directed by Reza Badiyl, is a pilot for such a series, but no matter how jaunty the script, nor how ostentatiously he dresses on the left, Mr Blake is no Mike Hammer. This film, however, is a real gem, exemplary of the kind of silliness that dominated Hollywood and television in the 70s: nonsensical, blathering plot that makes little sense, consistently dreadful acting, a total disregard for credibility or the audience's intelligence. See it for historical interest and just to laugh at how hopelessly miscast the fat-faced little Mr Blake is as a tough private eye. Enjoy!

Reviewed by Shu Zin




A Couple of Fair to Middlin' Time Wasters...



                                                       Eva (1962) ✬✬✬


Opening with a very 60s score by Michel LeGrand that runs from ultra-cool to manic and back again, dotted with bits of Billie, EVA made me apprehensive that it would be a bad flick from the getgo. Appallingly over-exposed (or badly filmed or poor production) harbor shots. But how intoxicating to be in Venice! About ten minutes along, the production quality improves. OMG, it's a shag fur bedspread. Whether it's shoes or booze or both, Eva (Jeanne Moreau) looks like she couldn't walk a straight line if her life depended on it. Very funny. 


The guy obsessed with her is too cool for human consumption, an exaggerated drip of a guy, directed by Joseph Losey in a very silly mood. The story is very not really (sic), the cinematography, carefully aimed, framed and lighted. Made back in the self-conscious days when boobs and nipples were all the rage, we are treated to naughty peeks at a couple of side views, one naked nipple and a few sticking out from behind vaguely transparent blouses. All very early Eurotrash and liberated. Ultimately, this is one of the silliest of the pretentious artsy efforts of the era, and it was way too long, but I'd say see it for laffs and historical interest and the always extraordinary Jeanne M.

Reviewed by Shu Zin





                                 Joe Dancer: The Big Trade (1981) ✬✬✬


I've always considered Robert Blake a short, chunky guy with a slight hint of Donald Duck in his voice and no real acting creds since he played a crybaby in The Little Rascals. He was never convincing in any of the private detective roles he so lusted after during his career as a television actor. JOE DANCER – THE BIG TRADE, atrociously directed by Reza Badiyl, is a pilot for such a series, but no matter how jaunty the script, nor how ostentatiously he dresses on the left, Mr Blake is no Mike Hammer. This film, however, is a real gem, exemplary of the kind of silliness that dominated Hollywood and television in the 70s: nonsensical, blathering plot that makes little sense, consistently dreadful acting, a total disregard for credibility or the audience's intelligence. See it for historical interest and just to laugh at how hopelessly miscast the fat-faced little Mr Blake is as a tough private eye. Enjoy!

Reviewed by Shu Zin




Sunday, December 23, 2012

A Separation (2011) ✭✭✭✭✭





Watching A Separation, winner of the best foreign film Oscar in 2012, is kind of like stepping into a trap. Writer/director Asghar Farhadi serves up a delicious bait in his opening scene; a long, blistering take of an Iranian couple attempting to persuade a judge to grant them a divorce. Simin (Leila Hatami) and her husband Nader (Payman Maadi) have been wrangling for years to get an emigration visa. But now that they’ve finally been successful, Nader wants to stay behind and care for his father, who’s suffering from advanced Alzheimer’s.



Their window to leave will expire soon, and Simin wants to take their gifted daughter Termeh (Sarina Farhadi) to Europe for a better life before it’s too late. The scene, filmed from the unseen judge’s point of view, packs such frank believability that as Hatami and Maadi work themselves into a froth, decades of slights and disappointments come tumbling out with mesmerizing effect. The trap draws tighter, and the viewer is pinned for the duration.



However, A Separation’s tentacles are just beginning to ensnarl. The story’s scope widens to reveal Farhadi’s loftier ambition. He has not set out to simply make a film about a troubled couple, but a multi-faceted mediation on families, generational change and the complicated nature of religious belief. When Nader must hire a caregiver to look after his father, he encounters an odd duck named Razieh (the brilliant Sareh Bayat), a traditional Islamist whose whining about her work is interrupted only by foggy periods when her mind seems to be in a mystical netherworld.




In Razieh’s opinion, religious strictures forbid her from doing a thorough job of caring for Nader’s helpless father. Along with her secretive nature, Razieh’s shortcomings eventually lead the harried Nader to an outburst of frustration, with serious, perhaps deadly, consequences. Farhadi continues to fold other elements into his hypnotic mix. Razieh’s husband Hajjat (Sahab Hossenni) is kind and earnest on the surface, but his inner turmoil will reveal dark and dangerous edges. He most directly embodies the societal and religious pressures that drive all the characters; pressures that eventually threaten to crush them.



And just as an impulsive moment brings a world of trouble to Nader, audiences will be swept along by A Separation’s shifting characters and clever writing that builds like a crystal. Farhadi often frames his characters in doorways and windows, giving Nader’s simple apartment an implication of mysterious depths. This technique, championed and mastered by Ozu, evokes a sense of human spirit temporarily confined by societal restraints, but moving ever closer to the frightening freedom that lurks just beyond. Farhadi doesn’t condemn Islam as such, indeed the sense of universality he achieves within this starkly traditional setting is one of the film’s most impressive aspects. A Separation is a work of such assurance and skill it stands as that rarest of commodities; a film you don’t want to end.


Roma (2018) ✭✭✭✭✭

Alfonso Cuarón’s directorial career has dealt with everything from updated Dickens ( Great Expectations ) to twisted coming of age ( Y Tu Ma...