Reviews

I've been watching Adam Curtis documentaries with great interest for a while now. They are magnificent creations, and Curtis's way with documentary footage is second to none. His interpretations of historical and political situations are another story. He presents his ideas in a calm, ironic sounding voice-over, or sometimes oddly enough in subtitles, while strange and often violent occurrences take place on the screen. Contrasting viewpoints are never included; Adam Curtis's outlook is the only one on display.

In this 2015 film, Curtis takes on the involvement of other nations in Afghanistan over the years. At times it is like a conventional historical documentary. He looks at the first Western forays into the nation, followed by the USSR's adventures there in the 1980s, and then on to America's and Britain's efforts to supposedly help build a modern democracy. Well, now we know how that turned out. Curtis sometimes seems at a loss for words and ideas in this. He is not promoting some attention-grabbing theory, like he has done in other films, and sometimes he just goes quiet. He does talk about how Western leaders try to present things in simple good vs. Evil terms, whereas the problems in Afghanistan were actually very complicated.

Here is an old favorite of mine. Some scenes have been cut from the original version (in particular one of the schoolgirls' romantic relationship with one of the teachers, which is presented as nothing terrible or unacceptable) for the sake of political correctness, but they never say that anywhere in the credits. I actually called the production company to complain about this, and the girl who answers the phone just openly lied and said that nothing was missing. Anyway, this film belongs in the early 1980s time capsule. And it was also the debut of some very big talents, like Sean Penn (who seems to have single-handedly created the stock character of the stoner surfer) and Robert Romanus.

It must be difficult to do a documentary about a man who was deliberately opaque, who wanted to be known only for his work, or as his work, and tried to reveal as little about himself as possible - even to the point of hiding his car's license plate! Some info about him does come thru here - not surprisingly he was a perfectionist workaholic whose one real love in life was Apple Computer, a project that was very personal and emotional for him. He had a thing for Japanese culture and Zen Buddhism, and their aesthetics influenced his designs. We see him on stage performing at Apple events (something he did well), and it becomes clear that his genius was for marketing and design. It was his lesser known teammates that did the nitty gritty programming and financial work. It is safe to say he was a genius - but was he a good man? He could be dishonest, he could be mean, he could be selfish (as revealed in his treatment of his first partner and his first child), and philanthropy didn't interest him. When he died, his multi-billion dollar fortune went into several anonymous trusts. Ultimately I felt like the world did not really get to know Jobs - and I guess that is how he wanted it.

I am a HUGE Alex Gibney fan btw - keep them coming, Alex - you're the best!

This is questionable in many ways but visually stunning. Curtis goes over the history of Western relations with Libya's Qadaffi, along with references to Hamas, suicide bombings, the Assads in Syria, Blair, Bush II, and Donald Trump. It is hard to understand what he is getting at, but the main idea seems to be that world leaders are using technology to manipulate people.

I really don't know what to say about his political views. At one point I thought of him as a radical moderate. Clearly he looks for drama and irony. It all may just be an excuse to string together some exciting news videos. Is there anyone who weaves together news and stock footage in the way that he does?

With this film, Olivier Assayas proves that he can do a gripping, modern, neonoir thriller - as well as a relationship tale, or a family drama, the kinds of things he has mostly done in his career. It starts off well enough, an enigmatic tale of industrial espionage in the world of digital media. There is some sort of competition going on between a French company, an American company, and a Japanese company that may or not be producing an extreme, and extremely successful, hardcore S&M website. An icey, beautiful woman, played by Connie Nielsen, is some sort of spy, and the film begins with her poisoning her boss and taking her spot. She is being paid and supported by an older Frenchman, but his role in the situation is unclear. And that is about all the sense I could make out of it, as the storyline began to crumble, Lost Highway/Mulholland Drive style. There follow sexual liaisons, thefts, bloodshed, a rape, a couple of murders, double crosses, and a kidnapping - and none of it adds up. I grew to really despise the reptilian main character. The story is a mess, which is a shame, because this is a visually thrilling flick, with some very cool atmospherics, and a soundtrack by Sonic Youth.

As a collection of weird, intense vignettes, this is hard to top. But it has comprehensibility issues. The plot grabs one at first, and then takes a turn for the surreal. The "it was all a dream/fantasy" explanation appears to be the most popular one, but who knows? It contains some of Lynch's most striking images and memorable characters, and that is saying a lot.

