anna mirrorCinematic Reflections  anna mirror
A site dedicated to film appreciation


Reviews

 Screening Log

Favorite Films  (Organized by Year)

Favorite Films  (Organized by Director)

Music Lists

Masterpieces

Links

E-mail me

BLOG

 Reading Log
2008 Screening Log

What are these ratings?
2007 Log
(s) = short film
* = Recorded on DVR

12/31

Revolutionary Road (Sam Mendes, 2008)
DVD-screener, 2nd Mendes film
12/30

Heist (David Mamet, 2001) 1/2
HBO-HD, 4th Mamet film
This is as far as Mamet has ever had his head up his own as far as dialogue is concerned - among others, the "Everybody wants money. That's why they call it money!" and "As long as a Chinese last name." "How long is a Chinese last name?" lines are especially infuriating.  And yet, this stylization adds a certain charm to the film's deliberately minimal approach, both in terms of doling out as little info as possible and its airtight, efficient plotting.  It has more twists than a Chinese baby on a Tilt-a-Whirl (and yeah, I didn't quite get the constant, random referencing of Chinese babies, matchboxes, etc.) but never plays it cheap, instead using the men's professionalism as a means of keeping us on the outside looking in.  They understand the plan, so no need to add a throwaway scene of them carefully laying it out for us.  It doesn't have much to say about greed, but the wonder of this film is how its narrative always has something new around the corner.
12/29

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (David Fincher, 2008)
Theater, 7th Fincher film
Thank god Fincher did direct this or else this could've become a sentimental mess.  The coldness of the film is appropriate, but the Katrina framing device along with the unfulfilling Forrest Gumpian journey left this feeling like mostly empty calories.  Though it sure does look nice.
12/27

The Pledge (Sean Penn, 2001)
DVD, 2nd Penn film
12/26

The Bucket List (Rob Reiner, 2007) 1/2
DVD, 7th Reiner film
Not a particularly good film, but far from the disaster I expected based on the previews. Absurd, yes, but also surprisingly moving in spurts.  Unfortunately, those flashes of a better film are outweighed by painfully heavy-handed moralizing by Freeman's character.  The end result is what you would expect, but the journey getting there was somewhat pleasant.
12/23

The Headless Woman (Lucrecia Martel, 2009)
DVD, 2nd Martel film
Martel's directorial precision can't quite make up for the fact that the film often mistakes deliberate obtuseness for a valid philosophical query.  The commentary on class relations is relatively effective, but the fact that it's so subtly integrated into certain sections of the plot makes it difficult to determine whether or not that subtlety is masking rather shallow observations.  It's a tough film to get a handle on the first time through, so I'll be sitting on the fence until I see it again.
12/21

The Stranger (Orson Welles, 1946)
DVD, 11th Welles film
12/13

Cadillac Records (Darnell Martin, 2008) 1/2
Theater, 1st Martin film
12/12

Slumdog Millionaire (Danny Boyle, 2008) 1/2
Theater, 6th Boyle film

Milk (Gus Van Sant, 2008) 1/2
Theater, 10th Van Sant film
12/10

The Last Mistress (Catherine Breillat, 2008)
DVD, 3rd Breillat film
For the third year in a row, the French have resuscitated the boring, staid period piece (2006 it was Patrice Chereau's Gabrielle and last year was Pascale Feran's Lady Chatterley's Lover), cutting through the bullshit of noble airs and getting right to the heart of the matter.  Argento's vivacious and lusty Spaniard pit against the Fu'ad Ait Aattou's tortured playboy make for the year's most engaging cinematic duo, not so much in a battle of the sexes as a struggle to accept their eternal connection despite realizing it will destroy, or at least entirely consume, them both.  The cinematography is eye-poppingly gorgeous, and not in the typical bright colors/costumes = beauty
12/9

Blood & Black Lace (Mario Bava, 1964) 1/2
DVD, 3rd Bava film
12/7

History is Made at Night (Frank Borzage, 1937)
VHS, 2nd Borzage film
The film's instability as it shifts genres and spans continents is perfectly in tune with Paul and Irene's instantaneous connection and subsequent love affair.  From noir and romantic comedy to pure drama and, even briefly, disaster film, History is scattershot in concept yet entirely fluid and cohesive in execution.  Borzage's direction, particularly his handling of tonal changes and powerful, downright magical, use of the close-up, displays a formal mastery that I somehow overlooked in the (at least in my experience) more highly praised The Mortal Storm.  Complaints that the film is unfocused or a mess completely miss the point that the film has to be a mess, that the tangled emotions and expansiveness of the newfound love literally force the film itself to become bigger than life.  The plot, the setting, the tones are all played in unison with orchestral grandeur, reflecting the glimmering sheen of new love.
12/6

Diary of the Dead (George A. Romero, 2008)
DVD, 5th Romero film
12/5

Frost/Nixon (Ron Howard, 2008) 1/2
Theater, 8th Howard film
By now you've probably heard that film is structured as an underdog story complete with boxing metaphors.  This combined with the fact that it's directed by Ron Howard is all I need to say to convince you this film isn't particularly good.
12/4

Woman on the Beach (Hong Sang-soo, 2008) 1/2
DVD, 6th Hong film
11/30

Synecdoche, New York (Charlie Kaufman, 2008)
DVD, 1st Kaufman film
11/28

Import/Export (Ulrich Seidl, 2008)
DVD, 1st Seidl film

(s) Profit Motive and the Whispering Wind (John Gianvito, 2008)
DVD, 1st Gianvito film
11/27

Speed Racer (Andy & Larry Wachowski, 2008) 1/2
DVD, 3rd Wachowski Bros. film
11/26

The Edge of Heaven (Fatih Akin, 2008) 1/2
DVD, 2nd Akin film
I owe it to Akin, whose Head-On I liked a great deal, to give this a more attentive viewing at some point, but while it often shines in individual moments, the overtly allegorical construction full of near-misses and a more blatant critique of Turkish-German relations and identity than its predecessor left me feeling that this was a regression in every will.  Still quite good and Akin's a talent to keep your eye on, but for now, I'll have to side with the emotionally messy but acutely channeled rage of Head-On.
11/25

Secret Sunshine (Lee Chang-dong, 2008)
DVD, 3rd Lee film
I agree with Jeremy Heilman that the whole film rests on one scene, although I'm not entirely certain we're thinking of the same one.  In fact, it's precisely Lee's ability to subtly punctuate his themes throughout the film that lends it such an offbeat sense of mystery, ultimately rendering a character study that, while appearing rather clear-cut on paper, becomes increasingly enigmatic precisely as the plot seemingly attempts to pidgeonhole her suffering.  Sure, there are parts where I grew weary, but so long as you're able to make a few leaps of faith, the payoff is worth it.  For all its wrenching melodrama, Secret Sunshine reveals itself as a deftly constructed, sly and witty film that often wonders off the linear path that its early tragic events deceptively lead us to expect it to follow.

