Great Films
Short reviews of a variety of films I give anywhere from a 7 to a 10. The film genres vary so much that a silly action romp could be rated the same as a classic. It's just one of the quirks of applying the same system to so many different types of films.
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- DirectorOrson WellesStarsOrson WellesJoseph CottenDorothy ComingoreFollowing the death of publishing tycoon Charles Foster Kane, reporters scramble to uncover the meaning of his final utterance: 'Rosebud.'Despite what I feel was a boring story, Citizen Kane is an extremely important movie, one that is experimental in its storytelling as well as its assured direction. Full of visual metaphor and stunningly busy scenery in a time when most productions were being hurried along on multi-purpose sound stages this set the standard for the film as art and opened up a world of possibilities in telling story through the medium. Even if you can't appreciate it for the story it tells, you can appreciate the immensity of its artistic achievement.
- DirectorAkira KurosawaStarsTatsuya NakadaiTsutomu YamazakiKen'ichi HagiwaraA petty thief with an utter resemblance to a samurai warlord is hired as the lord's double. When the warlord later dies the thief is forced to take up arms in his place.The start of late period Kurosawa films and a movie that would never have been made without the help of George Lucas and Coppola. Just to flaunt my knowledge: Kurosawa films were known for going way over budget and Japanese studios didn't want to deal with him. He was known for being hard to work with and it became a running gag in Japanese media to see how bad he would fail. He wound up going to the US since Japanese companies didn't want him and left working on Tora, Tora, Tora...probably because it sucked. So US studios thought he was a dick and didn't like him. He spiraled into depression, attempted suicide...thankfully he lived on and the new wave of Hollywood in the late '70s (Lucas, Coppola, Scorsese) were in love with his works and helped fund his last three major projects (Kagemusha, Ran, and Dreams).
Anyway, Kagemusha is my second favorite Kurosawa picture. It's a three hour color epic full of vibrant costumes and spectacular battle scenes. It's about a peasant who impersonates a dead lord during the warring states period and kind of becomes the man over time. Lots of mundane sets and small talk, tons of culture...it's a movie that you have to be in the right mood to watch because it's more a journey than anything else. There are a few stand-out moments when Kurosawa delves into Kobayashi's territory, especially with this very stylized dream sequence that could've been pulled straight out of Kwaidan.
It's a brilliant movie. - DirectorMasaki KobayashiStarsTatsuya NakadaiMichiyo AratamaChikage AwashimaA Japanese pacifist, unable to face the dire consequences of conscientious objection, is transformed by his attempts to compromise with the demands of war-time Japan.PART 1
The Human Condition is a six part, 9 1/2 hour movie by Masaki Kobayashi. If you haven't been able to tell, I'm hooked on Asian cinema, especially classic Japanese because my God do these directors have a grasp on telling simple stories that hook you and stick with you for long after watching. I could review the entirety of The Human Condition as one film...but there's no way I'm gonna make it through a movie this long in anything less than four or five days. Soooo...
Part One follows an idealistic young man who is sent to Machuria during WW2 to help run a prison mine. His ideas on the treatment of the Chinese miners is looked down upon by his superiors and coworkers and he becomes a kind of pariah. Eventually a trainload of POWs are offloaded and put into *beep* conditions than those of the regular miners and a lot of complex moral philosophy is thrown about. It's a surprisingly brutal movie in how condemnatory it is of the Japanese treatment of POWs.
I really enjoyed what I've seen so far. There's enough moral complexity to keep it interesting and the direction is very tight and doesn't have a lot of frills to it, kind of opposite of Kurosawa in some ways. Kobayashi isn't about sweeping and grand shots that are akin to paintings but much more focused on showing exactly what is necessary to get the point across.
PART 2
Protagonist Kaji is hated by both the Chinese who think he's a Japanese devil and the Japanese who think he's a Chinese sympathizer, leaving him in a precarious position as the Chinese attempt to escape their barracks. It leads to a chilling execution scene that is one of the best directed pieces of cinema I've seen in a while and leads into Kaji being forced into the military.
