esbarnard Reviews

I'll Sleep When I'm Dead (2003)

Who were these people?

[2/10 · 8 January 2005]

I could never figure out the relationships between the characters. That seemed to be where the real film lay, but instead the decision was made to make a film about an incident that happened after the real story had taken place. In fact, there seemed to be lots of interesting stories alluded to, but the one we were presented with was the most ghoulish and the least satisfactory.

Who was the guy getting beaten up in the woods? He had a needy wife, had been in prison... there was a story there. Maybe that was the better story.

Then, there is the scene where Davey takes the cab home, and meets the hippie cab driver. Davey chides him about the orange cab, the cab breaks down, and the driver decides to move to New York. We watch both men walk away from the cab, and I was disappointed to have to follow Davey. I wanted to go to NY with the driver.

I kept waiting for Clive Owen and Charlotte Rampling to have something to do, something to react about, something reason to raise their voices above a monotone, some reason to show who they were. Never came.

Touching Evil (2004)

Don't buy into the hype

[16 March 2004]

I did. I read all the breathless reviews that pegged this lame re-make as "darker" and better than the (very good) BBC original. I glued myself to the TV at the appointed time, only to be disappointed by yet another car commercial. The glossy black car wound it's way through the California hills. We got close-ups of the hood, the wheels. Ho hum. The car's handsome, smartly dressed owner got out, went into a gleaming white house, and was shot in the head. Oh. I guess this is the show.

Things went down hill from there. The show is not "dark" either in plot or atmosphere. Shot in sunny southern California, in the day, it couldn't match the doom of drizzly London at night. The plot limped along, barely there, not dark or interesting but merely weird. The characters were beautifully groomed, dressed expensively, met in elegantly appointed conference rooms and flew first class. A frivolous insult to anyone who actually works for the FBI. I really enjoyed the original BBC series and recommend it. Don't bother with this version.

Jesus' Son (1999)

Slowly bored me to sleep

[7 December 2003]

Really slow, really boring, and confused. Yes, as others have noted, its fun to count the metaphors and allusions to religion. Ok, not really fun, but at least it gives you something to do until the movie ends. Apparently, without a written program you'll miss most of the insider knowledge that is the only thing that might make this interesting. Want to watch a movie about drugs? Watch "Sid and Nancy." Watching them shoot up was so fascinating, I couldn't take my eyes away. Watching FH's girlfriend do it gave me the same reaction it seemed to give him: "So what."

Mistress (1992)

Requires some thought

[28 September 2003]

This film has a few good moments. The story line about the director as an artist unable to overcome the devastating end of his first try to film his masterpiece is convincing and moving. The rest of the plot about the producers and all their girlfriends is silly. But, as you work through this dichotomy, you realize what is happening - somewhat in the manner of "Adaptation," the journey of the script in question is echoed by the journey of the characters to produce the script. However, this film has none of the wit and pace of Adaptation. The characters are fairly one dimensional. Al Pacino does a shrill and annoying job of playing a shrill and annoying character.

Starship Troopers (1997)

True to its idea

[31 March 2003]

No moral dilemmas here. Just good guys, bad guys and a clear mission. Bugs bad. Bugs ugly. Soldiers good. Soldiers good looking. Kill bugs. Although the troops have fancy spaceships, they don't need any precision guided smart bombs, or laser-smaser phasers. Just bullets please and thank you. And the occasional grenade when all else fails.

I admire this movie because it takes a simple idea, fleshes it out just a little bit, and follows it through to the end without getting lost or bogged down. Imagine that! Just goes to show everyone that you don't have to have a brilliant concept, pretentious thoughts, well-developed characters or good dialog - heck, you don't hardly need any dialog at all. You just need to stay focused and keep things moving along at a good clip. Then, if special effects are to play a large role, use effects that live up to their star billing. You end up with a decent movie. Not a great movie, but one that is watchable and even enjoyable. End of lesson.

The Van (1996)

Charming concept in search of real characters

[31 March 2003]

The characters drink, bicker, whine, drink more, try to get their act together, bicker, whine, drink, whine...

The writers could have used someone to ask them some tough questions. Why are these characters friends? What are you trying to say about these people? If the answer is "for some people, hard work will never pay off," then pray tell us, why not? Does it have something to do with being Irish? If so, what? If not, then what? The friendship between the protagonists is not adequately developed, and when the friendship hits rough times it is hard to care. They didn't seem to like each other very much to begin with. I began not to like them. I didn't see them as tormented, confused or angry, just disagreeable.

Although I don't demand that all films about the Irish have a gentle Bill Forsyth touch, a little of his character development and motivation would have helped here. The concept is charming, why are the characters so harsh and helpless?

Insomnia (1997)

Why remake a good thing?

[9/10 · 16 December 2002]

An excellent psychological drama about a cooly repressed detective unable to own up to causing the accidental death of his partner, at the same time he is persuing an author suspected of killing his young girlfriend. The detective story isn't important here - the detective has no trouble locating the killer, understanding his motives, or "solving" the crime. What is interesting is the detective's inablility to deal with his problems and face life truthfully, metaphorically illustrated by his inability to block out the sunlight and sleep. Stellan Skarsgard gives a very good performance as the detective struggling to keep control of himself and the situation. As he becomes more and more tired, his life and his desires race out of control, and his need to maintain his facade causes him to make decisions that take him to the edge of catastropy.

This film is understated in a way that the 2002 Al Pacino remake missed the boat on. It takes place in Norway, and the director resisted the temptation to show us a travelog of cute Norwegian villages. Most of the action takes place in non-descript rooms, suffused with the cold grey light of the arctic sun. The acting is understated and viewers are left to understand motivations without explicit explanation. The film is engrossing from beginning to end, and I'll never understand why Hollywood feels it needs to try to do better - it rarely can.