Done, Again!

"Hi everyone!

I decided to become the most fulfilled person in the world and complete both 1001 lists.  I am a major film buff so I think this will be a lot of fun!  I have made such a dent in this list however that it will be awhile until I am up to date but since no one reads my blog anyway we should be good to go!  Enjoy and leave comments!

Amanda

P.S. All facts/clips will come from either Wikipedia, IMDb, or Youtube."

I was 15 years old when I started this blog, and I sound like it. And apparently, I made a point to ward against infringement claims. I mean, good god. However and but in the same sentence. This is why I don't respond to comments made on my older posts. For me, it's the equivalent of pulling out old prom photos. 

I didn't go to prom, though. I am not going to say I was watching movies and blogging instead, although that would fit nicely. But the blog was with me through high school, my early twenties, and now my mid twenties. It's hard to say goodbye to anything that's been with you for ten years. I associate certain blog posts with certain memories. I watched a horror movie with a boyfriend long-gone, or I put on a documentary post-operation, on the hope it would give me a second's relief from pain. 

But it's time to direct my creative energy elsewhere. I finished the 1001 albums blog several months ago, so the timing works out.  I don't think I'll be able to resist the impulse to pop in again if or when they decide to update the 1001 movie List. I'd like to keep up the dialogue for any readers. And it's a long way to go before I'll be writing a post like this on my book blog. 

I love movies. I hope you've had at least half the fun reading my posts as I have had, as past Amanda put it, "becoming the most fulfilled person in the world." 

With love,

Amanda

1233. Signs and Wonders

Signs and Wonders
2000
Directed by Jonathan Nossiter

Would you believe that this was the hardest film on the List for me to find? Usually it's the low budget documentaries from Zaire (back when Zaire was a country) that give me trouble. But no, it's this oddball film that I had to overpay for on eBay. Since it was the last movie on the List, I was willing to live in squalor if I have to.

In this bizarre story, Stellan Skarsgard plays a married man having an affair with his colleague. He leaves his wife Marjorie not once, but twice for this woman. When he tries to get his wife back, he makes the unpleasant discovery that she's taken up with a Greek political activist. Good for you Madge. He has a very strange reaction to these developments.

We all know that Skarsgard is a really good actor. So what was going on here? Was it the directing that made his performance so hammy and unconvincing? Just what were we supposed to get out of that sex scene anyway? I think when a man makes that expression it's time to dismount. It's a movie that definitely left me with more questions than answers. And now I have a DVD copy of it in my tiny apartment. 

This being the last List movie and all, I will definitely pop back in again soon to give my closing statements. Stay tuned!

RATING: **---

Interesting Facts:

Shot on location in Athens.

Cowritten by British poet James Lasdun, which might explain some of the weirdness.

1232. Christ Stopped at Eboli

Christ Stopped at Eboli
1979
Directed by Francesco Rosi

I finally received my DVD copy of this film, and finally possess the mobility to turn on my DVD player. I was fully expecting the DVD to lag, or not work on my DVD player (which, let's face it, is a racist). But the Criterion Collection doesn't fuck around, and I was permitted to be miserable in Italy for a couple hours.

Carlo Levi is a writer and painter from Turin. He is arrested in 1935 by Mussolini's regime for anti-fascist ideas, and sentenced to live in exile. He is confined to Aliano, a remote town in southern Italy. Having earned a degree in medicine but never practiced, Carlo starts to put his learning to good use by helping the villagers. Predictably, they are insular, impoverished, and superstitious. But even a village as cut off as Aliano is touched by Mussolini's reign. They have to pay high taxes, which forces them to do things like kill their goats, and make us watch.

Another perk of the copy I watched, depending on your point of view, is that it was the fully uncut version, which was 220 minutes. So you really had time with the characters. I mean, a lot of time. I think the novel version of this is on the 1001 book list as well, so this isn't the last time I'll be with these characters for the long haul.

Visually, this is a stunning movie with breathtaking landscape shots. Of course, this is contrasted sharply with the conditions of the village's inhabitants. So many of them had fled to the USA for a better life, that at one point a character jokes if his people had a capital, it would be New York City. It's fascinating that even in "exile," the village isn't free from the terror of Mussolini or the Catholic Church. Well, it was fascinating for the first hour or so anyway.