The Fall (Tarsem Singh, 2008) 1/2
DVD, 2nd Tarsem film
Balancing a shallow, ridiculous epic with the oh-so-harsh reality of the suicidal stunt man who's spinning the yarn only serves to make the film twice as stupid.  The film's modus operandi is clearly to flaunt its cologne commercial visual flourishes and while there are moments that dazzle (in the same way strobe lights flashing off a disco ball), their placement inside a story so determined to be as grand and expansive as humanly possible just highlights the broadness and emptiness of the whole affair.  Rare has a film so big felt so small.
11/23

Rachel Getting Married (Jonathan Demme, 2008) 1/2
DVD, 5th Demme film
11/22

I Served the King of England (Jiri Menzel, 2008)
DVD, 2nd Menzel film
It's not surprising to learn this was adapted from a novel by the same author of Closely Watched Trains given the similarities of the protagonists.  The small posture and a sense of naivety balanced with a sense of duty and motivation (both professionally and sexually) are nearly identical, yet where Milos was mostly isolated from the horrors occurring in the world around him, Jan is both aware of and indifferent to them.  Menzel's care to fully develop Jan in the hilarious, madcap first hour makes his culpability in the Czech's downfall all the more terrifying.  The evil of the Nazis is fortunately taken as a given and when briefly focused on is played for laughs in mocking derision, so that even as the filmslowly broadens Menzel remains in total control of its tragicomic tone.  Even as the film doesn't quite attain the breadth of scope it aims for, Menzel succeeds in creating a touching, humorous, cinematically invigorating character study where unbridled ambition is as destructive as any other force.
11/21

Encounters at the End of the World (Werner Herzog, 2008) 1/2
DVD, 19th Herzog film

Stuck (Stuart Gordon, 2008) 1/2
DVD, 2nd Gordon film
11/20

The Strangers (Bryan Bertino, 2008) 1/2
DVD, 1st Bertino film
The Strangers strips down the home invasion film to its essence, feeding us only a few crumbs of a backstory and concerning itself with the sole task of making every square inch of screen space feel unsafe.  On the one hand, this limits the film to the confines of a cinematic game of hide-and-seek, a genre exercise that may appear like a warm-up for a more fully developed film, yet on the other hand, these very same limitations allow for a careful attention to its formal elements unimpeded by "burdens" like plot or character arc.  Divorced from a any sense of realism, Bertino and cinematographer Peter Sova choreograph scene after scene of this self-contained cat-and-mouse game in a way that forces every ounce of security to seep out of their environment, leaving us increasingly disoriented the more time we spend within it.  The film often bucks genre expectations, blue-balling the audience through its refusal to provide closure.  It instead allows a sense of uneasy randomness to pervade the entire film, lending a sense of inevitability and despair to the admittedly awkward though strangely affecting finale.
11/19

My Winnipeg (Guy Maddin, 2008) 1/2
DVD, 14th Maddin film
11/18

Brand Upon the Brain (Guy Maddin, 2007)
DVD, 13th Maddin film
11/16

Quantum of Solace (Marc Forster, 2008)
DVD, 3rd Forster film
11/15

Silent Light (Carlos Reygadas, 2008) 1/2
DVD, 2nd Reygadas film
11/14

Judge Priest (John Ford, 1934) 1/2
Encore Westerns*, 10th Ford film
It's The Sun Shines Bright with the offensive stereotypes in tact, althought honestly it wasn't the condescension evident in the relationship between the Judge and his yes-Massa, just-happy-to-be-free African American helpers that bothered me as much as the third act burst of Southern pride delivered in the form of a painfully contrived "gotcha" that ruined this otherwise formally competent, breezy comedy for me.  Obviously, I understand why Ford chose to remake this some 20 years later.

Kill Baby...Kill! (Mario Bava, 1966)
DVD, 2nd Bava film
A marked improvement from Black Sunday, particularly in making use of its impressive cinematography and sound design by constantly using it to reflect an atmosphere of pervasive fear and the way it quite literally traps and eats away at the locals and the town itself.  Bava effortlessly and smoothly transitions between reality and the realm of superstition effectively making one an extension of the other rather the easy route of either praising or condemning the man of science.
11/12

Still Life (Jia Zhang-ke, 2008) 1/2
DVD, 5th Jia film
Jia's ability to weave the personal stories of loss and reconciliation into the backdrop of a city that is quickly losing its identity and historical past puts this film in the rare position of capturing cultural transition not on a broad, epic scale but on a mundane, experiential level.  While I still think The World was more fascinating in its depiction of the drastic consequences of global capitalism sweeping across China, Still Life does more successfully convey a palpable sense of loss on a more human and individual level.  Jia's ability to converge personal and political concerns into a sustainable narrative make him, in my opinion, every bit as good as Hou Hsiao-hsien.
11/11

Red (Trygve Allister Diesen & Lucky McKee, 2008) 1/2
DVD, 1st Diesen/2nd McKee film
11/8

24 City (Jia Zhang-ke, 2008)
Theater, 4th Jia film

Review to come at Tiny Mix Tapes (unfortunately not until limited release in March '08)

The Class (Laurent Cantet, 2008)
Theater, 1st Cantet film
11/7

Achilles and the Tortoise (Takeshi Kitano, 2008)
Theater, 4th Kitano film

Starts off with the methodically paced, overly mannered style that has tempered my appreciation of the other Beat Takeshi films I’ve seen, but the first act (childhood) gives way to a few gorgeous, surprising moments and the film never looks back afterward.  The first 30 minutes are still unfortunately weak on their own, but the setup of a boy whose lifelong obsession is thrust upon him at a young age is crucial for everything that follows.  The rest of the film more than makes up for it as Kitano’s offbeat, deadpan humor makes constantly challenging, funny, even self-effacing observations on the purpose and nature of art.  I haven’t seen My Kid Can Paint That, but I can’t imagine it matches Kitano’s in either pure entertainment value or the depth and commitment with which it explores modern art and the role of the artist.  The dialectical nature of the film keeps it balanced, so while it takes its fair share of shots at the oft-absurd nature of abstract art, those shots are matched by a character whose pure dedication and determination outweigh his seeming lack of artistic prowess.  Even so, Kitano is not content to let the film rest there, instead driving it further towards the absurd in the witty, bizarre third act that forces you to question everything the film seemed to be saying until that point.

