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Metropolis (Tezuka, 2002) ***
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead ****
Sullivan's Travels *****
The anime version of Metropolis seems inspired by Fritz Lang's 1926 film, but it is certainly not a remake of the film. Osamu Tezuka's anime shares many idiosyncrasies of the genre--characters that don't conform to any specific body design, cutesy robots, chirpy voices--but also contains some rather stunningly creative visuals. I can't say I'm a huge fan of anime, nor do I sneer at it, but I'm perhaps not the best judge of this film, having only been exposed to anime through Akira. Still, I was reminded while watching this of Star Wars and Blade Runner, and on purely visual grounds this is an engaging and diverting piece. The film's use of popular music is particularly notable; there is a spectacularly destructive climax that incorporates Ray Charles' "I Can't Stop Loving You." The song is so anachronistically placed that one can't help but be amazed by the decision to use it at all.
The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has some kind of hard-on for Michael Clayton, a film I found entertaining but not a must-see. After seeing Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, however, I'm amazed that the Academy almost completely ignored this gem, particularly in the acting nominations. Nothing against George Clooney or Tilda Swinton, but the performances by Ethan Hawke and Philip Seymour Hoffman blow the comparatively tame Michael Clayton out of the fucking boat. This tale of a crime caper gone wrong, told in flashbacks, gradually evolves into a portrait of a devastatingly dysfunctional family. Directed with precision by Sidney Lumet, this is an intense, profane surprise of a film that you will not soon forget. (It played in St. George for one week.)
I don't know what I expected out of Sullivan's Travels, aside from some insight into the Coen Brothers' homage, O Brother, Where Art Thou? Nor can I easily describe the movie. The first 10 minutes contain some of the most brilliantly executed slapstick I've ever seen, before the film veers into a kind of love story, a critique of social policies regarding the poor, a thriller involving a murderous hobo, and a broad satire of Hollywood film making. There is the additional joy of seeing the luminous Veronica Lake dress as a boy and, later in the film, silently weeping as her trademark locks fall across her eye just so. In short, this is a film that resists categorization. I can't think of anything like it. I loved it.
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead ****
Sullivan's Travels *****
The anime version of Metropolis seems inspired by Fritz Lang's 1926 film, but it is certainly not a remake of the film. Osamu Tezuka's anime shares many idiosyncrasies of the genre--characters that don't conform to any specific body design, cutesy robots, chirpy voices--but also contains some rather stunningly creative visuals. I can't say I'm a huge fan of anime, nor do I sneer at it, but I'm perhaps not the best judge of this film, having only been exposed to anime through Akira. Still, I was reminded while watching this of Star Wars and Blade Runner, and on purely visual grounds this is an engaging and diverting piece. The film's use of popular music is particularly notable; there is a spectacularly destructive climax that incorporates Ray Charles' "I Can't Stop Loving You." The song is so anachronistically placed that one can't help but be amazed by the decision to use it at all.
The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has some kind of hard-on for Michael Clayton, a film I found entertaining but not a must-see. After seeing Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, however, I'm amazed that the Academy almost completely ignored this gem, particularly in the acting nominations. Nothing against George Clooney or Tilda Swinton, but the performances by Ethan Hawke and Philip Seymour Hoffman blow the comparatively tame Michael Clayton out of the fucking boat. This tale of a crime caper gone wrong, told in flashbacks, gradually evolves into a portrait of a devastatingly dysfunctional family. Directed with precision by Sidney Lumet, this is an intense, profane surprise of a film that you will not soon forget. (It played in St. George for one week.)
I don't know what I expected out of Sullivan's Travels, aside from some insight into the Coen Brothers' homage, O Brother, Where Art Thou? Nor can I easily describe the movie. The first 10 minutes contain some of the most brilliantly executed slapstick I've ever seen, before the film veers into a kind of love story, a critique of social policies regarding the poor, a thriller involving a murderous hobo, and a broad satire of Hollywood film making. There is the additional joy of seeing the luminous Veronica Lake dress as a boy and, later in the film, silently weeping as her trademark locks fall across her eye just so. In short, this is a film that resists categorization. I can't think of anything like it. I loved it.
posted by Chazzbot at 3:13 PM
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