One more movie to go! The most elusive of the bunch, and here's hoping I'm able to track it down.

RATING: ***--

Interesting Facts:

The source novel is based on the memoir of Carlo Levi.

The title of the movie comes from an expression by the people of Gagliano (Aliano in the film) who say "Christ stopped short of here, at Eboli." 

1231. Strange Days

Strange Days
1995
Directed by Kathryn Bigelow

And we are back to movies require a bit of creativity to obtain. The remaining two titles are the Final Bosses in terms of difficulty. So it might be awhile until you hear from me again, but I'll come back, like a returning victorious army, ready to enjoy home cooked meals from their mothers.

In the last remaining days of 1999, LA has gone to hell. The FBI developed SQUID, an electronic device that records memories and physical sensations directly from the brain, and copies it onto a device for playback. The FBI had originally developed SQUID for body camera purposes, but the device has leaked into the black market. The movie begins with Lenny Nero, watching/experiencing a robbery from the point of view of one of the dead robbers. Nero is a former LAPD officer who is now a black marketeer of SQUID tapes. Nero is still in love with his ex girlfriend Faith and, of course, watches the"when we were happy" tapes over and over again, which are required in every sci-fi movie.  When Nero gets wind that Faith is danger, he goes to any lengths to save her.

That might be one of the best opening scenes I've ever seen. I love the concept behind this movie, even as a writing exercise. What they do with the concept is about as disturbing as it gets, but I still enjoyed it. And the comments on police brutality were obviously still relevant, even if this was supposed to take place more than twenty years ago.

I didn't know how well Ralph Fiennes would do as a rugged action star, but he pulled it off well. Why is this movie so difficult to find? Is it because the Powers That Be are allergic to female directors? It's the best sci-fi movie the List has presented us with for awhile. And way better than Blade Runner.

RATING: *****

Interesting Facts:

Juliette Lewis did all her own singing for the movie. The music she sings was written by P.J. Harvey. This excites me.

Bigelow wanted John Travolta for the lead role. 

1230. Fast, Cheap, and Out of Control

Fast, Cheap, and Out of Control
1997
Directed by Errol Morris

This is a break from my recent trend of hidden movies on the List, as I was saving it to watch with a non Lister. Namely, my boyfriend, who is also an Errol Morris fan. Well, he didn't like it so much, and my pristine record of recommending films he'll like has been marred. 

With no clear connection, Morris showcases four men who are very passionate about their jobs. We've got David Hoover, a lion tamer, who discusses the dangers of the cage, rather than the rampant animal abuse going on around him.. George Mendonca, a topiary gardener at Green Animals Topiary Garden. Ray Mendez is a naked mole rat expert, and shares many disgusting facts about the creatures. Then there is Rodney Brooks , a MIT scientist who designs bug like robots that look like the androids they turned to scrap metal in A.I.

I pointed out that since naked mole rats roll around in each other's feces to acquire the same odor, then that means if a naked mole rat ate you, all if its friends would be spinning in your remains. That's when my boyfriend began to express disappointment in the direction the evening had gone. 

I guess it was an idea of Morris' to have a documentary with multiple subjects where the connection between the subjects is unclear.  I guess the idea began to form by the end, but I think he wore out the patience of the audience by then. I thought it was really messy how he kept ping-ponging us between interviewees.

But this was his early work, and I think he has much improved since then.

RATING: ***--

Interesting Facts:

Morris used a technique he invented which allows the interview subject to maintain eye contact with the interviewer while looking directly in the camera.

1229. Gohatto

Gohatto
Taboo
1999
Directed by Nagisa Oshima

Roger Ebert wrote that "Taboo is not an entirely successful film but it isn't boring." He could always hit the nail on the head when it came to movie reviews and always approached movies ready to love them. I miss that man. I wonder how he saw Taboo. For me obtaining the movie was, to borrow a phrase from In The Loop, difficult, difficult, lemon difficult.

In the mid 19th century, an elite samurai group recruits a young and handsome man, Kano Sozaburo. His hotness causes other samurai to be attracted to him. And I guess the samurai don't learn how to make sexual advances, because they do so in very awkward ways. But I guess it works for Kano, who seems to be a Japanese sex doll that's come alive.