A Quiet Little Marriage (Mo Perkins, 2008) 1/2
Theater, 1st Perkins film

Afterschool (Antonio Campos, 2008) 1/2
Theater, 1st Campos film
11/2

Before the Fall (F. Javier Gutierrez, 2008) 1/2
Theater, 1st Gutierrez film

Tokyo Sonata (Kiyoshi Kurosawa, 2008)
Theater, 7th Kurosawa film

Review to come at Tiny Mix Tapes (unfortunately not until limited release in March '08)

A Christmas Tale (Arnaud Desplechin, 2008)
Theater, 3rd Desplechin film
11/1

Hunger (Steve McQueen, 2008) 1/2
Theater, 1st McQueen film

Review to come at Tiny Mix Tapes (unfortunately not until limited release next month)
10/31

Black Sunday (Mario Bava, 1960)
DVD, 1st Bava film
Stilted acting and choppy, convoluted plotting marr this otherwise gorgeous debut.  The achievements of cinematography on such a low budget are certainly impressive, but it's nothing more than a serviceable gothic horror diversion good for Halloween night.
10/29

The Seventh Victim (Mark Robson, 1943)
TCM*, 2nd Robson film
Like the other Val Lewton films, the horror is often found in the unseen or unknown, however in The Seventh Victim that evil is not grounded in the supernatural or fantastical, but in seemingly typical and ordinary individuals.  It's not entirely surprising to see a film of this time confront the notion of vast evil manifestign itself through mankind, but Robson also skillfully balances the terror of the inexplicable with Mary and others' tireless quest to rescue Jacqueline from its grasp.  That it was deemed unnecessary to show even a glimpse of any of the Satanic cult's ceremonies speaks to the filmmaker's trust in the audiences imagination to fill in the blanks; a trust which pays off in spades with the exceptionally disturbing sequence where the cult members continuously urge Jacqueline to drink the poison.  Evil lurking in the mind's of men has rarely been so bone-chilling.
10/28

CJ7 (Stephen Chow, 2008) 1/2
DVD, 3rd Chow film
Surprisingly uneven and dramatically inert especially in the final act, due to the odd choice to never fully develop a relationship between Dicky and CJ7.  Chow's visual flourishes and creative use of CGI also feel out of place, as if shoehorned in simply to breathe some life into the film.  It felt like a natural extension of the world and characters in Kung Fu Hustle, but scenes such as Dicky kung fu fighting his gym teacher after spending much of the film being bullied by others left me scratching my head.
10/25

Let the Right One In (Tomas Alfredson, 2008)
Theater, 1st Alfredson film
10/24

Double Suicide (Masahiro Shinoda, 1969) 1/2
DVD, 1st Shinoda film
10/18

Religulous (Larry Charles, 2008)
Theater, 2nd Charles film

Man on Wire (James Marsh, 2008)
Theater, 1st Marsh film
10/17

Twenty Four Eyes (Keisuke Kinoshita, 1954)
DVD, 1st Kinoshita film
10/16

The Navigator (Donald Crisp & Buster Keaton, 1924)
DVD, 1st Crisp & 16th Keaton film
10/14

The Band's Visit (Eran Kolirin, 2008)
DVD, 1st Kolirin film
Sidestepping the trappings of the coy, simplistic reflection on Israeli/Palestinian relations it at first threatened to become, Kolirin instead delivers a thoughtful, emotionally engaging yet never melodramatic tale of loneliness and miscommunication.  Underscored by its carefully  composed shots and a mostly deadpan delivery that perfectly reflect its themes, The Band's Visit tackles foreign relations on a universal level by remaining acutely focused on the slightest of details in the relationships that develop between the Arab police band members and the various Israelis that take them in for the night. Anchored by a powerful and humane performance by Ronit Elkabetz as the uncompromising yet damaged Dina and her burgeoning relationship with the uptight, repressed Tewfiq, it expresses with great subtlety the struggles to communicate and the constant wavering between being open and having secret asides in their own respective languages in the face of the innate desire to forge a connection despite these barriers. The unloading of their backstories is done in a way that feels natural and while their connection is left as fleeting and ultimately incomplete, the way Kolirin leaves it at the end adds even more potency to their scenes together in retrospect. The peripheral stories don't quite measure up to this one (although the roller disco scene registers an emotional punch despite bordering on cutesy preciousness) and occasionally drag the film down, but Kolirin sets such a strong tone that even the flatter dramatic moments carry a weight greater than they probably should, even if the anticipation for a return to the Dina/Tewfiq storyline looms overhead.
10/12

Mean Girls (Mark Waters, 2004)
DVD, 1st Waters film
This is one in a long line of films that tackles the viciousness of the high school milieu, yet one of the few that infers the problem lying within the institution itself rather than a few bad eggs who must, and usually can, be reformed. Lohan's purity and wide-eyed optimism is almost instantly corrupted upon her injection into the school, yet the blame can never be squarely laid on the "plastics".  They are perhaps the most extreme example of the dangers of conformity, but the film eventually gets across the point that part of the high school experience, which by now is fully engrained in the system, is the sacrifice of individuality in favor of "finding your place".  While most other films would spend their time villainizing the "plastics" while propping up another clique like the nerds or art crowd, Mean Girls focuses on the cruelty and bitterness that is a by-product of the constant push-pull, "one of us, one of us" mentality that is perpetuated by the administration, teachers and students.  Aside from degree of pressure exerted, Cady's teacher pushing her to be a Mathlete isn't all that different than the "plastics" bringing her into the fold. And that's a pretty bold thing to proclaim in a mainstream film. That it's also pretty funny is icing on the cake.
10/11

