pyamada

John Farrow, whose work as a director has been sadly forgotten, makes the most of a great cast, some sinister ideas about identity change and a fairly weak plot ending. It really is hard to believe that Mitchum never gets that shot; and there is less suspense in the ending than one would hope for. But Vincent Price is absolutely fantastic as a gourmet actor, tired of his image and marriage, who assists Mitchum as a sharp-shooter. Raymond Burr, as usual, plays the extremely bad Mafia man, with gusto and gravitas. Had the writing and plot been a bit better, this would be one of the great film-noirs. But even with flaws, it is a wonderful film. Let us hope it continues to occasionally show on TV, since it does not seem to be on video at all.

From any technical standpoint, this is a very well made film, colorful, playful, and action packed. But it is just one dance routine--I mean mass killing--after another. Any search for content, meaning, nuance or character development will end up with nothing. A film like In The Mood For Love is a much finer piece of film making and artistry. In the end, Lok and O are not that interesting, and the little history that the police discover in the course of their investigation, is surprisingly "nationalist", given the pan-asian contexts of the movie. The various levels of music in the film were almost all extremely weak, and reveal one huge gaping hole in the western cultural appreciation of these asian directors: their taste and knowledge in western pop and rock is abysmal! Since this film concentrates so much on the "dances" and the "big dance" between the two hit men, the viewer is left with very little else. One has to wonder where the popcorn ends the the money begins.

The use of silence and conversations filled with silence is one of the strongest aspects of this surprisingly mature and interesting film. This dramatic triad has as much problem facing feelings as it does wants and desires. As the masks come off, we learn just how fragile and messed-up each one is, and how difficult it is for all three of them to reach out and communicate. Understatement and silence and powerful parts of this movie, and it all has a very asian feeling, even if their dilemmas are acculturated and familiar to non-asian americans. Though the son who gets stuck with the family business out of obligation and something like filial piety, struck me as very asian. The film also manages to convey a significant existential quality to the main characters that is very nuanced and requires contemplation.

Four very suburban, asian american kids, pursue their stereo-type (hard working, community oriented, honor students, model citizens) as well as a life of petty crime, drugs, and even revenge. But when the revenge gets suddenly out of control, the tenor of the film changes. I did not think any of the kids were that wonderful to begin with, so seeing them chafe and rebel at the margins of their canned lives was both interesting and important, though hardly constructive. Perhaps the weakest part of the project is the male one-sidedness of the story and character portrayals. The female "interst" is barely there, though she is not quite shallow enough or self absorbed to be entirely puff, it is hard to have much sympathy or basic concern for her either. But the film continues to do a good job of showing just how "lost" these kids are, and how meaningless their lives can be, regardless of the material and status rewards. Perhaps the best moral for the film is that everyone sells their soul in present day america, and even individuals in the asian american community are not immune to such loathsome and blank goals.

Much of this film is excellent, including the courtroom drama and the the exploits that exonerate Frank & Diane (Mitchum and Simmons). Preminger has put together a wonderful cast, and gets equally wonderful performances from Herbert Marshall and Barbara O'Neil. Mitchum, as the stunned, shaken and more than reluctant ambulance driver, is excellent as usual. But Simmons dribbles cold water on most of her scenes, and when she is asked to portray emotions other than petulance, she fails. In addition, she does not project any warmth, sexuality or eros of any kind, and she is too easily seen as the cold, scheming killer. This could have been one of noir's greatest, save for one role, and it is still a good movie with a big flaw.

Paul Schrader can be very erratic as a director. I think Affliction is his best film, by far, and this movie and Blue Collar are his next best. That said, you cannot be immune to the basic conceit and find it provocative, much less enjoyable. If you can accept that the Skeet Ulrich character may have St. Francis like qualities, and can really heal sick and handicapped people, Touch is a wonderful film. Christopher Walken (as always) is excellent as the ambitions and unseemly tent-show preacher, hell bent on making a fortune from the "healer-man"; and the others in the cast, Bridget Fonda, Anthony Zerbe and Tom Arnold especially, are excellent, too. Arnold, in particular, brings an amazing zeal and perfect, inadvertent humour to his portrayal of a slightly militarist, born again, religious fanatic. Certainly the movie raises more questions than it answers, and it is not quite as spiritually provocative or deep as Bigas Luna's Renacer, but it is certainly well worth watching.

Though the film is sometimes hard to take, and had flimsy scenes, Loder is great as the actor overcome by shock, who becomes the character he was portraying on stage, a maniacal strangler! Certainly worth seeing on TV, since it does note seem available on video. And try to catch some of Nosseck's other flics, as he was in interesting german director, and handled noir well, especially with Lawrence Tierney.