It's like Mr. Ebert said. It certainly kept my interest throughout, but I'm not sure it said what it meant to say. The editing was strange. I felt like a scene would cut off before any tension had time to build. Everything felt very abrupt and hurried along. That's probably why they had the bizarre title cards providing narration throughout the movie.

In the end, it sounded much more interesting than it was. It was intriguing to see the issue of homosexuality addressed but it didn't really go anywhere. I would love to watch a slightly more daring film about gay samurai where Kano has more of a personality.

RATING: ***--

Interesting Facts:

This was Nagisa Oshima's only film after suffering from a stroke in 1996. 

1228. Attack the Gas Station

Attack the Gas Station
1999

Directed by Kim Sang-jin

Well, the List decided to reward my efforts for putting up with the snore that was the previous entry, and tracking down this obscure film. This was actually pretty fun, although much like the robbers, it might have overstayed its welcome a bit.

A group of street thugs decide to rob a gas station, simply because it's fun. That was the translation on my title card, at least, but I guess other versions say "Just because!" Anyway, they rob a gas station that they had previously robbed and destroyed already. Predictably, the manager didn't make the same mistake twice, and now has his wife take the money from the cash register every evening. He also tells the robbers this, so I guess he really has concern for his wife's safety. The robbers take the employees hostage instead and stick around, hoping to get their money. As more and more people visit the gas station, the number of hostages they take becomes a tad unruly.

This was a funny movie, which I am grateful for. The List has made me well aware that humor doesn't always cross cultural lines. It was also interesting learning what led each of the robbers to this moment. I think they are representative of many young men in Korea, sans the video game obsession. But I guess this was made in 1999, so we haven't gotten there yet.

5 movies left!

RATING: ***--

Interesting Facts:

Kim Sang-jin has claimed that the film has inspired real life copy cats. 

1227. What Time Is It There?

What Time Is It There?
2001
Directed by Tsai Ming-liang

Today we check off another one which required internet acrobatics to obtain with English subtitles. This might have been one of the most boring films we've had on the List, although I'm cognizant that there is some heavy competition in that area.

Hsiao-kang is a street vendor who sells watches in Taipei, and Shiang-chyi is a young woman taking a trip to Paris. They meet briefly and afterward, Hsiao-kang wants to change every clock he sees to Paris time. I don't know how I thought they changed the time on those big clocks on buildings, but that wasn't it. Oh, and he is also coping with the death of his father, I guess. 

Doesn't this director realize that taking long stationary shots of people slowly doing things is Ozu's thing? Maybe it was supposed to be a loving homage. Anyway, I was basically hobbled Annie Wilkes-style in December, and I still move faster than these characters. 

I actually find the idea that a character would be compelled to change all the clocks he sees, for whatever reason, very interesting. But the film does everything it can to make the movie as dull as possible.

RATING: **---

Interesting Facts:

Jean-Pierre Leaud, the lead actor in 400 Blows, has a brief cameo in this movie.

1226. Lamerica

Lamerica
1994
Directed by Gianni Amelio

Every time I locate one of the remaining titles, I feel I should receive hefty praise. These are hard to track down, dammit. It's like Zero Dark Thirty, and I'm Jessica Chastain. The non English films are particularly hard to track down, because I have to make sure I can get a subtitle track as well. Anyway, onto the actual act of watching the film.

Gino is a young Sicilian involved in a scam shoe company that ostensibly promises to give every Albanian a pair of quality shoes. Gino and his boss try to find "a man of straw," somebody to do what they say and be the fake chairman of the company. They choose Spiro as their stooge, but Gino might have bitten off a bit more than he could chew. 

I get crankier about a film being awarded a "must see" crown when I had to go to so much trouble to watch it. I even read on the source of All That Is True, Reddit, that Lamerica was added to the List to correct a previous printing error which put Dear Diary in the wrong year. But it was still a fairly interesting watch. Gino represents a new Italy that Spiro doesn't know how to navigate, having only known fascism and poverty.

Oh yes, and that hefty praise I mentioned before? It will need to increase with each entry, as they just keep getting harder to find.

RATING: ***--

Interesting Facts:

Did you know that platypuses sweat milk since they don't have teats? Well, I couldn't find anything on this movie. 