Leatherheads (George Clooney, 2008)
DVD, 2nd Clooney film

Bigger Stronger Faster* (*The Side Effects of Being American) (Chris Bell, 2008) 1/2
DVD, 1st Bell film
10/9

The Visitor (Thomas McCarthy, 2008)
DVD, 2nd McCarthy film
10/5

Radio Days (Woody Allen, 1987) 1/2
DVD, 21st Allen film
One of Woody's most personal films, whose brilliance lies in its avoidance of the typical biopic/personal narrative trappings through its creative blending of the biographical and fantastical.  Woody accepts the fact that no matter how accurately period details are replicated and memories skimmed through, biographical realism will most often lead to the sort of mundane biopics flooding theaters for the past 5 years, checking off major events and love affairs while shaping them into a clean-cut 3-act narrative with perfectly rounded character arcs.  The reek of bullshit is nowhere near this film and what's more, Allen has his cake and eats it too.  The film has the genuine look of the period, the portrayal of the family (while at times broad in order to give it some levity and humor) fully formed, but it's the addition of radio play sub-plot that makes this something special.  He's not simply reserved to the impossible task of recreating the past, but filtering through his own childhood memories and his family's obsession with the radio.  It's a film that could only be made by someone a little older as the truth and accuracy behind early memories starts to fade and important events, both real and fictional, take on a life of their own.  The ending oddly enough reminded me of Inland Empire in its offbeat, comical celebration of the filmmaker's own cinematic past.
10/4

Retribution (Kiyoshi Kurosawa, 2006) 1/2
DVD, 5th Kurosawa film
10/3

Appaloosa (Ed Harris, 2008)
Theater, 2nd Harris film

Happy-Go-Lucky (Mike Leigh, 2008)
Theater, 11th Leigh film
Comparisons to Naked are surprisingly apt as its cheerfully quirky protagonist and vivid color scheme is quite literally the polar opposite of Leigh's masterpiece.  Despite the difference in their attitude towards a world often cruel and indifferent, Johnny and Poppy (I didn't until this moment even consider the similarities in their names) share the ability, or perhaps the need, to greet the world head on.  The preview, and even the first 20 minutes, make Poppy seem a bit shallow or air-headed, but her buoyency and energy is every bit an approach to dealing with the world as Johnny's nihilism.  I wouldn't view it as a corrective in any way, as Leigh isn't interested in judging the value of his characters (unless their upper class elites, in which case he's never hesitated to throw mud), but rather another character study that reflects as much on the general state of her surroundings as it does on the woman herself.
10/1

The Quiet Man (John Ford, 1952)
TCM*, 9th Ford film
9/29

Youth Without Youth (Francis Ford Coppola, 2008)
DVD, Coppola film
9/27

The Tall Target (Anthony Mann, 1951)
TCM*, 9th Mann film
Taut, tense film about a little-known assassination attempt of Lincoln shortly before his inauguration (although the screenwriters took more than a fair share of liberties in expanding on the few facts out there).  What's strange here is that Mann is far more interested in the detective's (oddly enough named John Kennedy) pursuit of truth than the seemingly complex plot to set up the shooting.  Set mostly on a train, Mann makes wonderful use of confined space to heighten the suspense and the shifting alignments as intentions are slowly revealed along with the intricacies of the plan Kennedy is unraveling.  It's short, coming it an a mere 78 minutes, but Mann shows incredible restraint and patience by allowing everything to unfold at a slow-burn giving each moment an air of suspense and importance.  Every minute of this baby counts.
9/26

Shivers (David Cronenberg, 1976) 1/2
DVD, 12th Cronenberg film
Like most of the Cronenberg's I'm not too big on, this one looks great on paper but leaves me cold in execution.  It's decidedly conservative ideology is offputting and while other Cronenberg "body" films could fit that description, this one is most explicit in its portrayal of the dangers of sex, as the virus literally transforms into an alienlike being that spreads throughout the isolated apartment building until it turns everyone into mindless, horny zombies.  Aside from a few suspenseful moments and a great final scene, there's not much to recommend in this rough-around-the-edges first feature unless you're a huge fan of the director.

Three on a Couch (Jerry Lewis, 1966)
TCM*, 3rd Lewis film
My first multi-character Lewis film and his three-headed beast of ladies men, all characters within the main character (a hokey, down-home cowboy, an effeminate, nerdy zoologist and a smooth-talking health nut) work in near-perfect tandem with Janet Leigh's psychologist.  The film is slightly tainted by the dated jabs at modern psychology, but the point that attempts to take something as wonderfully complex and enigmatic as the human mind and organize and compartmentalize it are hopeless plays out so beautifully and humorously in the final party scene that it's easy to overlook the flaw.  Lewis's spastic, hammy acting is mostly hilarious (see: Rutherford and his mother in the apartment for an inspired comic sequence) and tempered by his mostly low-key protagonist (when he's himself obviously...), his straight-laced friend, Dr. Mizer, and Janet Leigh as nothing more than a romantic attachment.  The Jer's direction is most assured and here he's using more intimate cinematography, as opposed to the Brechtian devices found in The Ladies Man and The Patsy, with close-ups and impressive blocking to create an emotionally dense core relationship to which the absurd sub-relationships are anchored too.  The final party, as mentioned before, is particular impressive - Chris's plan slowly falling to pieces until every piece of his now fragmented personality is thrown into a blender and he's left trapped inside, forced switch personas on a whim all when he's so close to escape without Elizabeth knowing he's the one who freed her from her obligations.  It's a remarkable sequence that highlights his skill as a comedian and as a director in full control of his bold vision.
9/25

Married Life (Ira Sachs, 2008)
DVD, 2nd Sachs film
Sachs' film is emotionally rich, thanks to great performances by Cooper and Clarkson, but is rather clunky and dramatically inept as a thriller.  Certain individual scenes pack a punch, again thanks to Cooper, but it's incohesive as a whole and its simple thesis does it no favors.
9/24

My Blueberry Nights (Wong Kar-Wai, 2008) 1/2
DVD, 9th Wong film
9/22

Be Kind Rewind (Michel Gondry, 2008) 1/2
DVD, 3rd Gondry film
9/20

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgandy (Adam McKay, 2004) 1/2
DVD, 2nd viewing
9/19

Redbelt (David Mamet, 2008)
DVD, 3rd Mamet film
9/18

In Between Days (So Yong Kim, 2006) 1/2
DVD, 1st Kim film
Yet another quietly observant coming of age film, but unfortunately these observations don't amount to much.  The attempted subtleties in acting and minimal plot only serve to temporarily mask its ultimate shallowness.  The push-pull dynamic essentially defines the central relationship, which is never given any depth beyond the passive-aggressive tit-for-tat and uncomfortable silence that fills nearly every scene in the film.

