"This is Marjane. She's Iranian. She's seen war."
I’ve watched a truckload of flix lately that were darned good. Time to share. For mild (mainly CLOVERFIELD) spoilers, I’ll put this under some cuts. For you sensitive types.
LADY CHATTERLY (on DVD)
A remarkable, sexy French version of D.H. Lawrence’s classic novel. Filled with detail, and perhaps a bit slow-moving for American taste. But worth every second for its attention to erotic detail. The two leads are brave and astoundingly…erm…normal looking. Which is refreshing.
PERSEPOLIS (in theaters)
I am a gigantic fan of the wonderful graphic novel this film is based on. (Here's the sort-of sequel to it.) You must read them. See the film, it’s touching, funny, dangerous, scary and wonderful. But make sure you read the books. The movie is great but there is so much more depth to the books. Here’s an interview Iranian-born-French- citizen Marjane Satrapi did when the books first hit American shores a few years ago. (Salon requires you to watch an ad before you access their site; it’s free, be patient.)
This is just what the world needs now: smart, sassy, feminist Muslim women. FTW.
The film version is voiced by a cool French acting cast, including the most awesome mother-daughter team in European cinema: Catherine Deneuve, and her daughter with Marcello Mastroianni: Chiara Mastroianni. Who is this freakishly gorgeous exact merger of her parents’ individual beauty. Amazing.
BLACK SNAKE MOAN (on DVD)
I expected something trashy, campy, with heart (since no matter how trashy Craig Brewer’s previous film HUSTLE AND FLOW got, it always had heart). What I got was much warmer and more bittersweet than I’d ever imagined. A very nice film, a great part for Samuel L. Jackson. Final proof, if you still need any, that Justin Timberlake is indeed an actor.
P.S. I LOVE YOU (in theaters)
I hadn’t planned to see this in theater but a happy accident allowed to me catch it. What a lovely little film! The advertising does not do it any justice at all. If you liked IN HER SHOES, and/or "that Denny guy from Grey’s Anatomy," and/or Hilary Swank, you’ll enjoy this. And how about the 2007 Cutest Cast award: Gerard Butler, James Marsters, Gina Gershon, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Lisa Kudrow, Dean Winters, and Kathy Bates?
Speaking of romcomdram’s that I liked despite horrid advertising: make sure you see THE HOLIDAY. Very sweet and well done - in particular the Kate Winslet story lines, with Jack Black’s and Eli Wallach’s characters, are darned heartwarming.
THE HOAX (on DVD)
An overlooked and completely fun, stylish thing based on something that really happened. Everyone is terrific in it - Richard Gere, Alfred Molina, Marcia Gay Harden, and especially the wonderful Hope Davis as the tightly-wound, backstabbing book agent. Well played, with a twist ending that we younger folks might not see coming. (I didn’t…but my history study has never been too good.)
CLOVERFIELD (duh! *g*)
Despite knowing way too much in advance (while also avoiding all images of the monster and most of the ARG/online viral), I really enjoyed it. I found the overt 9/11 imagery (when the white clouds blasted down the street and everyone ran into the grocery store) a bit depressing, a bit too much for me. I teared up a tad, I’ll admit.
The entire film plays, if you want it, as a Post-9/11 nightmare from which there is no escape. The camera’s POV from innocent bystanders enforces that disturbing feeling, as do the massive jump cuts that keep it moving. Because it's supposed 'footage found at site,' they take a lot of editing liberties that would not usually be acceptable in a mainstream linear narrative film. It’s experimental, and it completely works.
In the trailers for this, when I saw those images of a person apparently exploding behind a medical team’s tent (I posted my frame grab here), I thought it might be a clue to the monster or its origin. Turns out to be just a symptom of the monster’s creepiest side effect - the shedding of hundreds of tiny creatures that run around doing yucky things all night. *shivers* These creepy crawlies added quite a bit to the movie. Others have described CLOVERFIELD as ‘a roller coaster ride’ which is apt. A pretty dark, intense ride. Wonderful effects. Great idea in a genre that is overloaded with cliches at this point.
Oh and btw - that SLUSHO thing? Utterly, completely meaningless. As expected. I did spot it on a guy’s tee shirt at the party. ETA: OK I just read this analysis of all the ARG/viral online they did for the film - wherein it's obvious that if I had followed all that stuff, the bigger Slusho meaning would have been revealed to me. My bad. *g*
The STXI teaser that came with this flick was almost as boring as that Comicon DARK KNIGHT teaser from July. But not quite as bad. I hate it when they make stuff out of nothing like that - they really just don't HAVE anything to show yet.
CLOVERFIELD made a massive amount of money this weekend. Proof that the film biz’s SNAKES ON A PLANE argument is bullocks. When will these guys GET IT. Also proof that the JJ Abrams & Co's understanding of online marketing (combined with Paramount's relative saavy, for the film biz) is MASSIVE.
For you LOST fans out there, TV critic Mo Ryan has just posted this piece comparing LOST and CLOVERFIELD, since the producer, writer, and cinematographer are all LOSTmakers.
I’m currently trying to catch up to S3 of LOST before the S4 premiere on 1/31. ABC.com has all seasons/all eps streaming in HD. I’ve been watching them on my Mac 18" screen with my RCN broadband connection, on the full screen setting. They look amazing, almost as sharp as my TV set - and with only a single 30-sec ad running at each commercial break, the show moves right along. It was almost as easy as using a DVR. Now if only my computer screen was near any sort of COMFORTABLE CHAIR and speakers!
