movies in October
Everything was new this month. 13 movies from 1944-2009.
In the Loop (2009) - This movie was hilaaaarious. Honestly, I don't know when I last laughed this much. The humor is mostly the same joke repeated, but it is repeated really well. Seriously, such creative use of profanity. Amazing.
Bright Star (2009) - OH MY GOD, THIS MOVIE LIVED UP TO ALL MY HOPES. YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY SEE IT. It's much more about Fanny Brawne than Keats, which I think is a good decision given how much we know about him and little about her - except through other people, who are (as this movie shows) not very reliable. I'm not Ben Whishaw's biggest fan by any means, but I liked him a lot here. When A. O. Scott said it was "perfectly chaste and insanely sexy" he was right. There is a scene with a key and oo-o-o-h my god. I loved Bright Star.
Lagaan (2001) - I decided to watch this not based upon Aamir Khan's performance in Earth (which got a lot of praise) but based on the hilarious juxtaposition of the picture on the first page of website (which has changed, but originally was an intense picture of him shirtless) and this blog entry where he praised Withnail & I. Clearly, this man is worth my time. Lagaan is a fun movie, which solves colonialism and imperialism with a cricket game. Excellent! The love story is adorable - except for the love triangle part, which is stupid, even if well-intentioned. It's kind of like Amar Akbar Anthony in the pan-India way. Here is a song I liked.
O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000) - Watched this almost completely accidentally, but was very pleased that I did. This is one of the Coen Brothers movies that really worked for me, even though I am not crazy about bluegrass.
Little Dieter Needs to Fly (1997) - Uuuh, I did not connect to this movie like I have to other Herzog documentaries (and documentaries are really the only things I've seen) but I was still interested.
Everyone Says I Love You (1996) - This felt so much like a 1930s musical that I was confused by the widescreen. I liked the technique though, which is one I associate with New York (and therefore fitting) and the banter and cleverness of Astaire & Rodger and Cole Porter. This is a Woody Allen movie firmly in the "like" category. If there were no Edward Norton, it might be higher up (sorry; I just can't stand Edward Norton).
Was nütz die Liebe in Gedanken (2004) (Love in Thoughts) - As far as Daniel Brühl movies go, this one is pretty good. It is interesting, even though it is so very, very wrong. Or anyway - the sensational parts are wrong. If you think of it as a movie about a guy who is depressed because his boyfriend left him and has read too much Romantic literature then it is better. Because that is kind of a universal experience. I think what it did was on purpose, which I always admire in filmmaking. And the cinematography was cool - it has that 1920s + white thing down. It reminded me of: Brideshead Revisited, The Great Gatsby, Spring Awakening. Not Swoon, but I've never seen all of Swoon. But it has no sense of humor. So, yeah, I don't know.
Les rivières pourpres (2000) (The Crimson Rivers) - Vincent Cassel and Jean Reno are badasses in the French Alps! This movie was gross and creepy, and I enjoyed it tremendously. Oh Vincent. Please, I know Monica Bellucci is taller and more beautiful than I am, but I promise I would never sign a petition to free Roman Polanski. And I'm also a pale brunette. So. There's that.
She's Gotta Have It (1986) - I have a billion problems with this movie, but I think you have to admire it a little. It reminded me very strongly of Manhattan.
Endgame (2009) - The best parts reminded me of State of Play. This was kind of a "white guy in Africa" movie, though. But Chiwetel Ejiofor is in it.
Thelma & Louise (1991) - Okay, how did it take me so long to see Thelma & Louise? I suck. Also, I wish more of Ridley Scott's movies were like this one. So, yeah, I know it is not very original to say that I liked it, but I totally did.
Where the Truth Lies (2005) - On the other hand, this movie sucked. It needed to be more like Hitchcock, or more sleazy. Atom Egoyan, WTF? You are a better director than this movie, usually with much better female characters! Why did you screw up here? And why did you show Kevin Bacon naked so often?
Jane Eyre (1944) - This is only a 97 minute long movie, so as you can imagine they cut many, many things from the book. It was . . . interesting. I would say it is the most gothic adaptation I have seen, especially in the relationship between Jane and Rochester which had serious BDSM vibes going on. Part of that is because Joan Fontaine always seems to be panting and whispering and then she gets totally cool and in control. Which is interesting, don't get me wrong! I liked it - I thought the cinematography was great. I even liked that Orson Welles restrained from attempting an accent and that he left the " . . . in my pants" part of his lines unpsoken.