Four very suburban, asian american kids, pursue their stereo-type (hard working, community oriented, honor students, model citizens) as well as a life of petty crime, drugs, and even revenge. But when the revenge gets suddenly out of control, the tenor of the film changes. I did not think any of the kids were that wonderful to begin with, so seeing them chafe and rebel at the margins of their canned lives was both interesting and important, though hardly constructive. Perhaps the weakest part of the project is the male one-sidedness of the story and character portrayals. The female "interst" is barely there, though she is not quite shallow enough or self absorbed to be entirely puff, it is hard to have much sympathy or basic concern for her either. But the film continues to do a good job of showing just how "lost" these kids are, and how meaningless their lives can be, regardless of the material and status rewards. Perhaps the best moral for the film is that everyone sells their soul in present day america, and even individuals in the asian american community are not immune to such loathsome and blank goals.

Ugetsu, based on a popular "fairy tale" in the Japanese folk tradition, is perhaps the greatest "ghost story" on film. Simple, direct, and beautiful in its visual style, one viewing of this movie will make you a fan for life. See it today, and hope that you can see it on the big screen soon. 10!

Most fans of Humphrey Bogart have never heard of this film, much less seen it. Director Nicholas Ray seems much more appreciated in Europe, by film makers like Wim Wenders, than he is in this country. Few american directors captured livlier dialogue, had as much visual style and flair, and put as many surprises--like the Hadda Brooks scenes in In A Lonely Place--in their films. Gloria Graham surpasses all other roles, except for those in Fritz Lang's films, and her character grows and changes in response to the mercurial Dix Steele, perhaps the most creative and layered character Bogart ever portrayed. If you think american cinema has ever competed with european film, this movie is a place to start. See it today, and get hooked by the films of Nicholas Ray!

Based in Chicago, director John Covert has made several wonderful noirs with local casts that take advantage of numerous parts of the city of Chicago, not to mention its many wonderful actors. Shot in black and white, like Blind Lead, this film is beautifully paced and lit. It makes great use of lighting contrasts and refuses to sentimentalize any of the action, plots or characters. The entire cast performs extremely well, and though the comings and goings are grim and twisted, the humor that results from the hardened bunch that run the operations in NYC and LA is very effective and chilling. The head madame pulls off a demeanor that can only be described as "replicant", and even that would best describe her 'mellow' moments. The male leads are also very well done, whether the character is crazed, confused or practically mute. The american film scene desperately needs intelligent, well acted and finely crafted films like this! Go see a John Covert film!

This film does a tremendous job of showing the effects of an uncertain and dissolute life, fueled by too much coke and unseemly relationships. In addition, John's voice overs provide touches of humor, insight and poetry to an otherwise queasy slide into distrust, recriminations, exhibitionism, and back seat 'theater of cruelty'. Unlike Traffic or Requiem For A Dream, this is not a heavy handed or didactic film; nobody is hung up on bourgeoise dreams or delusions, nor are we encumbered with addled parents or "innocent" children. The noirish black and white photography adds to the claustrophobia and enhances everyone's dark moods. This is a really good film, made for next to nothing and shot in Chicago using local talent. And it has more to say, more nuance and more "art" than the aforementioned movies that everybody flocked to and professes to love. But by comparison, THIS is an interesting, artful film, and those two are 'after school, "say no to drugs" specials'. Go see Blind Lead.

The parents of Charles, the loser and addict husband, who are impossibly bourgeoise, begin the cycle of dishonesty and class warfare, in their attempt to gain custody of the child. Helene is followed, harassed and finally drugged; her fear, paranoia and her hallucinations are "real" and very powerful. This is Chabrol at his best, giving a scathing critique of the whims and overall avarice of the bourgeoise and upper class while showing you the terrible fate of a very mortal character who is trying to escape from the mistake of marrying wealth and position.

This is one of the most stunning short films ever made. Marker has pieced together an oblique, sci-fi setting for marvelous still photography; when there is movement, it is a cause for joy! Everyone who is a cineast should see this film: it's that good and it's that important!

Director Robert Wise, near the beginning of his career, made a decent lawyer film with a good ending. There's not much suspense, and the plot device owes much to the play, "Hat, Coat and Glove"; and it is no surprise that Tom Conway was in a film re-make of that play when it was made into a movie a second time. While this might not be great noir, it is certainly a "B movie" that is easy to watch.

Samantha and Anthony are not a good couple, and their fate at the end of the film may not be the ending anyone is looking for. But in between, the film and the actors give a very gritty turn at how hollow and empty the singles sex scene can be, especially if it is fueled by too much alcohol and too many drugs. The attempts at introspection are handled very well, allowing the characters to develop their own special shallowness and frailty, and the action does a great job of showing how a few indiscretions can snowball into an empty and emotionally sickening life. Even if you have not slept with these kind of people, you have probably met them, and the film does a gritty job of slipping you into their uneasy, fragile and emotionally unsatisfying lives. This is a very good first flic, and hopefully more will follow.