I love this film. The humanism of it is absolutely intoxicating and watching this character be broken down by this *beep* world and watching his ideals get crushed is really hard. He's such a likeable protagonist you're watching gradually become crazy in essence. It's such a personal movie in a way that's uncomfortable in a way but magical in others. So rarely do I feel moved and thoughtful watching a movie and this is doing it. - DirectorMasaki KobayashiStarsTatsuya NakadaiMichiyo AratamaKokinji KatsuraAs a conscript in war-time Japan's military, a pacifist struggles to maintain his determination to keep his ideals.The Human Condition Part 3- Halfway through and the film continues to be a wonderful piece of humanistic artwork. Kaji's been drafted and this part pretty much deals with his basic training. Turns out that the Japanese in World War II were the most slap happy army in the world because Kaji and his fellow trainees are bitch slapped more times than I've seen in any other movie. The story here is pretty basic and Stanley Kubrick seemed to have lifted some of the structure for Full Metal Jacket. In essence, the central arc of this portion of the film concerns a recruit who is unfit and doesn't perform to optimum efficiency, forcing his fellows to work harder for him. He's abused and bullied, eventually ordered by his superiors to act like a whore in a humiliating fashion, leading to his taking a rifle in the middle of the night, going to the latrine, and blowing his brains out. Though not exactly like FMJ, I can see the inspiration. This leads Kaji to seek disciplinary action against the commanding officer, and, of course, that's stepping way out of line. Again Kaji's idealism gets him into trouble and we start to see him becoming a little looser, even appearing to be heading toward cheating on his wife.
Because I've seen FMJ multiple times I think that deadened my emotional connection to this part. It's an extremely good film but I wasn't as attached or disturbed as I was with the previous two. Now Kaji has been sent to the front lines and I'm guessing there's going to be some battles in Part Four. I can't wait to continue this; I really suggest it to anyone whose interested.
The Human Condition Part 4- Kaji is put in charge of a platoon of newbies who are constantly being beaten and insulted by the vets. This causes some tension and eventually makes Kaji break, forcing his superiors to send him to the front line to construct defenses. And then the Russians attack.
The shortest part of the film and the weakest to me. I didn't think there was really an emotional attachment to this as there was to the first three and the only significance was watching Kaji steadily breaking, especially at the end during a brutal battle scene. - DirectorNobuhiko ÔbayashiStarsKimiko IkegamiMiki JinboKumiko ÔbaA schoolgirl and six of her classmates travel to her aunt's country home, which turns out to be haunted.A 1977 Japanese horror movie about seven high school girls spending the summer at a creepy house owned by a creepy aunt who totally isn't going to kill them. It is one of the weirdest films I've ever watched. It's shot like a terrible cheesy music video, full of out of place sound effects, has so many brightly painted backgrounds and so much use of green screen and cartoony drawings...and there's a talking watermelon and an evil cat and a dancing skeleton and a piano that eats people...And a girl who kung fu battles flying logs trying to kill her....I don't know how to describe this movie. It's something you have to see yourself to believe. Someone went on an acid trip, mixed it with the Brady Bunch and a generic episode of Scooby-Doo, and gave us whatever the hell this is. I'd recommend it based on the uniqueness of the experience alone.
- DirectorMasaki KobayashiStarsTatsuya NakadaiMichiyo AratamaTamao NakamuraHis ideals challenged by life as a conscript in war-time Japan's military, a pacifist faces ever greater tests in his fight for survival.The Human Condition Part 5- The few remnants of Kaji's unit who survived the Russian assault are now wandering the countryside in search of a way home, avoiding the Russians and Chinese along the way. This part is essentially Kaji falling apart even further as he's forced to hike around with people he doesn't like, joins with a group that includes prostitutes and a man who would kill his own family, and when he does find a Japanese military camp he's denied any food or protection and considered a deserter for not dying with the rest of his squad. It's much more plodding than the previous entries and doesn't have as clear a destination, but I think that's the point. Kaji is pretty much listless. He has no allegiance or home, he's caught between all these ideologies and none of them accept him. He's not really Japanese, he sides with communist ideas. He's not Chinese. He's just completely lost in and floundering. He's losing himself and his ideals, all because of those very ideals he held. It's tragic and works beautifully. With only ninety minutes to go, I wonder how Kobayashi will wrap up Kaji's story and whether he'll see redemption in some form or he'll just die like all his idealism.
The Human Condition Part 6-So I made it through one of the longest movies ever made and I have to say that it was losing steam as it went along. Still an exceptionally good movie throughout and a powerful and multi-layered tale and character study. But in the end I wasn't as emotionally invested as I was at the beginning. This could possibly be the intent as Kaji started as a likeable idealist and by the end has no qualms with murdering people to survive. It's a powerful piece of filmmaking but one that takes so much time and energy and doesn't feel as fulfilling by the final fade out that I want to suggest it to serious film buffs looking for a fantastic piece of humanist art but wouldn't suggest it to many other people. It's a very specific movie for that very specific viewer who needs to be in a very specific mood to watch it. - DirectorStanley KubrickStarsRyan O'NealMarisa BerensonPatrick MageeAn Irish rogue wins the heart of a rich widow and assumes her dead husband's aristocratic position in 18th-century England.Everyone loves Stanley Kubrick but very few have seen Barry Lyndon. Which is a shame because it's my favorite film of his, one where his direction and vision actually work for me and I enjoy myself from beginning to end. It's no secret that I'm not the biggest fan of Kubrick so it's nice to watch a movie by him that I feel like is justified in being three hours long and a lot of fun for that entire run. This is the tale of a 18th century trickster turned military man turned aristocrat and his life of comedic splendor and horror. It's the kind of period piece that I can only compare to Amadeus, one that is not over-the-top and "epic" in scope but extremely detailed in costume and customs. It's as opulent as its settings and the aristocracy to which it dedicates much of its vitriol. If you enjoy period pieces and especially that period of powdered wigs and overcomplicated duels, definitely check this film out.