Je t'aime, je t'aime (Alain Resnais, 1968)
DVD, 10th Resnais film

I can only assume I'm not the first person to bring up Eternal Sunshine in relation to this film as the character trapped inside his own mind, left to travel uncontrollably through his own memories is essentially the same premise.  Where Gondry went for erasure and the impossibility of losing the painful memories while keeping the good, Resnais is more interested in the the way seemingly simple, even mundane, events and conversations shape our memories and the power these memories have in shaping our lives.  The fragmented structure and non-linear editing mimics the non-sequiturial nature of getting lost in ones thoughts as effectively as any film I've seen; in this case, driven by guilt, regret and a longing to reverse the past.  It doesn't wear its emotions on its sleeve like Gondry's film, but its a surprisingly powerful, emotionally engaging film from a director often pidgeon-holed as a purely intellectual filmmaker.
9/14

Burn After Reading (Joel Coen, 2008)
Theater, 13th Coen film
Not quite as hilarious as I expected, but this once again shows the Coen Bros. amazing command of narrative.  As the layers of incompetency build, the tangled web of confusion is carefully revealed and we see that no one is ever on the same page.  Many are saying this is a B-side to No Country for Old Men and while I don't disagree, I see it as a more expansive and comical Blood Simple.
9/12

Salaam Cinema (Mohsen Makhmalbaf, 1995)
DVD, 3rd Mahkmalbaf film
I'm pretty much in agreement with Rosenbaum that this glorified casting session is too cruel with not enough payoff.  The first half works better with a variety of people meeting with Mahkmalbaf and being put through the loops as opposed to the second half's von Trierian power play over two strong-headed but well-meaning young girls.  It does give you a sense of the desperation many of these people feel and their desire to make something of their lives or escape from Iran, but this desire is then twisted and morphed by Mahkmalbaf emotional manipulation.  At times, an interesting meta-exercise, but tiresome in its seemingly endless game of building up hope only to crush it once again.

The Driver (Walter Hill, 1978) 1/2
Fox Movie Channel, 2nd Hill film
The chase film stripped down to its bare essentials.  An extremely entertaining and stunningly shot game of cat-and-mouse that deals only in absolutes and paints in broad strokes.  Great performances all around, especially from O'Neill as the stoic, enigmatic driver.
9/6

Le Plaisir (Max Ophuls, 1952)
DVD, 10th Ophuls film
Ophuls ability to build complex webs of emotional turmoil through ever-changing relationships  make his works so much better suited to features that I can't help but find find this film and La Ronde among his weakest.  Both are flighty and joyful, but ultimately forgettable.   Le Plaisir, in particular, is a structural mess, sandwiching a 60-minute film which has only enough substance for a short between two 15-minute shorts that end before they even get started.  Had the middle segment been more substantial than city prostitutes in a romp in the countryside, I could forgive the mostly pointless first and last segments.  Still, the cinematography is often great and occasionally remarkable, so even his lesser works remain very watchable.

Cabin Fever (Eli Roth, 2002) 1/2
DVD, 3rd Roth film
9/5

The Reckless Moment (Max Ophuls, 1949)
DVD, 9th Ophuls film

Kinsey (Bill Condon, 2004)
DVD, 2nd Condon film
It's not so much that I doubt that the beliefs and attitudes on display are a relatively accurate sampling of the genural populus, but Condon's reverance towards Kinsey creates such a self-righteous, condescending tone that the film becomes downright suffocating.  Not to mention the pointless non-chronological editing and horrific attempts at overt stylization (map of the U.S. with floating interviewed heads, I'm looking at you), which completely failed as the only attempts to make this anything but just-another-Hollywood-biopic.
9/4

La Signora di Tutti (Max Ophuls, 1934)
DVD, 8th Ophuls film
9/3

Moonlighting (Jerzy Skolimowski, 1982) 1/2
DVD, 2nd Skolimowski film
9/2

Deep End (Jerzy Skolimowski, 1971)
DVD, 1st Skolimowski film
Cool film and after seeing Moonlighting, I'm particularly impressed with Skolimowski's use of confined settings to function both literally and metaphorically. With this film, the baths are a perfect setting for a sexual coming of age, making for a number of hilarious, uncomfortable sequences. The use of handheld, along with the numerous corridors, hideouts, backrooms reflect Mike's constant sense of frustration, confusion and occasional excitement. And of course, the Cat Stevens/Can (or The Can as they were oddly credited) was beautiful.
8/30

Vicky Christina Barcelona (Woody Allen, 2008)
Theater, 20th Allen film
8/29

Flight of the Red Balloon (Hou Hsiao-hsien, 2008)
DVD, 7th Hou film
8/26

The Long Day Closes (Terence Davies, 1992)
DVD, 2nd Davies film
8/22

You, the Living (Roy Andersson, 2008)
DVD, 2nd Andersson film

Alexandra (Aleksandr Sokurov, 2008)
DVD, 4th Sokurov film
8/17

Bunny Lake is Missing (Otto Preminger, 1965) 1/2
Theater, 2nd viewing
8/16

Tropic Thunder (Ben Stiller, 2008)
Theater, 3rd Stiller film
8/9

Pineapple Express (David Gordon Green, 2008) 1/2
Theater, 4th Green film
7/13-8/5

