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Reviews
Konrad (1985)
Endearing family science fiction
I saw this film on PBS when I was a kid and it stuck in my memory, such that when I came across it in my local video store I rented it immediately. It's not in any sense a realistic story, and it's really ham-fisted with the moral, but I found it sweet and entertaining. Polly Holiday's performance as Konrad's hapless hippie mom is especially natural and memorable. Although it's definitely a kid's movie, I still find it to be more creative and amusing than the vast majority of children's television that's coming out today. Watch it with a child!
Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
The most misunderstood film of the decade
This movie has been widely hated, even in circles where Kubrick is usually revered. One Salon reviewer even argued that _Eyes Wide Shut_ was a preachy, dogmatic monogamist tract, on the shallow basis that something bad happens to every character that seeks extramarital sex. I couldn't disagree more. The film's final lines suggest both that dreams can be equally as significant as reality, and that a single experience can never define an entire life. Kubrick seems to be saying that a single act of unfaithfulness, whether real or dreamt, does not have to undermine a relationship. Commitment, then, is not a set of arbitrary rules and agreements restricting your partner's sex life, as the Tom Cruise character at first seems to think. This unrealistic, fairy-tale view of his marriage is shattered, plunging him into a surreal, paranoid world of conspiracy and intrigue. By the end, however, he has realized (as his wife already has) that commitment is something renewed from day to day. The film thus points out the dynamic quality of something often considered to be static and constricting, i.e. a marriage, and celebrates commitment without demanding an unrealizable, perfect faithfulness.
Despite many critics' assertions to the contrary, _Eyes Wide Shut_ seems to me to be quintessentially Kubrick in its surrealism, its strong use of color (vibrant reds and purples predominate), and its sophisticated theme. An attentive viewer (unlike the majority of American critics) will see that there is much more to this film than a little supposedly explicit sex. Extra props for Kubrick's ability to create a mood that is magical, erotic, and deeply paranoid -- an achievement that rivals David Lynch's best work.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
Grim, epic, and powerful
As my friends and I were waiting in line, we argued about whether
this movie or The Phantom Menace had been more anticipated,
finally noting that no one had camped out for The Lord of the
Rings. Someone commented, however, that since the Stars Wars
movie had been such a big disappointment, the fulfillment to
anticipation ratio would probably be much higher with LotR.
And they were so right.
I think this may well be the best fantasy movie I've ever seen. The
special effects are excellent -- very little of the distractingly obvious
CG that detracted from The Phantom Menace -- and the sense of
immersion in the world is very strong. What I was not prepared for
was how frightening the film was. I mean, okay, ultimate evil and
all that. But it frightened me more than any horror movie I
remember seeing. The grim despair of Middle Earth in time of war
was absolutely overwhelming, and I understood why the artist who
did the LotR poster on my wall used only browns, greys, and wan
pastels. In addition, the acting was excellent -- Ian McKellan's
Gandalf being especially memorable. Cate Blanchett's Galadriel
was also surprisingly disturbing -- the sense of power she
radiates is a considerable accomplishment both in terms of acting
and in the appropriate use of special effects.
If this film has any flaw, I think it might be insufficient emotional
variation. It is almost unremittingly dark, suspenseful, and scary,
and neither the characters nor the audience get to rest and recover
often. I know there were a few cheerful stops on the journey that
didn't make it into the film, and I have to wonder if that wasn't a
mistake. The stop in Galadriel's forest, which I remember being a
relief in the book, was too creepy to provide the kind of comfort I
was craving at that point. Only the Shire and Rivendell provided
bright spots in the narrative.
While I think retaining the grimness of the books is important, I
also think exhausting the audience is a bad idea. Although Merry
and Pippin provided a little bit of comic relief, a few more scenes in
which the audience can relax might be a good idea, if only to keep
them from becoming desensitized.
From Hell (2001)
A gorgeous gothic horror film with a little ideological meat
Okay, so it's not as complex as the book by a long shot (but if
you've read Moore's 600-page, heavily researched masterpiece
with its 40 or so pages of historical notes in back, you weren't
expecting that). But the acting varies between decent and excellent
(the latter on the part of Johnny Depp and Ian Holm), the script is
solid (structured, unlike the book, as a mystery where you don't
find out the killer's identity until the end), and the visuals are
gorgeous -- a bleak Victorian landscape under a smoky red sky.
