Saturday, April 25, 2020

1095. Limite

Limite
1931
Directed by Mario Peixoto










I like seeing examples of early cinema from around the globe, even if they don't always contain the most compelling narratives. This is an early Brazilian movie that the Listmakers added to a later edition, and on the whole, I think the List is better for it.

A man and two women are lost at sea in a rowboat. Their pasts are given to us through flashbacks. Warning, these characters will stare at you for uncomfortable lengths of time.

I love that the director had a literary background; I think that influenced his approach to storytelling in interesting ways, with the film's unique structure and characterization. You can also clearly see the influence of German expressionism in his work.

That being said, this is still a two hour silent movie not in any hurry to make a point, so I won't pretend it is as interesting as other quarantine movies you might be binging right now. Let me know what you are watching in the comments!

RATING: **---

Interesting Facts:

Dubbed the Un Chien Andalou of Latino cinema.

Saturday, April 18, 2020

1094. A Throw of Dice

A Throw of Dice
1929
Directed by Franz Osten











I associate early Indian movies with Satyajit Ray, who was determined to make his characters and viewers as miserable as possible. Luckily Franz Osten has a different goal, and for a movie that is nearly a century old, it wasn't so bad.

The beautiful Sunita attracts the attentions of two rival kings, Ranjit and Sohan. She prefers Ranjit, but who cares what she thinks? The kings play a craps game to decide who gets her.

This movie is certainly impressive in its scope, even if the story and characters were a bit silly. I was also impressed by the pacing, which was abetted by a short runtime.

I am sure silent Indian films from 1929 are probably not on top of anybody's quarantine binge list, but it is still worth a watch. But if you are rolling your eyes at me, know that I am consuming plenty of movie/television garbage as well. Love is Blind, anyone?

RATING: ***--

Interesting Facts:

Includes the first kiss in an Indian movie.

Includes 10,000 extras and 1,000 horses.

Saturday, April 11, 2020

1093. La Vie d'Adele

La Vie d'Adele
Blue is the Warmest Color
2013
Directed by Abdellatif Kechiche








I hope everybody is staying healthy and sane. Please continue to share how you are doing in the comments section. I encourage everybody to follow Dumbledore's advice and find light even in the darkest of times, which for many of us (most of us?) means watching a movie about French lesbians.

Adele is a fifteen year old high school student on the cusp of discovering her sexuality. She finds herself more attracted to a mysterious blue-haired stranger she passes in the street one day than the boy who is actively pursuing her by reading the books she recommends (follow your heart Adele, but that guy was special!). The film follows their relationship as it develops; up close and personal as a matter of fact.

This is a movie that I feel like complements Call Me By Your Name well, although I liked CMBYN better. I know the prolonged lesbian sex scenes were probably very enjoyable for most people, but I questioned their purpose. I like some things left to the imagination and I think in most cases less is more. In fact, CMBYN had considerably less, and I remember it being more powerful. The characters seem more intimate if they are sharing something the audience isn't privy to.

It's a movie that takes itself very seriously, with the director apparently giving Stanley Kubrick a loving homage on set by being total dick to everybody. I guess genius is often tangled up in insanity, but I am not sure if having a crazed perfectionist at the helm necessarily makes a movie a masterpiece.

I'm being pretty harsh, which I will once again ascribe to my quarantine crankies. A fine romance, with many, many kisses.

RATING: ***--

Interesting Facts:

Adele appears in every scene.

Over 800 hours of footage was shot.

Sunday, April 5, 2020

1092. The Social Network

The Social Network
2010
Directed by David Fincher












I think social media has made the world worse, even in our scary alone times right now where we might be tempted to draw a face on a volleyball. I actually don't have sports equipment in my house so I've had to improvise. Meet Broomie. Anyway, let's examine the Oppenheimer of our day, Mark Zuckerberg.

The movie begins with Mark getting dumped by his girlfriend. The movie portrays Mark as somebody who should have patented mansplaining, only he doesn't need the money. Apparently, this depiction isn't entirely accurate, but I think it's safe to assume that a billionaire genius is an asshole (no matter what Rashida Jones says!) and I have no problems with it.

So if the film isn't interested in historical accuracy, what's the purpose? I feel like we were promised more growth of Mark's character than we were given, and nearly every character was a dick, so you weren't exactly rooting for one outcome or another. Still, the movie finished strong and had an excellent score.

Certainly not the best biopic on the List, but is well-suited for your next gloomy mood.

RATING: ***--

Interesting Facts:

Mark Zuckerberg has commented that they always got his clothing right.

Armie Hammer studied Jeremy Irons in Dead Ringers to get the portrayal of the twins correctly. I knew there was a reason I was creeped out.