The Dark Knight (Christopher Nolan, 2008) 1/2
Theater, 5th Nolan film

Day of the Outlaw (Andre DeToth, 1959)
DVD, 3rd DeToth film

Hellboy (Guillermo Del Toro, 2004) 1/2
DVD, 3rd Del Toro film
6/9-7/12

Leave Her to Heaven (John M. Stahl, 1945) 1/2
DVD, 1st Stahl film

Wall-E (Andrew Stanton, 2008) 1/2
Theater, 2nd Stanton film

Ms. 45 (Abel Ferrara, 1981)
DVD, 2nd Ferrara

The Happening (M. Knight Shyamalan, 2008) No Stars
Theater, 4th Shyamalan film

Once Upon a Time in the West (Sergio Leone, 1968)
Theater, 4th viewing

The Incredible Hulk (Louis Leterrier, 2008) 1/2
DVD, 2nd Leterrier film
6/8

A Married Woman (Jean-Luc Godard, 1964)
DVD, 34th Godard film
6/7

The Green Ray (Eric Rohmer, 1986) 1/2
DVD, 8th Rohmer film

Crime Wave (John Paizs, 1985) 1/2
VHS, 1st Paizs film
6/6

Charlie Wilson's War (Mike Nichols, 2007)
DVD, 7th Nichols film
6/4

Reprise (Joachim Trier, 2008) 1/2
DVD, 1st Trier film

(s) God's Angry Man (Werner Herzog, 1980) 1/2
DVD, 18th Herzog film
6/1

Carlito's Way (Brian De Palma, 1993)
DVD, 2nd viewing
5/30

None Shall Escape (Andre De Toth, 1944)
DVD, 2nd De Toth film

The Lickerish Quartet (Radley Metzger, 1970)
DVD, 1st Metzger film
5/29

In My Skin (Marina De Van, 2002) 1/2
DVD, 1st De Van film
5/27

Bigger Than Life (Nicholas Ray, 1956)
DVD, 12th Ray film
5/26

Inside (Alexandre Bustillo & Julien Maury, 2008)
DVD, 1st Bustillo/Maury film
5/25

[Rec] (Jaume Balaguero & Paco Plaza, 2008)
DVD, 1st Balaguero/Plaza film

The Tracey Fragments (Bruce McDonald, 2008)
DVD, 1st McDonald film
5/24

Indiana Jones & the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (Steven Spielberg, 2008) 1/2
Theater, 16th Spielberg film
5/23

Come and See (Elim Klimov, 1985)
DVD, 1st Klimov film
5/22

Vampires (John Carpenter, 1998)
DVD, 9th Carpenter film
5/21

Platform (Jia Zhang-ke, 2000) 1/2
DVD, 3rd Jia film
5/20

My Brother's Wedding [2007 cut] (Charles Burnett, 1983) 1/2
DVD, 2nd Burnett film
5/19

X2 (Bryan Singer, 2003)
DVD, 4th Singer film
5/18

Teeth (Mitchell Lichtenstein, 2008)
DVD, 1st Lichtenstein film
5/17

Iron Man (Jon Favreau, 2008)
Theater, 1st Favreau film
5/15

Noriko's Dinner Table (Sion Sono, 2005) 1/2
DVD, 2nd Sono film
5/14

Sleepy Hollow (Tim Burton, 1999)
DVD, 11th Burton film
5/13

Duck, You Sucker (Sergio Leone, 1971) 1/2
DVD, 6th Leone film
5/12

I Know Who Killed Me (Chris Siverston, 2007)
DVD, 1st Siverston film
5/11

High School (Frederick Wiseman, 1968)
DVD, 2nd Wiseman film
5/10

Titicut Follies (Frederick Wiseman, 1967) 1/2
DVD, 1st Wiseman film
5/9

High Hopes (Mike Leigh, 1988)
DVD, 10th Leigh film
Leigh's deck-stacking may be at its most overt and, at times, obnoxious, but the sheer humanity and tender compassion he mines from the Cyril/Shirley relationship alone makes up for the diminishing returns of his upper class caricatures.  The see-saw of high hopes and bleak moments create Leigh's typical blend of sadness, anger, humility and despair.  At times, the viciousness towards the elitist Thatcherites seems warranted, especially when carefully balanced with the humor of their values mirrored in the lower class wannabe social climber Valerie, but the film could certainly be more rounded and effective had every character been fully fleshed out regardless of social status.  Still, like most of Leigh's social dramas, the good outweighs the bad.
5/8

Suicide Club (Sion Sono, 2002) 1/2
DVD, 1st Sono film
It has the ambiguity of Pulse (which I love), but where Kurosawa explores the nature of the disconnection responsible for the suicides, it's at best a peripheral concern in Suicide Club. Sono uses the epidemic as a starting point for a fairly dull detective story and the suicides themselves purely for suspense and stylized gore. The characters are two-dimensional, coming off as little more than pawns which makes it hard to find much of interest once it starts veering towards the absurd subplots involving the girl group and emo/glam-rock baddies. I dunno, the borderline offensive exploitation of the suicide trend could have been forgiven to a certain degree had the result not been so uneven and surprisingly bland.
5/3

An American Tragedy (Josef von Sternberg, 1931) 1/2
Theater, 9th von Sternberg film

Thunderbolt (Josef von Sternberg, 1929)
Theater, 10th von Sternberg film
5/1

Archangel (Guy Maddin, 1990) 1/2
DVD, 12th Maddin film
4/30

A Perfect World (Clint Eastwood, 1993)
DVD, Eastwood film
4/29

Xiao Wu (Jia Zhang-ke, 1997)
DVD, 2nd Jia film
4/26

In the City of Sylvia (Jose Luis Guerin, 2008) 1/2
DVD, 1st Guerin film
4/25

I Confess (Alfred Hitchcock, 1953)
DVD, 30th Hitchcock film
4/24

The Mist (Frank Darabont, 2007)
DVD, 3rd Darabont film

I'm willing to cut the film some slack for its Sci-Fi Channel special effects, but not it's half-baked attempts at exploring the issue of faith vs. reason via contrived, symbolic groups whose ideas are explored only along the surface as characters literally spout silly platitudes like (paraphrasing), "I can't accept that. Man is inherently good"! Again, even this could be overlooked had the relationships that developed had any depth or been remotely interesting and not, say A) two bickering neighbors B) teens who could've hooked up in high school but only now, in, you know, the pressure of the situation share that first kiss which has no emotional resonance whatsoever considering we know nothing about either of them before or after the moment C) a cliched Old Testament babbling religious nutjob used to show how reasonable and smart the small group who doesn't fall for her shtick are, etc. etc.
4/23

Ride Lonesome (Budd Boetticher, 1959) 1/2
DVD, 2nd Boetticher film

Demonlover (Olivier Assayas, 2002)
DVD, 3rd Assayas film
4/21
Hot Blood (Nicholas Ray, 1956) 1/2
DVD, - Ray film
4/1-4/20

