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My Blueberry Nights ***
The first English-language feature by noted Chinese director Wong Kar-Wai, this film also features the first starring role by noted Americana singer Norah Jones, so I had pretty high expectations going in. Unfortunately, those expectations were not met, though there is some gorgeous photography of both urban and desert landscapes, and the hint of a few interesting stories. Norah Jones, sad to say, does not seem ready for the big-screen; her acting is bland here, and her most notable contributions are the extreme close-ups Kar-Wai employs of her bee-stung lips, featured in several shots with the tantalizing remnants of ice cream pooled upon them. The real knockout of the film is Natalie Portman, who plays a trashy, untrustworthy Southern woman with a bad history. The minute she appears on the screen--to the strains of Otis Redding, no less--the film comes alive, and one wonders if the story would have been better served by making her the focus. I enjoyed looking at this film, but I didn't get much out of it on an emotional level.
Recount ****
This film debuted last week on HBO, amid Hillary Clinton's cries for representation of the Florida and Michigan delegates. The film examines the 2000 voting debacle in Florida, portraying both the Democratic and Republican camps as they face-off to determine the outcome of the presidential election. The pace of the film is brisk; I was completely engaged and interested throughout the 2-hour running time, not something one always expects to happen with political films. Though the film's sympathies seem to lean toward the Democratic side--especially at the conclusion--the Republicans are portrayed as enthusiastically as their liberal counterparts. An exception to this generally balanced presentation is Laura Dern's brilliant portrayal of notorious Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris, a woman who, at best, is a blistering ignoramus. The rest of the cast is excellent as well, though Denis Leary's Bostonian accent seems to slip at times. Not just fodder for politicos, this is a film well worth seeking out in its inevitable DVD release. Its overview of the background and consequences and implications of the 2000 Florida vote (or lack thereof) provide some important insight into what will, what must be, remembered as a tragedy for democracy.
Hard Boiled *****
I'm sure most movie fans are familiar with John Woo's legendary Hong Kong action films, and this is perhaps the best of them. There are sequences here, particularly in the jaw-dropping half-hour finale (a hospital gunfight), that had me bursting into laughter of surprise and delight. Made before the use of CGI became standard in these kinds of films, the stunts and pyrotechnics and gunplay of this film look and feel real. I found myself replaying certain sequences in disbelief, seeking to figure out how certain shots or stunts were achieved. One particular sequence involves multiple sets, dozens of squibs, collapsing scenery, and outrageous stunts, and is achieved in a single shot nearly five minutes in length. You have to see this film to believe it, and even then you won't. Outrageous, over-the-top, fantastical violence. Watch it once to get the story and dialogue down (that's all you'll need), then turn off the subtitles and just watch shit blow up for two hours. Unreal.
The first English-language feature by noted Chinese director Wong Kar-Wai, this film also features the first starring role by noted Americana singer Norah Jones, so I had pretty high expectations going in. Unfortunately, those expectations were not met, though there is some gorgeous photography of both urban and desert landscapes, and the hint of a few interesting stories. Norah Jones, sad to say, does not seem ready for the big-screen; her acting is bland here, and her most notable contributions are the extreme close-ups Kar-Wai employs of her bee-stung lips, featured in several shots with the tantalizing remnants of ice cream pooled upon them. The real knockout of the film is Natalie Portman, who plays a trashy, untrustworthy Southern woman with a bad history. The minute she appears on the screen--to the strains of Otis Redding, no less--the film comes alive, and one wonders if the story would have been better served by making her the focus. I enjoyed looking at this film, but I didn't get much out of it on an emotional level.
Recount ****
This film debuted last week on HBO, amid Hillary Clinton's cries for representation of the Florida and Michigan delegates. The film examines the 2000 voting debacle in Florida, portraying both the Democratic and Republican camps as they face-off to determine the outcome of the presidential election. The pace of the film is brisk; I was completely engaged and interested throughout the 2-hour running time, not something one always expects to happen with political films. Though the film's sympathies seem to lean toward the Democratic side--especially at the conclusion--the Republicans are portrayed as enthusiastically as their liberal counterparts. An exception to this generally balanced presentation is Laura Dern's brilliant portrayal of notorious Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris, a woman who, at best, is a blistering ignoramus. The rest of the cast is excellent as well, though Denis Leary's Bostonian accent seems to slip at times. Not just fodder for politicos, this is a film well worth seeking out in its inevitable DVD release. Its overview of the background and consequences and implications of the 2000 Florida vote (or lack thereof) provide some important insight into what will, what must be, remembered as a tragedy for democracy.
Hard Boiled *****
I'm sure most movie fans are familiar with John Woo's legendary Hong Kong action films, and this is perhaps the best of them. There are sequences here, particularly in the jaw-dropping half-hour finale (a hospital gunfight), that had me bursting into laughter of surprise and delight. Made before the use of CGI became standard in these kinds of films, the stunts and pyrotechnics and gunplay of this film look and feel real. I found myself replaying certain sequences in disbelief, seeking to figure out how certain shots or stunts were achieved. One particular sequence involves multiple sets, dozens of squibs, collapsing scenery, and outrageous stunts, and is achieved in a single shot nearly five minutes in length. You have to see this film to believe it, and even then you won't. Outrageous, over-the-top, fantastical violence. Watch it once to get the story and dialogue down (that's all you'll need), then turn off the subtitles and just watch shit blow up for two hours. Unreal.
posted by Chazzbot at 10:04 AM
2 Comments:
Have you viewed Jackie Chan's 1994 Legend of Drunken Master? It has one of the most awesome fight sequences I've ever seen. I promise to watch your film if you promise to watch mine...
The copy of Hard Boiled that I watched had a boatload of trailers for Jackie Chan movies, and I was just thinking I needed to educate myself on his repertoire. Let the summer of Hong Kong action flicks begin!
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