Bon cinema tout.
LADY CHATTERLY (on DVD)
A remarkable, sexy French version of D.H. Lawrence’s classic novel. Filled with detail, and perhaps a bit slow-moving for American taste. But worth every second for its attention to erotic detail. The two leads are brave and astoundingly…erm…normal looking. Which is refreshing.
PERSEPOLIS (in theaters)
I am a gigantic fan of the wonderful graphic novel this film is based on. (Here's the sort-of sequel to it.) You must read them. See the film, it’s touching, funny, dangerous, scary and wonderful. But make sure you read the books. The movie is great but there is so much more depth to the books. Here’s an interview Iranian-born-French- citizen Marjane Satrapi did when the books first hit American shores a few years ago. (Salon requires you to watch an ad before you access their site; it’s free, be patient.)
This is just what the world needs now: smart, sassy, feminist Muslim women. FTW.
The film version is voiced by a cool French acting cast, including the most awesome mother-daughter team in European cinema: Catherine Deneuve, and her daughter with Marcello Mastroianni: Chiara Mastroianni. Who is this freakishly gorgeous exact merger of her parents’ individual beauty. Amazing.
BLACK SNAKE MOAN (on DVD)
I expected something trashy, campy, with heart (since no matter how trashy Craig Brewer’s previous film HUSTLE AND FLOW got, it always had heart). What I got was much warmer and more bittersweet than I’d ever imagined. A very nice film, a great part for Samuel L. Jackson. Final proof, if you still need any, that Justin Timberlake is indeed an actor.
P.S. I LOVE YOU (in theaters)
I hadn’t planned to see this in theater but a happy accident allowed to me catch it. What a lovely little film! The advertising does not do it any justice at all. If you liked IN HER SHOES, and/or "that Denny guy from Grey’s Anatomy," and/or Hilary Swank, you’ll enjoy this. And how about the 2007 Cutest Cast award: Gerard Butler, James Marsters, Gina Gershon, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Lisa Kudrow, Dean Winters, and Kathy Bates?
Speaking of romcomdram’s that I liked despite horrid advertising: make sure you see THE HOLIDAY. Very sweet and well done - in particular the Kate Winslet story lines, with Jack Black’s and Eli Wallach’s characters, are darned heartwarming.
THE HOAX (on DVD)
An overlooked and completely fun, stylish thing based on something that really happened. Everyone is terrific in it - Richard Gere, Alfred Molina, Marcia Gay Harden, and especially the wonderful Hope Davis as the tightly-wound, backstabbing book agent. Well played, with a twist ending that we younger folks might not see coming. (I didn’t…but my history study has never been too good.)
CLOVERFIELD (duh! *g*)
Despite knowing way too much in advance (while also avoiding all images of the monster and most of the ARG/online viral), I really enjoyed it. I found the overt 9/11 imagery (when the white clouds blasted down the street and everyone ran into the grocery store) a bit depressing, a bit too much for me. I teared up a tad, I’ll admit.
The entire film plays, if you want it, as a Post-9/11 nightmare from which there is no escape. The camera’s POV from innocent bystanders enforces that disturbing feeling, as do the massive jump cuts that keep it moving. Because it's supposed 'footage found at site,' they take a lot of editing liberties that would not usually be acceptable in a mainstream linear narrative film. It’s experimental, and it completely works.
In the trailers for this, when I saw those images of a person apparently exploding behind a medical team’s tent (I posted my frame grab here), I thought it might be a clue to the monster or its origin. Turns out to be just a symptom of the monster’s creepiest side effect - the shedding of hundreds of tiny creatures that run around doing yucky things all night. *shivers* These creepy crawlies added quite a bit to the movie. Others have described CLOVERFIELD as ‘a roller coaster ride’ which is apt. A pretty dark, intense ride. Wonderful effects. Great idea in a genre that is overloaded with cliches at this point.
Oh and btw - that SLUSHO thing? Utterly, completely meaningless. As expected. I did spot it on a guy’s tee shirt at the party. ETA: OK I just read this analysis of all the ARG/viral online they did for the film - wherein it's obvious that if I had followed all that stuff, the bigger Slusho meaning would have been revealed to me. My bad. *g*
The STXI teaser that came with this flick was almost as boring as that Comicon DARK KNIGHT teaser from July. But not quite as bad. I hate it when they make stuff out of nothing like that - they really just don't HAVE anything to show yet.
CLOVERFIELD made a massive amount of money this weekend. Proof that the film biz’s SNAKES ON A PLANE argument is bullocks. When will these guys GET IT. Also proof that the JJ Abrams & Co's understanding of online marketing (combined with Paramount's relative saavy, for the film biz) is MASSIVE.
For you LOST fans out there, TV critic Mo Ryan has just posted this piece comparing LOST and CLOVERFIELD, since the producer, writer, and cinematographer are all LOSTmakers.
I’m currently trying to catch up to S3 of LOST before the S4 premiere on 1/31. ABC.com has all seasons/all eps streaming in HD. I’ve been watching them on my Mac 18" screen with my RCN broadband connection, on the full screen setting. They look amazing, almost as sharp as my TV set - and with only a single 30-sec ad running at each commercial break, the show moves right along. It was almost as easy as using a DVR. Now if only my computer screen was near any sort of COMFORTABLE CHAIR and speakers!
Bon cinema tout.