Start the Revolution Without Me (Bud Yorkin, 1970) 1/2
TCM*, 1st Yorkin film

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (Nicholas Stoller, 2008)
Theater, 1st Stoller film

The Story of Marie and Julien (Jacques Rivette, 2003) 1/2
DVD, 3rd Rivette film

A Swedish Love Story (Roy Andersson, 1970)
DVD, 2nd Andersson film

Night and the City (Jules Dassin, 1950)
DVD, 2nd Dassin film

Exorcist: The Beginning (Renny Harlin, 2004)
DVD, 3rd Harlin film
3/30

Into the Wild (Sean Penn, 2007)
DVD, 1st Penn film
3/29

Run Fatboy Run (David Schwimmer, 2008) 1/2
Theater, 1st Schwimmer film
3/28

The Man from London (Béla Tarr, 2008)
Theater, 6th Tarr film
3/26

Fido (Andrew Currie, 2007)
DVD, 1st Currie film
3/24

Dominion: The Exorcist Prequel (Paul Schrader, 2005) 1/2
DVD, 2nd Schrader film
Plodding, motonous, heavy-handed and ineffective in its portrayal of spiritual crisis, full of clunky narrative transitions and downright laughable during its Sci-Fi Channel quality special effects which are present more and more often as the film moves on. It's a shame b/c I was hoping they ended up shelving the better version, but I'd be surprised if Harlin's is worse than this.
3/22

Scattered Clouds (Mikio Naruse, 1967)
DVD, 10th Naruse film
Scattered Clouds is yet another delicate, astutely observant masterpiece from Mikio Naruse. Like most of his great films, emotional resonance is accumulated through a series of subtle, understated interactions which convey not simple linear progression in its characters growth, but a near-constant struggle to balance personal feelings with social expectations and, in this case, coming to terms with the past in order to find happiness in the present. Naruse is a master at tempering his melodrama with light-hearted touches, always keeping the emotions bubbling under the surface beneath his actors typically restrained performances. The small contrivance of a romance developing between a woman and the man who accidentally killed her husband in a car accident is easily overcome by the patience shown in portraying both of their struggles to cope with the guilt and anguish of the random tragedy. While Yoko Tsukasa is no Hideko Takamine, Naruse's former muse, she has a way of communicating all of her conflicted feelings through slight gestures and glances, creating a character with emotional and psychological depth who is also capable of the unpredictable decisions true to all human behavior.

This is also the first color film I've seen by Naruse and it doesn't miss a beat. The final act is especially gorgeous as the film opens up to exterior locations, mirroring the protagonists attempts to battle social restrictions and their own memories.
3/20

The Savage Innocents (Nicholas Ray, 1960)
DVD, Ray film
3/19

Southland Tales (Richard Kelly, 2007)
DVD, 2nd Kelly film
3/18

Talk of the Town (George Stevens, 1942) 1/2
DVD, 5th Stevens film
Starts out very promising with its dark and foreboding, yet quiet opening with Cary Grant doing his best impersonation of Paul Muni from I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang.  Then it goes all slapstick in the first act once the law professor shows up at the same house Grant's hiding out in and the film slowly unravels from there.  Jean Arthur does a fine job balancing her anxiety with her desire to please the professor and the two get a few laughs from the initial awkwardness of the situation.  Once Grant comes out of hiding, posing as the gardener, it devolves in a preachy, black-and-white examination of the legal system, which never rises above its oversimplified dichotomy until the end when we're reminded that it's all of our duties as Americans to ensure the law is protected.  I mean, this wouldn't necessarily be a deal-breaker if the film weren't so belabored about setting up the everyman Grant vs. the bookworm professor and failing to do anything interesting.  Oh, the professor has a beard so he's shut off from the world (WTF?) and needs to go to a ballgame to really understand how the legal system should work (again, WTF?).  And lo the subtlety of their chess match and the multiple times Grant points out "it's me vs. you, professor".  But really, it's not as bad as all that and Grant and Arthur assure that it remains mostly watchable despite the consistent cringing I did throughout the final hour.
3/16

El Sur (Victor Erice, 1983)
DVD, 2nd Erice film
3/15

The Bank Job (Roger Donaldson, 2008) 1/2
Theater, 1st Donaldson film

In Bruges (Martin McDonagh, 2008) 1/2
Theater, 1st McDonagh film
3/14

Funny Games U.S. (Michael Haneke, 2008) 1/2
Theater, 9th Haneke film
3/11

Queen Kelly (Erich von Stroheim, 1929)
DVD, 2nd von Stroheim film
3/8

The Hitcher (Dave Meyers, 2007)
HBO, 1st Meyers film
3/7

Hamlet (Gregori Kosintsev, 1964) 1/2
DVD, 1st Kosintsev film
3/5

(s) Un Chant d'amour (Jean Genet, 1950) 1/2
DVD, 1st Genet film

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (Terry Gilliam, 1988) 1/2
DVD, 2nd viewing
3/3

Park Row (Samuel Fuller, 1952)
TCM*, 9th Fuller film
3/2

Vacancy (Nimrod Antel, 2007)
DVD, 1st Antel film
3/1

El Bruto (Luis Bunuel, 1953)
DVD, 20th Bunuel film
2/29

Kes (Ken Loach, 1969)
TCM*, 2nd Loach film
2/28

Blue (Derek Jarman, 1993)
DVD, 1st Jarman film
2/26

Samurai Cop (Amir Shervan, 1989) No Stars
DVD, 1st Shervan film
2/23

The Devil (Andrzej Zulawski, 1972)
DVD, 1st Zulawski film
2/20

Diary of a Lost Girl (G. W. Pabst, 1929) 1/2
DVD, 2nd Pabst film
For 1929, this is remarkably risque subject matter.  The overtly sexual imagery - explicitly showing the apothecarists intent to rape Louise Brooks, a lesbian making a move on her, a man handing out hot dogs to a room full of dancing prostitutes and an effeminate man milking a cow - is inherently linked to its central conceit, the relationship between sex and power and how one effectively corrupts or perverts the other.  Thymiane's journey takes us through several patriarchal systems of control where power is enacted through a weird combination of discipline and sexual perversion.  Her increasing boldness in standing against conventional authority is an incredible feminist statement in 1929 and I'd wager there are few sequences in silent film as delightfully anarchic and anti-establishment as the diary keep-away followed by the girls' beat down of the creepy bald guard as Thymiane and her friend escape.
2/17

