Jeux d'enfants - I should have known better but in the interests of immersing myself in my new homeland's culture, I decided to try and understand the fuss about Guillaume Canet. A little part of me was also intrigued about seeing the chemistry between Marion Cotillard and Canet, who met during the making of this film. I lasted about 20 minutes, and would have lasted even less if I hadn't been watching it with someone who looked like he was enjoying it. It was a very sugary production, whose target market I couldn't quite identify. It felt like a kids' film (lots of toys and saturation), yet had an adult edge. It was frankly tedious.
Lost in Translation - This was my second viewing, prompted after reading one too many posts on the Auteurs about its greatness. My first viewing had left me a bit emotionless, but I put this down to seeing it after the hype had spun out of control. However, on a second viewing, I didn't really connect with it any further, which is a shame because the eloquence and simplicity of its simple story and emphasis on human relationships should have pushed all the right buttons with me. Instead I couldn't stop thinking the following:
-The 'husband' was just a massive caricature whose scenes really interrupted the flow of the movie, removing it from any realism she'd established elsewhere.
-Murray's character's incessant irony and sarcasm threatened to drive me up the wall. I also felt that it made a real insensitive mockery of the Japanese, portraying them as rather stupid, which irritated me. Not that I have any special sympathies with them, but I just thought that for a film about human understanding, this aspect really jarred.
- The dumb blonde friend character (allegedly based on Cameron Diaz due to Coppola's irritation at then partner Jonze's friendship with her) is too caricatured to deserve a mention really, but again, she really spoiled the rhythm and helped to make the two main characters seem just a little too smug and self-satisfied in their condescension of her.
I want to like Sofia Coppola's work - but I fear that Marie Antoinette might finish me off, although I may revisit The Virgin Suicides which charmed me the first time.
Kramer vs Kramer - This is not a bad film, but I felt like I'd seen it 100 times before. That is not the fault of the film - I think it's been copied 100 times since, and obviously at the time, when divorce was starting to become more common, it would have been very reflective of the era. Although even now, the idea of a woman leaving her child is still a bit taboo, which still gives it relevance. Everyone involved gives good performances, I guess I just wanted more from the plot. The idea of the father surprsingly bonding with the son just feels a bit hackneyed now.
On another note, I couldn't believe how much a young Meryl Streep resembles Jewel Kilcher.
Dazed and Confused - Had this down to watch for a while. Linklater's Before Sunrise/set are two of my favourite films ever, but I struggle to engage with much of his other work. He is very diverse, but I sometimes feel that, for however much Sunrise/set spoke to me, much of his work is targeted at teenage boys. Dazed and Confused frankly bored me. I don't mind the odd good high school movie - Mean Girls, Heathers, Ferris Bueller etc - but this film just never seemed to get going. I've read about how the strength of the ensemble cast in this film really caries it, yet hardly any of the characters were memorable for me. The only one of note was Pink, whose cheating kiss towards the end of the film seemed to run contrary to the idea that he was our good guy. There were some entertaining moments, but there just seemed to be a distinct lack of depth - of character and plot - and I found myself tapping my feet waiting for the end. Quite entertaining to see the early work of a few famous faces, not least Matthew McConaughey. Rumour has it that Linklater is plotting a sequel, and McConaughey is among those interested in reprising their roles.
Abre los Ojos - Again another one that had been gathering dust on my shelf. This is the famous supposed 'better' original version of Vanilla Sky. In fairness I've only watched half of it, and I will go back and finish it at some point, but so far it's not doing much for me.
Baise-moi - What was I thinking? For a good few years I lumped this together with 'Irreversible' - I'd seen neither but knew they were big French violent-sex-shock fests. I watched the latter about 3 years back and actually found it very interesting. But Baise-moi?! How did this ever get a release? The quality of the video is diabolical (it was clearly shot on video), before we get anywhere near the narrative, script and acting. I actually only lasted about 20 minutes before I jumped through and watched 5 minutes every 30 minutes or so until I just gave up. Everything about this is bad bad bad, the word that best describes this is a French one and it's 'pourri'.
28 Days Later - This film just reminded me of how much I don't like sci-fi and zombie movies. It reminded me of Children of Men which bored me. I was willing the end on far too early. But I know I'm not immune to the effects of sci-fi, as proved when I watched Minority Report the other day, followed it all the way through (I even surprised myself) and properly got into it.
Sorry I feel like this post is compete devoid of energy - it's just the reactions that these films inspire in me. I will be back with some good energised commentary soon.
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