American Animals
Joyride as cautionary tale, one that actually works. A creative mind and hipster dude recruit two other guys from the middle class milieu to pull off a ridiculous heist involving rare library books. The crime itself is of less interest than complications around it and its aftermath dropping clues as to a culture infected with both excessive apathy and adventurism. Great film. A
Hereditary
Stylistically impressive horror that (all-too)consciously approximates the spellbinding hypnotics of Stanley Kubrick's THE SHINING. Ari Aster(the director) is halfway there as a visualist but lacks the focus of a mature artist who might have pulled the various threads together into a seamless whole. Too often, Ari Aster drops all considerations for the Effect. Still, there are several genuinely jarring moments, and the ultimate point of the story, that all our hysterics and obsessions about the world miss out on the real point of an hidden agenda, is well taken in our Age of Conspiracies. B+
Dark River
This is one of those all-too-common Art Films. Granted, it is good. Like many of its kind, there is the self-conscious reliance on less dialogue and more image. Much is suggested through mood & motions and use of space & details. Like many Art Films, it is set in a rural community in the modern world, accentuating the theme of how much the world has changed but so much remains the same. As the story unfolds, there are the usual uncomfortable truths about characters. Things are not what they seem. All very good but we've seen it all before, and frankly, I was bored through much of it. B
All That Jazz
A most extraordinary cinematic experience upon my first viewing as a child, Bob Fosse's semi-autobiographical musical now belongs in the category of less-than-meets-the-eye. In subsequent viewings(aided with more knowledge of world cinema), Fosse essentially came across as a derivative showman(than an original 'auteur') who, worse, didn't even care to steal from the best. Much of ALL THAT JAZZ owes to Fellini-in-decline(post 8 1/2). Now, it looks more like All That Spazz. Jessica Lange(as angel of death?) has to deal with an ego bigger than King Kong. Musical numbers are like schmaltzy cross between Broadway and Disco. By the way, do we want high-concept Art associated with something as cheesy as Broadway? Fosse's reputation as dance choreographer rests mainly on mannerisms with flickering jazz-hands and rotating hamhock thighs and jiggling jello buns. Maybe that was original at one time, but it's not my cup of tea. Still, there's lots of heart in this movie, and it's sure to please many first-time viewers. B
Something Wild
One of those films I feel the same now as on first viewing. This is a masterpiece, Jonathan Demme's greatest work(based on the brilliant screenplay of E. Max Frye). Sadly, it was his last triumph as an artist. Sure, he made big bucks and won lots of prizes with SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, a sleazy piece of sensationalism, and became a darling of the Libby-Dib set with PHILADELPHIA. But before he became an A-list director of Big Bucks and Big Themes, he was one of the most quirkiest directors who, however, didn't wear his oddball sensibility on his sleeve. His approach was both gentle and penetrating, empathetic and cautionary. His vision was of small characters navigating through obstacles of power(institutional or criminal), albeit one bridged by false but happy(and perhaps necessary) fantasies expressed through pop culture ranging from mainstream to alternative. Ultimately, it's not about replacing lies with truth but accepting the truth that lies are all around us like germs and, with that realization, making the best of things. A+
Sollers Point
A bogus 'art film' about the hard-knocks world of 'white trash' side of Baltimore directed by some cuck-faced dork. The white lead(who looks like Andrew Anglin) is apparently not so bad because he used to have a black girl-friend and still has feelings for her. And he seems to be 'cool' with the Brothas or, at least, tries to be. Meanwhile, all the nasties are 'white trash' hoodlums who act like Gary Oldman in TRUE ROMANCE. Ironically, the 'white trash' hoodlums do little else than imitate rap culture and act like 'whiggers'. So, are we to believe blacks are cool but whites who imitate blacks are 'fool'? Technically, reasonably well-made and well-acted. But bogus. C
Tag
I watched the first 15 min of this movie and grew bored. So, I checked the last 15 min, and it was stupid.
Last Rampage
There are two ways to approach this movie. As a message to white boys and white women not to slavishly obey and follow the Tough White Male. Based on an actual story, LAST RAMPAGE is about three loyal and adoring sons who break their sociopathic father out of prison. Though not evil themselves, their admiration of their Tough Hombre Pa has blinded them to his wicked ways. (Still, despite the man's plain-as-day wretchedness, one can understand why others look to him as a leader of men.) Another way to regard this movie is as an allegory of the dark side of Old Testament teachings where sons are supposed to obey their fathers just like the Tribe must heed the commands of God(as spoken through the Prophets) without question. I'm not sure the allegory works because the father in the movie is clearly a crazy monster, whereas patriarchs in the Old Testament were sometimes confronted with the hard choice of necessary evil. B