Across the Universe (Julie Taymor, 2007) 1/2
DVD, 1st Taymor film
It's the Dreamgirls of 2007 - a musical so concerned with broad period details and show-stopping songs that it forgets to have a sensable plot and create depth in the characters and their relationships with one another.  For all it's "CREATIVITY!", it's a surprisingly limp, lifeless film interested only in celebrated vague, over-simplified notions of love and peace while failing to accept that these things come at an actual cost.  Sure, there are peace rallies and a brother is sent off to war, but everything is romanticized to the degree that nothing meaningful is ever really said and I think that's the point.  Taymor's visual scheme is concerned only with temporarily and fleetingly evoking the spirit of the late 60s and does so in the most shallow and tactless of ways.
2/16

Brittania Hospital (Lindsay Anderson, 1982)
Flix*, 3rd Anderson film
2/15

Dead Man's Shoes (Shane Meadows, 2004)
Sundance Channel*, 2nd Meadows film

Jumper (Doug Liman, 2008) No Stars
Theater, 4th Liman film
2/13

We Own the Night (James Gray, 2007)
DVD, 1st Gray film
2/10

Le Trou (Jacques Becker, 1960)
DVD, 3rd Becker film
2/9

Great World of Sound (Craig Zobel, 2007) 1/2
DVD, 1st Zobel film
2/7

Quiet City (Aaron Katz, 2007)
DVD, 1st Katz film
2/6

Sunshine (Danny Boyle, 2007) 1/2
DVD, 2nd viewing
2/5

Into Great Silence (Philip Gröning, 2007) 1/2
DVD, 1st Groning film
2/4

Eastern Promises (David Cronenberg, 2007) 1/2
DVD, 2nd viewing
2/3

Man Push Cart (Ramin Bahrani, 2005) 1/2
Sundance Channel*, 1st Bahrani film
2/2

Sicko (Michael Moore, 2007)
DVD, 4th Moore film
2/1

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (Andrew Dominik, 2007)
DVD, 1st Dominik film
1/31

The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters (Seth Gordon, 2007)
DVD, 1st Gordon film
1/29

Day Night Day Night (Julia Loktev, 2007) 1/2
DVD, 1st Loktev film
1/27

Paisan (Roberto Rossellini, 1946) 1/2
TCM*, 7th Rossellini film
This had some absolutely devastating moments and while the vignettes come together a bit awkwardly, the lack of smoothness in the editing is easy to overlook considering the powerful images Rossellini provides us with. The first few vignettes are infinitely fascinated with the architecture of the area and how the vast piles of rubble redefined the collective space. This coupled with multiple sequences where language barriers play a critical role makes it perhaps Rossellini's most comprehensive response to the post-war conditions. I still prefer Germany Year Zero, but even that film doesn't have the immediacy or frank, matter-of-fact realism that this one does. Rossellini even allows for brief glimpses of humor - my favorite between a black soldier and young Italian boy after they bond. They lie on a rubble pile together and the soldier begins to sing a soul song after the boy plays his harmonica, but as the soldier leans back to rest, the boy warns him, "Don't fall asleep or I'll steal your boots!" And of course, he did. I won't spoil where Rossellini takes it, but it's perfect evidence of his ability to take scenes or situations from one tone into something completely unexpected, yet all-too-real.
1/26

La Moustache (Emmanuel Carrère, 2005)
Sundance Channel, 1st Carrere film

Zodiac (David Fincher, 2007)
DVD, 2nd viewing
1/23

No End in Sight (Charles Ferguson, 2007)
DVD, 1st film
1/22

Cloverfield (Matt Reevees, 2008) 1/2
Theater, 1st Reeves film
1/20

Syndromes and a Century (Apitchatpong Weerasethakul, 2007) 1/2
DVD, 3rd Weerasethakul film
1/19

Sweeney Todd (Tim Burton, 2007)
Theater, 10th Burton film

Atonement (Joe Wright, 2007) 1/2
Theater, 2nd Wright film
1/18

Exiled (Johnnie To, 2007)
DVD, 1st To film
1/16

Flanders (Bruno Dumont, 2007) 1/2
DVD, 3rd Dumont film
1/13

There Will Be Blood (Paul Thomas Anderson, 2007)
Theater, 3rd viewing
1/12

The Magnificent Ambersons (Orson Welles, 1942)
TCM*, 2nd viewing
1/11

Unfaithfully Yours (Preston Sturges, 1948)
DVD, 8th Sturges film
1/10

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (Gore Verbinski, 2007) 1/2
DVD, 5th Verbinski film
1/8

Fracture (Gregory Hoblit, 2007)
DVD, 2nd Hoblit film
I have no idea how this was so well-received. It's pure fluff, yet not nearly ridiculous or imaginative enough to ever become enjoyable. The fact that the entire film rests on the premise that Hopkins is somehow certain that his wife's lover will be the first cop on the scene and that no one else will enter until his devious plan is set in action is infuriating. Of course, parsing the plot holes in this film could take all week, so suffice it to say that they could be tolerated if the film weren't so bland and safe. There's nothing remotely surprising and even Gosling and Hopkins can't really do much with the material. It was interesting to see this so soon after rewatching Hoblit's other twisty-turny courtroom thriller Primal Fear, which despite my fond memories, rests on the same ridiculous plot twists and a fairly one-note performance from an otherwise strong actor. At least that one still had some entertainment value to it.
1/6

There Will Be Blood (Paul Thomas Anderson, 2007)
Theater, 2nd viewing
1/5

The Game Plan (Andy Fickman, 2007)
Airplane, 1st Fickman film
1/4

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (Jake Kasdan, 2007) 1/2
Theater, 2nd Kasdan film
1/3

Ratatouille (Brad Bird, 2007) 1/2
DVD, 3rd Bird film
1/2

Track of the Cat (William Wellman, 1954) 1/2
TCM*, 3rd Wellman film

Most recent reviews: The Host, Gabrielle, Little Children, Who Wants to Kill Jessie?, Indoctrination, The Death of Mr. Lazarescu, Down by Law, Little Miss Sunshine, They Live