Austin Film Society's Iranian film series
Showing posts with label My Moviegoing: 2004. Show all posts
Showing posts with label My Moviegoing: 2004. Show all posts
Sunday, February 24, 2013
My moviegoing: 2004
Abbas Kiarostami's Taste of Cherry (1997)
Austin Film Society's Iranian film series
Austin Film Society's Iranian film series
Sunday, December 09, 2012
My moviegoing: 2004
Jorge Bolado's Segundo Siglo (1999)
Austin Film Society's Recent Mexican Films series
This blurry, distorted still was the best image I could find from the slim pickings available for this obscure essay film. I confess to remembering next to nothing about it except that its main subject was Martin LaSalle, the nonprofessional who played the title role in Bresson's Pickpocket, and that it also featured photographer and occasional filmmaker Robert Frank.
Austin Film Society's Recent Mexican Films series
This blurry, distorted still was the best image I could find from the slim pickings available for this obscure essay film. I confess to remembering next to nothing about it except that its main subject was Martin LaSalle, the nonprofessional who played the title role in Bresson's Pickpocket, and that it also featured photographer and occasional filmmaker Robert Frank.
Monday, June 11, 2012
My moviegoing: 2004
Joel & Ethan Coen's The Ladykillers (2004)
The only Coen Brothers film I have a hard time finding some kind words for, The Ladykillers seemed like evidence of a creative decline at the time of its release. This chronically lazy remake full of superior smirks and obvious jokes about Bob Jones University and irritable bowel syndrome appeared just months after the enjoyable but very slight Intolerable Cruelty, which had a couple of glaringly tone-deaf scenes of its own. I thought the tombstone was already engraved: COENS 1985-2004 THEY USED TO BE GOOD. More proof that I don't know much. They followed The Ladykillers with four films that I think are among their best: the Cormac McCarthy adaptation No Country for Old Men, the massively underrated Burn After Reading, A Serious Man, and the Charles Portis adaptation True Grit. A few months ago, I saw part of The Ladykillers on network television as I ate my hungover Sunday afternoon breakfast, and it wasn't nearly as bad as I remembered.
The only Coen Brothers film I have a hard time finding some kind words for, The Ladykillers seemed like evidence of a creative decline at the time of its release. This chronically lazy remake full of superior smirks and obvious jokes about Bob Jones University and irritable bowel syndrome appeared just months after the enjoyable but very slight Intolerable Cruelty, which had a couple of glaringly tone-deaf scenes of its own. I thought the tombstone was already engraved: COENS 1985-2004 THEY USED TO BE GOOD. More proof that I don't know much. They followed The Ladykillers with four films that I think are among their best: the Cormac McCarthy adaptation No Country for Old Men, the massively underrated Burn After Reading, A Serious Man, and the Charles Portis adaptation True Grit. A few months ago, I saw part of The Ladykillers on network television as I ate my hungover Sunday afternoon breakfast, and it wasn't nearly as bad as I remembered.
Sunday, May 06, 2012
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Sunday, February 12, 2012
My moviegoing: 2004
Errol Morris' The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara (2003)
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
My moviegoing: 2004
Federico Fellini's Juliet of the Spirits (1965)
Austin Film Society's Italian Cinema 1948-1970 series
Austin Film Society's Italian Cinema 1948-1970 series
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Thursday, November 24, 2011
My moviegoing: 2004
Bernardo Bertolucci's The Dreamers (2003)
A few years ago, I promised a series of posts about terrible movies by great directors, but life got in the way, and I forgot to follow up the first installment (Gus Van Sant's Finding Forrester) with any others. If my promises hadn't been empty, Bertolucci's The Dreamers would have made the cut. Bertolucci, the man behind Before the Revolution, The Conformist, Last Tango in Paris, Luna, Tragedy of a Ridiculous Man, and The Last Emperor, among others, also made this lazy, stupid film that never finds one authentic moment. Among its many sins, it's also boring, a shocking fault in a film full of movie references and copious nudity. I may come back to this idea of writing about great directors' worst moments (Robert Zemeckis' Forrest Gump was another planned post in this abandoned series), but I probably won't. I tend to admire my favorite artists' failures and misfires as much as their best work, with a few exceptions like the above, so it would be hard to come up with new material. I really do hate Finding Forrester, The Dreamers, and Forrest Gump, while finding some value in almost every other film by those guys, though.
A few years ago, I promised a series of posts about terrible movies by great directors, but life got in the way, and I forgot to follow up the first installment (Gus Van Sant's Finding Forrester) with any others. If my promises hadn't been empty, Bertolucci's The Dreamers would have made the cut. Bertolucci, the man behind Before the Revolution, The Conformist, Last Tango in Paris, Luna, Tragedy of a Ridiculous Man, and The Last Emperor, among others, also made this lazy, stupid film that never finds one authentic moment. Among its many sins, it's also boring, a shocking fault in a film full of movie references and copious nudity. I may come back to this idea of writing about great directors' worst moments (Robert Zemeckis' Forrest Gump was another planned post in this abandoned series), but I probably won't. I tend to admire my favorite artists' failures and misfires as much as their best work, with a few exceptions like the above, so it would be hard to come up with new material. I really do hate Finding Forrester, The Dreamers, and Forrest Gump, while finding some value in almost every other film by those guys, though.
Monday, November 07, 2011
My moviegoing: 2004
Roberto Rossellini's Stromboli (1950)
Austin Film Society's Italian Cinema 1948-1970 series
Austin Film Society's Italian Cinema 1948-1970 series
Thursday, October 27, 2011
My moviegoing: 2004
Nick Broomfield & Joan Churchill's Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer (2003)
Sunday, October 23, 2011
My moviegoing: 2004
Gillo Pontecorvo's The Wide Blue Road (1957)
Austin Film Society's Italian Cinema 1948-1970 series
I prefer Pontecorvo's The Battle of Algiers and Burn! to the soggy melodrama of this film's narrative, but pleasures can be found in its striking use of color and light, the detailed visual storytelling of its dynamite fishing scenes, and Yves Montand's performance in the lead role.
Austin Film Society's Italian Cinema 1948-1970 series
I prefer Pontecorvo's The Battle of Algiers and Burn! to the soggy melodrama of this film's narrative, but pleasures can be found in its striking use of color and light, the detailed visual storytelling of its dynamite fishing scenes, and Yves Montand's performance in the lead role.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
My moviegoing: 2004
from Tim Burton's Big Fish (2003)
A bit soft and gooey around the edges and a few stumbling paces behind Burton's best work, this film still managed to capture some memorable images and formal beauty.
A bit soft and gooey around the edges and a few stumbling paces behind Burton's best work, this film still managed to capture some memorable images and formal beauty.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
My moviegoing: 2004
from Ermanno Olmi's Il posto (1961)
Austin Film Society's Italian Cinema 1948-1970 series
Austin Film Society's Italian Cinema 1948-1970 series
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
My moviegoing: 2004
from Patty Jenkins' Monster (2003)
There are several things to admire in this movie. I just wish I liked it more. Charlize Theron's performance didn't connect with me. To my taste, she's too earnest, and the work of her performance shows up on the screen instead of disappearing into the character. It's Acting instead of acting. Oh well. If actors followed my advice, they'd never get any Oscar nominations.
There are several things to admire in this movie. I just wish I liked it more. Charlize Theron's performance didn't connect with me. To my taste, she's too earnest, and the work of her performance shows up on the screen instead of disappearing into the character. It's Acting instead of acting. Oh well. If actors followed my advice, they'd never get any Oscar nominations.
Tuesday, September 06, 2011
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)