Being able to see the Arkestra/Orchestra during this period is really wonderful. Certainly there are strange happening and moments, and the black nationalism may now be out of place. Worth it indeed for Sun RA and some Jazz fans.

Many of the Maryland Plantation scenes in the film are dreadful, racist and horrible to sit through, despite the obvious "employment" the film offered african-american actors and actresses. Bette Davis over plays and is never credible. George Brent is nothing. But Mary Astor is worth the perseverance it requires to watch the film. She looks spectacular, and whenever the scene givers her something to work with, she is tremendous. Pay special attention to the night club scene close to half-way through the film. Astor looks and acts spectacularly elegant and profoundly sexy!

The employees of a mob owned strip club decide they want out, and plan a big heist. Of course, things go wrong. This is the seventh film by local Chicago director John Covert--and not the person named as director above--who also stars as Ed. Shot in video, sometimes there is a grainy look and feel to this that reminds me a Godard's Alphaville. The sour atmosphere of the strip club is heightened by the players continual use of drugs and sex as means to unseen, unarticulated and mindless, (but as far as the plot goes, not meaningless) sex. The video obsessions of the techie/janitor at the club are unnervingly funny and the old burlesque adage, "what you see is what you get" is blown-up, distorted and parsed out in interesting and sleazy ways. With luck, this film will get decent distribution, and Covert's work will be more than a moderately well kept Chicago secret.

Fritz Lang had a reputation for disliking american actors and actresses, but he made three films with Sidney; sadly, because the reviews and receipts were lacking, it was their final film together. You And Me has some spectacular shots of machinery and late 30's office work that stands up even today, with a clear message about industrialization, the "modern" work-place, and american society in general. The film also features magnificent music and song from Kurt Weill. This may not be as riveting as Fury, or as depressing as You Only Live Once, but it is indeed, a masterpiece! And George Raft is just fine, too.

This is a surprisingly complex film that continues to build and grow right before your eyes. Some of the action and plot mechanism may need to be "accepted" to work, but once you realize that this is not merely an exercise on moral judgements, but a very sly re-working of familiar King Lear themes, the film's power and nuances become evident. For all those who see Kagemusha as a high point, and Ran as a huge failure, they may seek solace in this film, which pushes the trope of the rash old man, who has become so accustomed to getting and doing what he wants, that he cannot and will not accept his extended family's naysaying and interference. A really great film.

Betty Compson plays Helga, who comes over from scandinavia to marry John, who ends up ignoring and boring her, but embezzles his bank to provide for them, in the midst of what becomes an unhappy love triangle. The acting is very good, and like all early Archainbaud's, crisply directed. Everyone turns in emotionally vivid performances, and there is a lot more content here than anyone would expect. And Nick Musuraca makes it all look good.

The career of Evelyn Brent probably peaked in the end of the silent era. She made three pics with von Sternberg (Underworld; Last Command; and The Dragnet) and a solid effort with William Wellman (Woman Trap) and did make the jump to talkies, but none of HER pics were successful. This one is mostly straight revenge, taking out her emotions through the cop's son, played by a very young William Holden. Brent has an undisputable presence, and an intriguing nose, and her gowns and dresses are frequently revealing...one or two are cut so low in the back that they would be fashionable and mildly daring today. Fans of early talkies will love this!

With the exception of Julie & Celine Go Boating, Rivette's films are not well known in this country, and therein is quite a loss. This is a very complicated story of student-roomates whose ordinary lives threaten to shatter their ordinary lives. Love, betrayal, the arts, sexuality, criminal behavior and trust are a few of the many themes that permeate the slowly developing action. The entire film is visually gorgeous and challenging, especially the shots from the elevated subway, which provide not only enlightment and whimsey, but also prefigure the escalating actions and surprises of the slowly moving plots. The young actresses are quite good, especially Laurence Cote, whom some may know from her role in Les Voleurs, a very fine film by Andre Techine. There is no easy way into Rivette's excellent films. Most of them are slow to develop and far from obvious. But all of them are deeply rewarding, warrant numerous repeat screenings, and Gang of Four is no exception.

This is not a great film by any means, but is certainly worth seeing for the fine performance by Constance Bennett. The camera loves her and all the romance scenes play very well. Most viewers will find the ending kind of phoney but one has to assume that so much war time sex, romance and spying was more than the Code would allow, so a "wonderful coincidence" of an ending was almost a given!