1225. Deconstructing Harry

Deconstructing Harry
1997
Directed by Woody Allen

I am currently watching Allen vs. Farrow, which explores the abuse allegations against Woody Allen and his relationship with Soon Yi Previn. It's enough to kill any pleasure you can get from watching his movies. I do think art can be separated from the artist, but Allen's art just seems so personal.

Harry Block is a writer who pulls from the characters in his own life to write his stories, much to rage of his various muses. His ex lover is hysterical and homicidal over his latest work, where he revealed their affair on the page. His ex wife is also furious about her portrayal in his works, and often refuses to let him see his son as result. Harry is due to receive an honorary degree from a college that once kicked him out, and the person he would have liked to have taken most is marrying his best friend.

With such an all star cast, you'd think this movie would have more lasting power. But it's a little too dark, and maybe a bit too honest, to appeal to the mainstream. I think it's fascinating to portray a character who functions better in art than real life. And Allen always makes me laugh. 

It was also a dreamlike film that would appeal to Bergman fans. So if you can still stomach his movies, this is a good one to pick.

RATING: ****-

Interesting Facts:

Roger Ebert suggested that the character of Harry is based on Philip Roth, not Allen.

Jennifer Garner's feature film debut.

1224. Nueve reinas

Nueve reinas
Nine Queens

2000
Directed by Fabián Bielinsky

After The Idiots I was resigned to the idea that the remaining titles, which have been a scooch difficult to find, wouldn't hold much merit. Thankfully, Nine Queens proved me wrong, and this is probably more widely available outside the U.S.

Juan, a con artist, successfully scams a cashier and then attempts the same scam on the next employee after the first cashier's shift ends. Seeing this, Marcos, another grifter, pretends to be a cop and escorts Juan out of the convenience store. Juan explains to Marcos that his desperation for money comes from his father being in jail, and Juan having to come up with a bribe so the judge will reduce his sentence. Marcos doesn't show much interest in the two pairing up until a irresistible con job falls into their laps. 

I don't recall if we have ever had an Argentine movie on the List, so it's nice to see some representation. I felt like we got to see the real Argentina, with the government's corruption being central to the plot. I also enjoyed the many twists and turns of the story. 

It might be a guilty pleasure, but I enjoy movies that feature conmen. I don't want to spoil anything, but they really pulled off the gambit/battle of wits element that is common in these films. Worth watching should you ever come across it. Which, if my American brothers and sisters are reading this, is doubtful.

RATING: ****-

Interesting Facts:

Was remade in the US and India.

1223. Idioterne

Idioterne
The Idiots

1998

Directed by Lars von Trier

We have now officially reached the "Mind Your Own Beeswax" portion of the List, which alludes to the way I have obtained the remaining titles. You always know when a movie is nearly impossible to locate that you are in for a slam dunk. This was just as terrible as I expected it to be.

A group of adults decide to behave in public as though they were mentally disabled, to challenge the establishment, or release their inhibitions, or I don't know what else. I guess it's to get a reaction from society, and get a reaction from us, the audience. If I'm required to forfeit a reaction, will they settle for dispirited and resigned?

Doesn't the graphic sex scene technically make this porn? I wasn't particularly bothered by it, but mostly because the movie had been so stupid up to that point that it made for a refreshing change of pace.

This is part of Lars von Trier's Dogma 95 Manifesto, which was really off to a spiffing start with this entry. I don't know if it is as difficult to find in other parts of the world as it was in my sector, but I would recommend avoiding this at all costs. Should be pretty easy. 

RATING: *----

Interesting Facts:

A favorite film of Tom Six, the creator of The Human Centipede trilogy. What a ringing endorsement.

English critic Mark Kermode was thrown out of a screening at the Cannes film festival for loudly heckling the film and yelling "Il est merde!"

1222. The Accidental Tourist

The Accidental Tourist
1988
Directed by Lawrence Kasdan

The List had one last William Hurt movie up its sleeve. I've only read one Ann Tyler book, and I found it to be so full of colorful characters that it made me feel ill. This film's characters were a bit more toned down, although Geena Davis had enough quirks to go round.