I read a long time ago that many more scenes were filmed than appear in this version, and that it was originally meant to be a televisions series, like Twin Peaks. I don't know how true that is, but I would like to see more of this if it exists. Maybe someday. I would also like to register my disappointment that Lynch mostly stopped making feature films after this, with the exception of the thoroughly loony Inland Empire.

This is a straightforward documentary about one of my favorite musical genres, RIO (short for Rock In Opposition, in case you did not know) - which, as the film points out, is a fairly sticky and undefined group of musical acts. Really RIO is/was a branch of avant-progressive music, based on a series of festivals that were first organized by Chris Cutler in Europe and Britain in the late 1970s. The style melds together elements of classical, rock, jazz, and folk traditions. The label has hung around, and was later applied to other groups, like Colorado's Thinking Plague, who were not even aware of the existence of Rock In Opposition.

There are interviews with several of the key figures, and tribute is paid to Christian Vander and his band Magma who, along with Henry Cow, were the originators of the RIO sound. Imo you could probably give Frank Zappa some credit for that too. We see some live concert videos, and get a look at the faces and personalities behind original RIO groups like Univers Zero, Present, Samla Mammas Manna, and Etron Fou Leloublan, but also more recent bands like Aranis and Yugen. There are a few gaps, e.g. It appears that Fred Frith was unavailable for an interview, and the amazing Lars Hollmer sadly passed away in 2008.

Long live Rock In Opposition! I was happy to see that there have been RIO festivals taking place as recently as 2017 in France. It probably always will have a limited audience, sorry to say, but it is an audience that really appreciates what these musicians have to offer.

This is a deeply sad and painful movie, yet Imamura still manages to make it fascinating to watch. The story begins with the horrors of the atomic blast at Hiroshima, but the real focus is on the aftermath. It tells the story of Yasuko, a young woman who was exposed to what the characters call "the flash," and the efforts of her family, her uncle especially, to find her a husband and a normal life. But suitors mostly steer clear (because of the possibility that she has radiation sickness), and she turns down opportunities to work since the family is counting on her becoming a bride. It is an interesting look at life in postwar, rural Japan, as well as a portrayal of the miseries that war can inflict on people years after the conflict has died down. Adapted from a novel by Masuji Ibuse.

This is a weird, bizarre, and not very credible flick. Arthouse tension pervades this psychological thriller with a super-natural twist. Bates and Hurt are both excellent, but the narrative is maximal arty-impressionistic and in need of clarification. For example, what is the point of cutting back and forth between the cricket match sequence, and the main part of the story? The first shout scene is indeed something to behold and belongs in the highlight reel of something, I don't know what, 1970s madness perhaps? There are some interesting talents at work here for sure, e.g. Author Robert Graves, music by two of the members of the band Genesis, actor Tim Curry, and of course the director Skolimowski.

The well-known Mr. Byrne mostly keeps himself on the sidelines of this documentary, and lets his subjects take the stage. Most of this consists of video and interviews of people in the Bahia region of Brasil, and their colorful festivals and costumes, et cetera. There is a lot of dancing, costume jewelry, and intricate outfits. It looks more than a little like Mardi Gras, and like other videos I have seen of festivals in Brasil. Everybody says that Brasilians know how to party! Apparently the Bahians practice a folk religion called Candomble, which is an intriguing mix of old African religions with Catholicism. Some of the subjects are very charming.

This is the story of a group of female friends and their romantic relationships and work lives. The word happy is in the title, but this is not a happy film, and it goes on for over 5 hours. Each of the main characters is struggling with relationship and work issues, and things grow progressively more dramatic as the story goes on. Jun is trying to get away from her obsessive husband, who refuses to let her leave him, and in Japan a husband has some legal rights in this area. Fumi has to deal with what might be a romantic rival to her husband, a thoughtful writer. Sakurako lives with her husband, son, and mother-in-law in what appears to be a loveless home. And Akari, the tough one of the group, is lonely and emotionally isolated.

There is a lot of loneliness in this film, and it seems like an indictment of Japanese marriages, portraying them as cold and heartless arrangements that are unfulfilling for all concerned. It reminded me of the films of Eric Rohmer, in the way it seriously probed its characters' relationships and emotions. There are long, puzzling sequences, like the odd workshop that takes place near the beginning. It was cool to see Hamaguchi breaking all the rules of mainstream filmmaking by having his characters talk at length about their feelings, and behave in realistic, undramatic ways. This is a serious film that got me thinking about the characters and their lives.