Particularly nice are Abberline (Depp)'s green-tinted opium visions
of the murders. The gore is also appropriately restrained for the
first two-thirds or so of the film, such that when we finally see one
of the women's throats being slashed (it opens up like a mouth),
the sight is truly shocking. I was also glad to see that despite
lacking the novel's depth, the film retained a strong focus on the
murders as the act of a man embodying the violence of a
dominator society. The film successfully associates that society's
racism with its oppression of women -- a significant ideological
statement. The ripper's vision at the climax of the film (the last
murder) has him being applauded by the all-male members of the
rich, educated upper class, making his vision of himself as
serving his class clear.
Finally, kudos to Robbie Coltrane as the sergeant -- his earthy,
practical character made an excellent contrast with Depp's
intuitive, emotional Abberline.
Mulan (1998)
A movie only a kid could like
_Mulan_ might have been a masterpiece at a time when Disney films had strong creative voices behind them, but the film has been badly marred by Disney's current committee-style production process. The film simply can't seem to figure out what it's trying to achieve. It's nominally feminist, but undermines that feminist message with its overuse of male gender stereotypes and regressive ending. It is a musical in format, but features uninspired and forgettable tunes that play only a subordinate role in plot and character development. It attempts to realistically portray war, but stretches the laws of physics and basic concepts of military strategy in a way that only a six-year-old could ignore (Run! It's an army of six Huns!). Finally, it tries to lighten this rather somber mess with a wacky sidekick, but Eddie Murphy's voicing of the dragon is so over-the-top that it destroys what could have been the film's greatest strength -- the mystical, exotic mood created by the sweeping Chinese landscape. _Mulan_ seems to me to be compelling evidence of Disney's schizophrenic 1990s creative philosophy: it tries to be feminist and conventional at the same time, and attempts to deal with issues of war while still being comprehensible to toddlers. The result is a confused mess so full of holes and inconsistencies that older children and adults will find it very difficult to suspend their disbelief.
eXistenZ (1999)
Like _The Matrix,_ but with philosophical integrity
The unfortunate fact that this film came out at the same time as the special effects blockbuster _The Matrix_ has doomed it to obscurity. As far as writing and philosophical sophistication go, however, this film is far superior to its Hollywood counterpart. _The Matrix_ drops the ball in its examination of the impossibility of externally verifying objective reality, shattering one reality but then assuming that the one that remains is the "true" one. _eXistenZ,_ however, explores the full consequences of this difficult philosophical concept, successfully blurring fantasy and reality and leaving the viewer delightfully off-balance. This is a thoughtful and surreally fragmented film -- not for those looking for a cheap two hours' entertainment. Nor is it for the weak of stomach. As always, Cronenburg's disturbingly organic special effects are truly haunting, imbuing this film with overtones that are both sinister and erotic. A must see for Cronenburg fans, and for anyone interested in the philosophical problems raised by the possibility of immersive virtual environments.
Naked Lunch (1991)
Terrific, but confusing for non-Burroughs fans
I first saw this film knowing nothing about Burroughs or his work and found it incomprehensible -- interesting, certainly, and chock-full of bizarre and disturbing images, but still basically without meaning. Several Burroughs books later and with a knowledge of his life under my belt, I watched this film again and realized that in fact, it is an intelligent and thoughtful collage of elements from Burroughs' life and writings that genuinely seems to capture the spirit of the artist. Though I certainly recommend this film to anyone with a taste for Cronenberg's weirdly organic aesthetic sense, do yourself a favor and read up on Burroughs first to get the full effect.
Labyrinth (1986)
A magical coming-of-age story
This coming-of-age story is more than some of Jim Henson's best late work; it is also an allegory for growing up without losing all of the wonder and magic of childhood. Despite the heroine's terrible acting, Henson's expressive puppetry, colorful characters, and firm grasp of the fairytale tradition of storytelling make this film accessible to children while still having enough thematic meat for adults. David Bowie's classic role as the mysterious and sensual Goblin King gives this film an edge that the saccharine children's movies of the 1990s have been sadly lacking as well. This is a film that grows with the viewer, and it is just as compelling at age 25 as it was at 10.