Macon and Sarah Leary are facing a difficult time in their marriage after the murder of their 12 year old son Ethan. Sarah leaves Macon and moves into an apartment. Macon breaks his leg and then decides to move in with his siblings. He hires Muriel to train his dog, and Muriel pursues Macon in a not-so subtle way. 

I guess we are on a kick lately of having movies focus on grieving family members. But this film had a better sense of humor than the other entries. This made some of the more dramatic sceness easier to swallow. 

But I can definitely see why this was removed from subsequent editions. In the end, I don't think anything particularly profound happened here, and it was a disposable Hurt movie. The List is filled to the brim with those.

RATING: ***--

Interesting Facts:

Kathleen Turner was second billed, even though Geena Davis' part was bigger.

First film adaptation of an Anne Tyler work.

Scored by John Williams.

1221. Lost in Translation

Lost in Translation
2003
Directed by Sofia Coppola

I saved this movie for the tail end of the project, because I was really excited to see it, and I knew the end of the List might be tough going. Turns out I was right to happily anticipate this film. Hopefully, I'm wrong about how excruciating these next ten or so watches might be.

Bob Harris is a fading movie star who is in Tokyo to promote Suntory whiskey. He is in the midst of a midlife crisis, and at odds with his wife and kids because of his frequent absences. Charlotte is a young American woman and college graduate who has followed her photographer husband to Japan. Both find themselves at a crossroads in their lives, and meet one night at the hotel bar. They are drawn to each other, although neither seems sure about how far they are willing to go with the attraction.

Traveling is disorienting, or at least, I remember it being disorienting from when we were allowed to travel. And meeting someone who has equally poor footing can feel completely magical. So it was interesting seeing a film portray that, and I've always admired Sophia Coppola's style.

The movie would never have worked if Bill Murray and ScarJo had no chemistry, but they really clicked here. Well worth the wait.

RATING: *****

Interesting Facts:

 

Bill Murray's favorite movie he's been in.

Sofia Coppola based the characters of Charlotte and John on herself and her then husband Spike Jonze.

Murray's only Oscar nominated performance.

1220. Mat i syn

Mat i syn
Mother and Son
1997
Directed by Alexander Sokurov

Now that we've seen a film about a grieving family recovering from the loss of their son, I thought we try out the inverse of that. Everybody still have their tissues handy? 

Basically, the son takes care of his dying mother, as she clearly suffers from a great deal of pain. The son takes the mother on a long journey through the countryside before their inevitable parting. 

Well, this film isn't exactly chock-full of long meaningful conversations about death, but a lot is communicated in the dreamlike visuals and silent interactions between the characters. Of course, that doesn't mean that there aren't many dull stretches throughout that had me watching the clock, but at least it's a fairly short movie.

Obviously not something I would watch to cheer me up after a long day, but as far as weird experimental Russian movies go, I've seen worse.

RATING: **---

Interesting Facts:

Nick Cave wrote a review for this film. It was titled "I wept and wept, from start to finish." 

In order to achieve the strange look of the film, Sokurov used special lenses, painted glass, and distorting mirrors. 

1219. La stanza del figlio

La stanza del figlio
The Son's Room
2001
Directed by Nanni Moretti

With only 14 films left, there may be some gaps in postings now as I struggle to secure the remaining titles. I have a couple more I am saving to watch for one reason or another, but after that, I'll have to do some fancy footwork to see the rest of the List. But for now, let's focus on another heartbreaking film: The Son's Room.

The story focuses on a grieving family after the death of their son, Andrea. The father, Giovanni, is a therapist and finds it increasingly difficult to analyze his patients. The mother, Paola, does her best to cope with her agonizing pain, and their daughter, Irene, takes it out on the ref of her basketball games. One day, Paola receives a love letter intended for Andrea, and the family struggles to deal with this fresh complication.

Well, that was emotionally devastating as it was intended to be. It was moving to experience a family's grief. The father, in particular, broke my heart, as in many ways he blamed himself for what happened. It was also accompanied by a beautiful score that complemented the quiet performances very well.

Of course, a movie I wouldn't recommend, but a very effective and graceful film. And I loved the Brian Eno allusion.

RATING: ****-

Interesting Facts:

Last film directed by Nanni Moretti where he also plays the main character.