This is an odd mix of 2 movies: one, an Irish Republican Army vs. The British authorities thriller, the other a romantic tale about a transvestite and his/her lover, a regular fellow. Somehow it all works together surprisingly well, with credible performances from Rea and Jaye Davidson taking center stage. Fergus is an IRA soldier who becomes involved in a kidnapping. While guarding the victim, a black British soldier, he befriends him and tries to do something for him later. This leads to his (unwitting at first) involvement with a London tranny named Dil. Later his IRA comrades come looking for him. A unique story for sure.

Here is an enjoyable documentary that focuses on how tea is appreciated in different cultures: Morocco, Japan, China, and India most of all, but others as well. There is also an amusing little segment about the town of Tea, South Dakota, where, not surprisingly, the locals are pretty into the world's most popular beverage. Not much time is spent on Great Britain, which is a little surprising, given the Brits' well-known love of camellia sinensis. The most visually attractive segment takes place in Morocco, in which we meet several locals, and get to see the national beverage (Chinese green tea with fresh peppermint and sugar, which is optional of course). There are several funny moments, but overall this is about loving and enjoying tea.

Gibbs's documentary makes the point that green, renewable energy is actually not so renewable, and that much of it depends on using fossil fuels and burning trees. It touches on the danger of uncontrolled population growth, something that most environmental organizations do not want to discuss. The opinions that rich capitalists have taken over the environmental movement, and that environmental leaders like Bill McKibben and the Sierra Club have sold out is put forward. There is some effective use of TV interviews and stock footage, but overall this paints a bleak picture and offers very little in the way of solutions.

The first 2/3 of this is a sharp, funny psychological thriller / sophisticated comedy. Following the discovery of a stolen wallet, two characters begin a long, strange tango. But then the story takes a surprise turn, and things get loonier from there on out. Friends and spouses come into the picture, but key developments seem to occur off screen, and the characters' feelings and relationships remain mysterious. Resnais likes to get into mind games with his audience. Despite the frustrating finish, it is still a beautiful film to look at, with excellent camera work (cinematographer: Eric Gautier) and settings. Andre Dussollier is fine as the male lead, and it is interesting to see Mathieu Amalric playing a cop.

Thanks to Louis for giving me a DVD of this. I did not like it as much as Svankmajer's 100% live action animation short films; those are wonderful. This is plenty weird, and sort of entertaining in its own unique way. It uses mostly standard film techniques, observing characters doing odd, furtive things, along with some visual affects. It is not silent, but there is no dialogue and only traces of a story line. The odd, pale-faced, seemingly neurotic characters do not come across as very likeable or easy to identify with. This is good for a few laughs, and when ****** things happen, it is hard to take them too seriously.

Here is another excellent documentary from Alex Gibney, focusing on one of our era's most fascinating morality tales. I saw another film that was much harsher in its assessment of the great cyclist and cheater Lance Armstong. Gibney had a lot of access to his subject, and his viewpoint is more nuanced. We can see that Armstrong is a complicated man, and that while he clearly lied and connived and meted out revenge to some, he was also a positive presence in many people's lives, and he has done some wonderful charity work. Also, it is important to remember that while Lance was admittedly using banned substances and practices, so was pretty much every other cyclist - they really were all doing it. The film sets out to cover his 2009 attempt at a Tour de France comeback, and ends up doing that and a lot more. As always with Gibney's work, there is some great footage and excellent interviews to take in.

It seems that the films director Loach has made with writer Laverty are more lively and entertaining than his earlier works. This one combines social realism with a caper comedy, and the results are solid if unsurprising. There is a bit of a problem with the story, in that young Robbie is trying to "go straight" as the saying goes, but his plan to achieve legitimacy as a member of society involves stealing many thousands of pounds worth of rare whiskey.

A couple of other points: The peek into the world of highbrow whiskey collecting is an enjoyable aspect. If you are not Scottish, you may find yourself turning on the subtitles from time to time. Paul Brannigan is a fine actor (and kudos to the make up department for the nice facial scar he has), but this slim-shouldered fellow does not seem like the fearsome street fighter he is supposed to be - of course one could make that complaint about many movies. Also, it might have been more interesting if some of the other characters' lives got explored some more.