- DirectorJean-Pierre MelvilleStarsAlain DelonFrançois PérierNathalie DelonAfter professional hitman Jef Costello is seen by witnesses his efforts to provide himself an alibi drive him further into a corner.Late-60's French noir thriller about a hitman who is brought in by the police after a killing, leading to the police and the people who hired him trying to catch him as he navigates the streets of Paris. It's an extremely simple movie with little violence but a lot of cat-and-mouse, it reminded me quite a bit of The French Connection. Except I preferred this. While it wasn't a very rewarding or robust movie it was visually entrancing, capturing the noir themes even though it is in color. Everyone is wearing dark suits and the setpieces are mostly grimy and gross. The hitman's house is my particular favorite and probably the most striking piece of scenery of the film. Extremely ugly, dark, gray, and the furniture is spartan. And there's also a very cool jazz club that plays a central role as well. The music of the film was wonderful and the fact it used very little dialogue was another major plus for me. It's not quite Drive levels of facial storytelling, but it's close. And I just want to say, the hitman smoking on his head as the opening credits role was one of the best, simplistic but effective opening sequences to a film I've ever seen. It uses that dingy bedroom set to perfectly encapsulate the noir aesthetic and automatically engrosses you in the world. I won't say it's the most exciting piece of film on the Earth, but it's one of the better post black-and-white noir films I've seen, especially from that era where movies were moving toward the less slick, deliberate, and glorified crime films toward pictures like Taxi Driver.
- DirectorJung Byung-gilStarsKim Ok-binShin Ha-kyunSung JunA female assassin leaves a trail of bodies behind her as she seeks revenge.The newest Well Go release is an absolute stunner from beginning to end. It starts with a five minute Hardcore Henry-esque first person action sequence that has our heroine battle probably fifty guys with guns, knives, and whatever else is at hand. From there the action sequences do all kinds of slick, interesting things. The only comparable style I can think of is the fight scenes in Kingsman where it looks like its all one shot and the camera is panning around, following everything. The plot, about a hitwoman who is constantly being betrayed and double-crossed and winds up caught between two factions who both use her, is complicated and told in a very disjointed way that works from the directing standpoint but can be confusing from a storytellers perspective. There's a lull in the action through the middle, focusing on interpersonal relationships and building everything up to a creative finale. I really have to suggest this film to everyone here who likes martial arts/crime movies; it's one of the best ones I've seen in quite a while.
- DirectorFederico FelliniStarsMarcello MastroianniAnouk AiméeClaudia CardinaleA harried movie director retreats into his memories and fantasies.Federico Fellini is a director's director, a man who understood how to direct a movie and does such an effortless job of it you pretty much never want to pursue directing because you'll never reach his heights. 8 1/2 is a movie about directing, a film that reflects Fellini's issues with his occupation, with writer's block, and with interpersonal relationships within the entertainment sphere. It's an avant-garde picture full of interesting and memorable scenes that interrupt an otherwise very normal drama. I appreciate it quite a bit for what it is and I love Marcello Mastroianni as the lead, he's such a commanding, wonderful presence on screen in all of his films. The biggest problem I have with this movie and the reason I don't appreciate it as much as I want to is that I watched La Dolce Vita a few months ago and this movie is very much the same. La Dolce Vita was about a playboy main character, it was a condemnation of the glamor that we associate with entertainment. 8 1/2 is much more creative in its approach and a lot more interesting as far as direction goes, but I can't help but feel that it's an imitation of La Dolce Vita and I was never quite as into it as I was that earlier film. Nonetheless, if you haven't discovered Fellini, definitely give him a shot.
- DirectorMikael HåfströmStarsSylvester StalloneArnold Schwarzenegger50 CentWhen a structural-security authority finds himself set up and incarcerated in the world's most secret and secure prison, he has to use his skills to escape with help from the inside.You know, I don't understand the hate this movie gets. It may have been twenty years too late, in fact I'm sure it would have made a better movie in 1993, but despite that I really enjoyed it. Stallone plays a guy who is thrown in prisons and escapes them, a kind of escape consultant as it were. He's thrown into a super security, privately owned jail where he meets Arnold Schwarzenegger. Amid a bunch of conspiracies, the two attempt to escape together. Simple, effective, with just enough stupid plot stuff to make for an interesting B-movie. All the performances are as terrible as I'd expect and hope, there are dumb one liners, there's a big ridiculous action sequence at the end as payoff. It starts slow, but it really does pick up and is the kind of fun, pointless action film that's kind of become a lost art nowadays. It's not trying to have any sort of pretensions and it knows it's stupid. Not something I'd wholeheartedly recommend by any stretch, but it's solid and about what I'd expect from a movie starring freaking Stallone and Schwarzenegger.
