Not everyone's a critic. . .but I am.
Probably one of the best ways for an opinionated, pretentous geek like myself to get back into things is to do reviews. . .so here goes:
Rope
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Writers: Arthur Laurents, Hume Cronyn (adaptation and screenplay) Patrick Hamilton (play)
Thrill killers Brandon Shaw (an excellent John Dall) and Phillip Morgan (a skittish Farley Granger) murder a close friend, then begin a game of psychological chicken disguised as a dinner party in probably the most underappreciated Hithcock film. Dall is perfect as the egomaniacal Shaw, who slowly pushes his luck further and further with one subtle torment to the victim's loved ones after the other, until finally overstepping his bounds to his philosophical mentor, cynical Nietzchian Rupert Caddell, played by James Stewart. (Competent, but slightly miscast). Quiet, claustrophobic, and philosophical, Rope manages to both give the requisite suspense, and the deep ideas that make it better, with Shaw essentially disproving Caddell's theories, as well as his own opinion of himself as a "superior person." Hitchcock, meanwhile, proves his superior directing, by having way to much fun taunting the audience more and more as Shaw taunts his guests. While the chuckles that Shaw had to himself are all for naught, Hitchcock's chuckles paid off. **** Stars, 7 ½ out of 10.
New Rose Hotel
Director: Abel Ferrara
Writers: Abel Ferrara (screenplay) William Gibson (short story)
When the Beatles were recording, George Martin had a policy of never throwing anything out. Every scrap of tape and moment of music was kept on file. Abel Ferrara seems to have taken this to heart, and decided to make a moving using this technique. Gibson's sharp, dark short story is overextended here with multiple flashbacks of the main events scattered at random times in the movie, The ending especially seems to be composed of what are essentially alternate takes of several scenes. This everything-into-the-pool, packrat style of directing and editing is not effective in rendering one of the most stark of Gibson's early cyberpunk stories. (Along with "Johnny Mnemonic" and "Fragments of a Hologram Rose," "New Rose Hotel" is one of the first three stories that essentially started the cyberpunk genre.) Instead, it leaves it a frenetic, but ultimately confused mess, slowly losing itself in it's own clutter. So, what makes up for it? In this case, excellent acting and casting: The always-welcome Christopher Walken plays Fox, a crude, hyperactive, disabled middle-aged corporate espionage expert who specializes in helping people defect from one mega-corporation to another, and has way too much fun doing it. Meanwhile Willem Dafoe does an excellent job as X, his younger, more down-to-earth partner in semi-crime, though he is the weakest of the big three, as he is often overwhelmed by Walken's antics. Asia Argento, meanwhile is Sandii. . .though to say anything more about her would give away the plot. Speaking of witch, pay very close attention, or you'll completely miss the plot under all the flash and junk. Edited down from 92 to say, 80 or so minutes, it would be an excellent, taut stand-alone adaptation of Gibson's work. As it is, it's like eating shellfish: a lot of work for a relatively small reward, and definitely an acquired taste. *** Stars 6 out of 10
Lilies
Director: John Greyson
Writer: Michel Marc Bouchard (play and screenplay adaptation)
Lilies sees a bishop brought to a prison to hear the dying confession of a childhood friend, and at that point is imprisoned himself by the not-so-dying friend, several inmates, and the prison chaplain (!) who then force him to watch as they act out a play (!!) displaying the events that of a shared, and very dark past. Several unusual techniques (some scenes are played out set in the original background, others in the improvised prison "set", and some combined between the two. An all male cast plays the female roles as well, with each actor playing both the prisoner who plays the part, and the part they play.) make it a very unusual movie in and of itself. Sound complex? It is, almost impossible to explain, in fact, though Bouchard manages to make it a lot clearer to watch. The story within the story within the story involves the "true" events of their childhood. (i.e. a play based on a fictional true story), in which the imprisoned friend, Simon, the closeted gay son of a homophobic father is in love with Vallier, the somewhat-openly gay son of a delusional would-be aristocrat, but is pursued by the self-loathing future priest. All of this taking place in a small, conservative French-Canadian town at the turn of the century, which may or may not be homophobic overall. I won't give away the plot, but, needless to say, it works out about as well for all the characters involved as it sounds like it will. Aubert Pallascio is especially good as the older Simon, constantly simmering with cold anger while taking full advantage of finally having the upper hand over the priest. The excellent cinematography and artistic staging makes up for occasionally unbelievable or marginal performances by some of the supporting cast. (And, to be honest, and slightly off-target performance by Danny Gilmore as Vallier.) The movie works best when it is subtle, and in some cases, it loses it's subtlety, becoming over-the-top and graceless in trying to make some of it's points, trading it's rapier for a sledgehammer. Overall, though, an artistic success, if occasionally heavy-handed. ***1/2 Stars 6 ½ out of 10
Le Pacte du silence (The Pact of Silence)
Director: Graham Guit
Writers: Marcelle Bernstien (novel) Roselyne Bosch (screenplay)
French with English subtitles
Gerard Depardieu plays a doctor and priest who, while treating an ill Carmelite nun, finds a wall of silence and secrets that lead to the nun's imprisoned twin sister. (both played by Elodie Bouchez) Atmospheric and intelligent, if overly quiet, The Pact of Silence moves along with good efficiency, really doing the bare minimum to get by, and nothing more, until it ramps up quite effectively for the excellent, perverse ending. Well acted and well shot, but not flashy, and a bit lengthy at 90 minutes, it can require patience to get there, but is ultimately (just) worth the wait. Please note, it is a drama with just slightly thriller elements, not the occult thriller it may appear when you first encounter it at the rental counter. *** Stars, 6 out of 10
Rope
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Writers: Arthur Laurents, Hume Cronyn (adaptation and screenplay) Patrick Hamilton (play)
Thrill killers Brandon Shaw (an excellent John Dall) and Phillip Morgan (a skittish Farley Granger) murder a close friend, then begin a game of psychological chicken disguised as a dinner party in probably the most underappreciated Hithcock film. Dall is perfect as the egomaniacal Shaw, who slowly pushes his luck further and further with one subtle torment to the victim's loved ones after the other, until finally overstepping his bounds to his philosophical mentor, cynical Nietzchian Rupert Caddell, played by James Stewart. (Competent, but slightly miscast). Quiet, claustrophobic, and philosophical, Rope manages to both give the requisite suspense, and the deep ideas that make it better, with Shaw essentially disproving Caddell's theories, as well as his own opinion of himself as a "superior person." Hitchcock, meanwhile, proves his superior directing, by having way to much fun taunting the audience more and more as Shaw taunts his guests. While the chuckles that Shaw had to himself are all for naught, Hitchcock's chuckles paid off. **** Stars, 7 ½ out of 10.