Bale's over-the-top performance is what really keeps this loony, dark dramedy afloat. I suppose it was only a matter of time until someone got the idea to create a character who is both an arrogrant, narcisssistic, upper crust young businessman and a vicious serial killer, but writer Bret E. Ellis gets the credit. There is not much to like here, and hardly anyone to root for, with the exception of the main character's secretary. It is Wall Street in the 1980s, and the characters are vapid jerks, lost in a world of designer clothes, reservations at chic restaurants, and cocaine-fueled partying. The cynicism is laid on with a shovel, and the outbursts of evil madness and humor are pretty bizarre. Watch while our killer begins his rampages with little critical reviews of 1980s pop music albums. Why? And why bother watching? I found myself asking that question a lot, until Bale appears to save the day.

Not much happens during "A Sunday in the Country", which depicts what the title suggests: a well-to-do French family having a Sunday gathering during what appears to be the 1920s - it is the world of Marcel Proust, only a few decades later. This presents more of a family portrait and character revelation piece than a plotted story. We get to know the main characters and their relationships - the genteel old father dotes on his exciting daughter and is critical of his dour, proper son. He is dependent on the crabby housekeeper who rules the home. It is a mellow, fine-looking film, sprinkled with comments on impending death and art. Sabine Azema steals the show as the charming but flaky Irene.

Here is a portrait of a couple of very unusual lovers and their relationship. We follow their life together in New York City and on tour with Psychic TV, one of P-Orridge's bands. Despite the fact that these two are as freaky as can be, their union is a sweet and romantic one. They sought to eliminate their gender differences, and through plastic surgery and art, become one being, a pandrogyne. Still, it only presents part of their story, and it is all from P-Orridge's POV. What, for example, is the story with Genesis's kids, beyond them wishing he would buy them a car instead of new boobs for himself and his lover? And where did Lady Jaye come from, and how did she end up on her own at age 14? This does make me want to check out some of his music, even if his monotonous vocals are hardly attractive.

As I first began watching this, it crossed my mind that I might be watching a bomb of epic proportions. But no, as it went on, I began warming up to this very odd, dark, satire. It borrows a premise from some blockbuster adventure flick - at least I bet this has been done before - a big comet is on a collision course with earth, and what is to be done? A couple of well-intentioned scientists set out to inform their leaders and the public of the bad news. But surprise - this is where the flick takes a sharp turn - our leaders don't want to hear about it, and urge caution, etc. The scientists (DiCaprio and Lawrence) soon find themselves embroiled in controversies and romantic entanglements. Mark Rylance is a hoot as a Musk/Jobs-like engineering genius who comes up with a way to profit from the comet. Cate Blanchett is fantastic as a heartless talk show hostess. It is co-written by leftist journalist David Sirota. This is full of loony, funny moments - and it could irritate a lot of people.

This was an early film from director Forman, who of course went on to have a major Hollywood career. I remember seeing it as a child and loving it, but a recent viewing failed to recapture that feeling and left me wondering what my young self had seen in it - probably a bunch of adults running around, being silly and foolish. It is worthwhile to watch the interview with Forman that came with the DVD, because it casts some light on the subtle, anti-communist humor that occurs throughout the film. Overall it is still a good ensemble piece with a fair amount of chuckles on tap. It is also a good window into what life was like in Czecha in 1967.

A look at a fascinating family, headed by a hardcore noncomformist - Dorian Paskowitz, a washed-up doctor, surfer, adventurer, and oddball who, along with his wife, created one of the weirdest families ever. The Paskowitz clan (2 parents and 9 kids!) travelled around the USA in the 1960s and 70s, surfing, just barely scraping by, not going to school, and having legendary adventures. Eventually they kind of settled down and opened a surfing school. This vivaciously edited documentary shows both the good and the bad, the joys but also the pains of growing up in a brilliant, loony environment. As cool as the surfing and endless summers must have been, many of the boys (and they were mostly boys - only 1 daughter in this litter) ended up at loose ends, butting heads with each other and with the world.

I was only able to make it through half of this annoying, pointless, and very violent movie. I could make very little sense out of what I did see, but viewers who like lots of heartless bloodshed and cool posturing might like it. Somebody needs to tell Martin McDonagh that cleverness with no purpose behind it is not the same thing as wit and brilliance. I guess if a writer-director does not have any good ideas (and the movie begins with a writer struggling to come up with some ideas), then just throwing a bunch of kool murderz and top actors on the screen will at least hold a viewer's attention.