- DirectorTerry GilliamStarsChristoph WaltzLucas HedgesMélanie ThierryA hugely talented but socially isolated computer operator is tasked by Management to prove the Zero Theorem: that the universe ends as nothing, rendering life meaningless. But meaning is what he already craves.The newest Gilliam movie sees a bizarre guy named Qohen Leth working in this corporate dystopia not unlike the one in Brazil. He's given the job of finding the meaning of life so spends the majority of the movie in front of his computer, working on algorithms for this equation, an equation that seems to be meaningless because life is meaningless and so forth. It's a very low-budget piece with all of Gilliam's flair, though I wish there would have been more scenes outside of the home of Qohen since the few scenes outside were beautiful and interesting. It's a thoughtful piece though I feel like the low budget, lack of settings, and the fact Gilliam has tackled this type of story before is why it was pretty poorly reviewed and hasn't had an impression. Nonetheless, I think it's worth a watch if you're a Gilliam fan.
- DirectorMel GibsonStarsAndrew GarfieldSam WorthingtonLuke BraceyWorld War II American Army Medic Desmond T. Doss, serving during the Battle of Okinawa, refuses to kill people and becomes the first man in American history to receive the Medal of Honor without firing a shot.Mel Gibson's World War 2 epic about a pacifist who saves countless lives is pretty powerful as a story. The trials Desmond Doss faces in being a pacifist in boot camp were well done and I thought Vince Vaughn did a surprisingly good job as the drill sergeant, being funny during the obligatory rip-off of Full Metal Jacket's drill instructor scene but compelling and human as things went along. The actual battle sequences were intense as hell and have some seriously brutal gore, some of the best I've seen in a modern movie in a long time. That brutality juxtaposed against the religious convictions and pacifist inclinations of Desmond makes for compelling and powerful stuff, especially as he's saving the wounded men by himself. The end with actual interviews with Desmond and his comrade nails home the power of the movie. That said, it's a power of a story and the man at the center of it. I didn't find that this was an exceptionally directed movie, nor would I say that the whole film was well done (I felt the bit about meeting his future wife and that whole subplot was pointless and didn't benefit things). But overall, definitely a fantastic war film and a powerful study on the endurance of the human spirit.
- DirectorGeorge LucasStarsRobert DuvallDonald PleasenceDon Pedro ColleyIn the 25th century, a time when people have designations instead of names, a man, THX 1138, and a woman, LUH 3417, rebel against their rigidly controlled society.George Lucas's first movie is a bizarre departure from everything he would go on to do and stand for. It's an experimental science fiction movie about a dystopic city where everything is controlled, including your brain, and a man who decides to break out of it. It's a typical story but told in a very unique and arthouse way. The set design is blindingly white or bland and utilitarian, making it pretty much the perfect example of what I envision when someone discusses '70s sci-fi films. It's a hard movie to follow in some respects, though the story is accessible enough that you can figure out the overarching themes and plot. What annoys me about this movie, though, is that Lucas decided to release it on DVD in a wonderful special edition! Because rather than leave his extremely niche and pretty much unheard of first film alone, he decided it would be better with a smattering of out-of-place CG that looks God-awful and an obvious joke about Wookies that is groan inducing in a movie where you're kind of awed by the fact this came from the same guy who went on to make what is now the most mainstream sci-fi series ever. I mean, it's too bad he didn't play with the experimental stuff more inbetween or after his mainstream successes like other directors in his clique did.
- DirectorRichard LinklaterStarsKeanu ReevesWinona RyderRobert Downey Jr.An undercover cop in a not-too-distant future becomes involved with a dangerous new drug and begins to lose his own identity as a result.I won't get into the plot as that would spoil it for other folks looking to watch it. Suffice it to say, the plot is interesting and has a lot of good twists and turns. The acting is pretty top-notch as far as drugged up performances are concerned. Between Reeves and Downey Jr. they're eating up every scene they're in. Stylistically, I don't know if I appreciated the graphic novel presentation. It does kind of go with the theme of hallucinogenic drugs, but it also would have worked fine without the style. Nonetheless, it is kind of cool and the movie does justify the style with certain effects here and there. Not a lot to say, it's a really good movie that engrossed me. Not amazing but definitely a good, fun ride if you're looking for something a little headier.