In the Loop (2009) - This movie was hilaaaarious. Honestly, I don't know when I last laughed this much. The humor is mostly the same joke repeated, but it is repeated really well. Seriously, such creative use of profanity. Amazing.
Bright Star (2009) - OH MY GOD, THIS MOVIE LIVED UP TO ALL MY HOPES. YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY SEE IT. It's much more about Fanny Brawne than Keats, which I think is a good decision given how much we know about him and little about her - except through other people, who are (as this movie shows) not very reliable. I'm not Ben Whishaw's biggest fan by any means, but I liked him a lot here. When A. O. Scott said it was "perfectly chaste and insanely sexy" he was right. There is a scene with a key and oo-o-o-h my god. I loved Bright Star.
Lagaan (2001) - I decided to watch this not based upon Aamir Khan's performance in Earth (which got a lot of praise) but based on the hilarious juxtaposition of the picture on the first page of website (which has changed, but originally was an intense picture of him shirtless) and this blog entry where he praised Withnail & I. Clearly, this man is worth my time. Lagaan is a fun movie, which solves colonialism and imperialism with a cricket game. Excellent! The love story is adorable - except for the love triangle part, which is stupid, even if well-intentioned. It's kind of like Amar Akbar Anthony in the pan-India way. Here is a song I liked.
O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000) - Watched this almost completely accidentally, but was very pleased that I did. This is one of the Coen Brothers movies that really worked for me, even though I am not crazy about bluegrass.
Little Dieter Needs to Fly (1997) - Uuuh, I did not connect to this movie like I have to other Herzog documentaries (and documentaries are really the only things I've seen) but I was still interested.
Everyone Says I Love You (1996) - This felt so much like a 1930s musical that I was confused by the widescreen. I liked the technique though, which is one I associate with New York (and therefore fitting) and the banter and cleverness of Astaire & Rodger and Cole Porter. This is a Woody Allen movie firmly in the "like" category. If there were no Edward Norton, it might be higher up (sorry; I just can't stand Edward Norton).
Was nütz die Liebe in Gedanken (2004) (Love in Thoughts) - As far as Daniel Brühl movies go, this one is pretty good. It is interesting, even though it is so very, very wrong. Or anyway - the sensational parts are wrong. If you think of it as a movie about a guy who is depressed because his boyfriend left him and has read too much Romantic literature then it is better. Because that is kind of a universal experience. I think what it did was on purpose, which I always admire in filmmaking. And the cinematography was cool - it has that 1920s + white thing down. It reminded me of: Brideshead Revisited, The Great Gatsby, Spring Awakening. Not Swoon, but I've never seen all of Swoon. But it has no sense of humor. So, yeah, I don't know.
Les rivières pourpres (2000) (The Crimson Rivers) - Vincent Cassel and Jean Reno are badasses in the French Alps! This movie was gross and creepy, and I enjoyed it tremendously. Oh Vincent. Please, I know Monica Bellucci is taller and more beautiful than I am, but I promise I would never sign a petition to free Roman Polanski. And I'm also a pale brunette. So. There's that.
She's Gotta Have It (1986) - I have a billion problems with this movie, but I think you have to admire it a little. It reminded me very strongly of Manhattan.
Endgame (2009) - The best parts reminded me of State of Play. This was kind of a "white guy in Africa" movie, though. But Chiwetel Ejiofor is in it.
Thelma & Louise (1991) - Okay, how did it take me so long to see Thelma & Louise? I suck. Also, I wish more of Ridley Scott's movies were like this one. So, yeah, I know it is not very original to say that I liked it, but I totally did.
Where the Truth Lies (2005) - On the other hand, this movie sucked. It needed to be more like Hitchcock, or more sleazy. Atom Egoyan, WTF? You are a better director than this movie, usually with much better female characters! Why did you screw up here? And why did you show Kevin Bacon naked so often?
Jane Eyre (1944) - This is only a 97 minute long movie, so as you can imagine they cut many, many things from the book. It was . . . interesting. I would say it is the most gothic adaptation I have seen, especially in the relationship between Jane and Rochester which had serious BDSM vibes going on. Part of that is because Joan Fontaine always seems to be panting and whispering and then she gets totally cool and in control. Which is interesting, don't get me wrong! I liked it - I thought the cinematography was great. I even liked that Orson Welles restrained from attempting an accent and that he left the " . . . in my pants" part of his lines unpsoken.