New Rose Hotel
Director: Abel Ferrara
Writers: Abel Ferrara (screenplay) William Gibson (short story)
When the Beatles were recording, George Martin had a policy of never throwing anything out. Every scrap of tape and moment of music was kept on file. Abel Ferrara seems to have taken this to heart, and decided to make a moving using this technique. Gibson's sharp, dark short story is overextended here with multiple flashbacks of the main events scattered at random times in the movie, The ending especially seems to be composed of what are essentially alternate takes of several scenes. This everything-into-the-pool, packrat style of directing and editing is not effective in rendering one of the most stark of Gibson's early cyberpunk stories. (Along with "Johnny Mnemonic" and "Fragments of a Hologram Rose," "New Rose Hotel" is one of the first three stories that essentially started the cyberpunk genre.) Instead, it leaves it a frenetic, but ultimately confused mess, slowly losing itself in it's own clutter. So, what makes up for it? In this case, excellent acting and casting: The always-welcome Christopher Walken plays Fox, a crude, hyperactive, disabled middle-aged corporate espionage expert who specializes in helping people defect from one mega-corporation to another, and has way too much fun doing it. Meanwhile Willem Dafoe does an excellent job as X, his younger, more down-to-earth partner in semi-crime, though he is the weakest of the big three, as he is often overwhelmed by Walken's antics. Asia Argento, meanwhile is Sandii. . .though to say anything more about her would give away the plot. Speaking of witch, pay very close attention, or you'll completely miss the plot under all the flash and junk. Edited down from 92 to say, 80 or so minutes, it would be an excellent, taut stand-alone adaptation of Gibson's work. As it is, it's like eating shellfish: a lot of work for a relatively small reward, and definitely an acquired taste. *** Stars 6 out of 10
Lilies
Director: John Greyson
Writer: Michel Marc Bouchard (play and screenplay adaptation)
Lilies sees a bishop brought to a prison to hear the dying confession of a childhood friend, and at that point is imprisoned himself by the not-so-dying friend, several inmates, and the prison chaplain (!) who then force him to watch as they act out a play (!!) displaying the events that of a shared, and very dark past. Several unusual techniques (some scenes are played out set in the original background, others in the improvised prison "set", and some combined between the two. An all male cast plays the female roles as well, with each actor playing both the prisoner who plays the part, and the part they play.) make it a very unusual movie in and of itself. Sound complex? It is, almost impossible to explain, in fact, though Bouchard manages to make it a lot clearer to watch. The story within the story within the story involves the "true" events of their childhood. (i.e. a play based on a fictional true story), in which the imprisoned friend, Simon, the closeted gay son of a homophobic father is in love with Vallier, the somewhat-openly gay son of a delusional would-be aristocrat, but is pursued by the self-loathing future priest. All of this taking place in a small, conservative French-Canadian town at the turn of the century, which may or may not be homophobic overall. I won't give away the plot, but, needless to say, it works out about as well for all the characters involved as it sounds like it will. Aubert Pallascio is especially good as the older Simon, constantly simmering with cold anger while taking full advantage of finally having the upper hand over the priest. The excellent cinematography and artistic staging makes up for occasionally unbelievable or marginal performances by some of the supporting cast. (And, to be honest, and slightly off-target performance by Danny Gilmore as Vallier.) The movie works best when it is subtle, and in some cases, it loses it's subtlety, becoming over-the-top and graceless in trying to make some of it's points, trading it's rapier for a sledgehammer. Overall, though, an artistic success, if occasionally heavy-handed. ***1/2 Stars 6 ½ out of 10
Le Pacte du silence (The Pact of Silence)
Director: Graham Guit
Writers: Marcelle Bernstien (novel) Roselyne Bosch (screenplay)
French with English subtitles
Gerard Depardieu plays a doctor and priest who, while treating an ill Carmelite nun, finds a wall of silence and secrets that lead to the nun's imprisoned twin sister. (both played by Elodie Bouchez) Atmospheric and intelligent, if overly quiet, The Pact of Silence moves along with good efficiency, really doing the bare minimum to get by, and nothing more, until it ramps up quite effectively for the excellent, perverse ending. Well acted and well shot, but not flashy, and a bit lengthy at 90 minutes, it can require patience to get there, but is ultimately (just) worth the wait. Please note, it is a drama with just slightly thriller elements, not the occult thriller it may appear when you first encounter it at the rental counter. *** Stars, 6 out of 10