Hi there guys! I have been in search of filipino indie films. i hope that i can have copies of them. would you know where i can possibly get titles here in the philippines. i do hope that they all are director’s cut. thanks.
I don’t report here on all the movies that I see in cinema (most of them the Hollywood flicks the whole world sees and talks about) but some deserve a bit of extra attention. Especially ofcourse when there is a fellow Dutch man at the helm Anton Corbijn is a celebrated photographer and music video director (maybe even better known Internationally than in his own country) and his amazing photographic skills show in this debut feature. The beautiful black and white images suit the time, the place, the person and the music this movie is about. As a fan of the ‘post-punk’ music genre I knew the story of Ian Curtis and his band Joy Division already. But to see it told so vividly on the big screen let’s it really sink in how young Curtis was and how tragic his life. The acting of all involved is amazing and the live performances of the Joy Division music in the movie are also spot on. It is clear that Corbijn has been involved with this band and this music from the very beginning in the late 1970’s. Because of this Control might just be the most accomplished debut in years! Watch it together with ‘24 hour party people’ if you want to delve deeper into this specific and important piece of music history.
Just checked out Neil Jordan’s THE BRAVE ONE in a nearly empty theatre. Wow. Why was this flick shit on by the majority of mainstream critics. It’s sort of a bench mark for mainstream cinema to be so cynical, watchable, loathsome and empathic all at once.
It’s gorgeous to look at and fascinating to see the plethora of angles things can be viewed from. Survivor. Vigilante. Political. Emotional. Fantasy. Practical.
Yea, it’s not a gritty or knock down as Eastern Promises, or as over-the-top-looney violent as The Departed. But I’m really surprised that there isn’t more folks out there trumpeting for this picture, particularly the cynical, cynical, cynical ending.
Anyhow, just adding my two cents. I liked the flick a lot. It’s a paradoxical collection of so many contradictions that everything makes sense.
I’m not going to be the fool that calls this TAXI DRIVER for 2007, but there was more than one scene where Mrs. Foster started to feel like Mr. Bickle…which gave the same weird slick vibe of John Hurt playing the fascist in V For Vendetta after making such an impression as Winston Smith in NINETEEN EIGHTY-FOUR.
Anyway there is much to chew on in THE BRAVE ONE, it’s a slicker-than-slick package that just has some truly knock-out (yet not overly showy) cinematography. If you are into that sort of thing, this film feels like a satisfying blend of Dionne Beebe, Robert Richardson and Christopher Doyle - And that ain’t shabby.
Oh I am glad you liked it Kurt. I was looking out for your commnets on it on Movie Patron’s Cinecast but for some reason Andrew has put “N/A” under the audio review for it on MP. I really liked it too, here is part of my review:
“This film works as well as it does not because of the shocking bursts of violence and (what verges on) action scenes but the development of Foster’s character from a happy, everyday woman to a heartbroken wreck. You can tell from the way Foster portrays the role, with all her heart, that she really put a lot of herself into it. Considering she not only starred in the film but also was one of the producers shows that this was an important film (and role) to her, one that may bring her some award attention. And the kind of dedication on show from her here really gives the film a lot of weight, much more than if it was just another film she was doing for the money. And by the way that the film ended up being I can tell that this won’t make a big splash as far as money goes, these movies never do. Which is a damn shame in my books.
This film would be Oscar worthy if it weren’t for the subject matter and some of the scenes within. It is something just too unjustly violent for it to be accepted as Oscar worthy. And I think this will also hold back not only the film from being nominated but also Foster herself. But despite that she is brilliant as always.
And the very same goes for Terrence Howard. Personally he was the draw for this film, he has proven to me that he can give a better performance than most and subsequently I will see anything he’s in. And almost needless to say, and repeat on my part, Howard is simply stellar here. It is reported that Foster herself specifically asked for and recommended Howard for the role and I can definitely see why. He is one hell of an actor giving the normal, brilliant performance that only adds to his stellar list.
The film deals with issues that are of the norm in cinema but they are usually either ignored or only dealt with lightly. The obvious issue of revenge is at hand but takes secondary importance behind themes like how loss can affect a person, the connection of people and the value of life in general. It is because the film makes these issues more apparent than the obvious (which was used to advertise it) that allowed me to take this film seriously, which was the main point that would make or break the film.”
I’ve seen the Brave One last night. It’s a well made movie, it does make you think somewhat (more about the movie itself then about the issues it might want to deal with actually). but the praise above is a bit to much. I think that cynical ending doesn’t really work. It’s not the cynisism that doesn’t work, I just don’t believe that the characters would do what they do. All in all an avarage movie. Entertaining, if that’s the right word in the context of this kind of subject matter, while giving you a sense it wants to do more that just that. That’s all I could make of it.
Saw The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford this weekend and really liked it. I’m really glad westerns are becoming marketable again, having loved this and The Proposition. Affleck and Rockwell give Oscar worthy (ugh) performances as the cowardly Ford bros. and Pitt is quite good as the psychotic James. I loved Chopper, and though this is not as good, it is far from a potential sophmore slump I was worried about for Dominik. His vision of the American west is unique and shows the beautiful vistas against the ugly gunslingers. My wife was particularly distressed by the fact that a lot of Americans consider James an outlaw hero after seeing Pitt’s portrayal. She found him loathsome, which I think was Dominik’s intention. A lot of people complained about the narration (my wife included), but I quite liked it and thought it was well written and fit the mood accordingly. I’ve also heard complaints about the film being too slow moving, but when it ended I was shocked that 2 hrs and 40 mins had passed. One of the reasons I believe time flew was that Dominik made each character very complex and very difficult to figure out, partially because their characters develop over the 2 year span the movie covers. The whole running time you are trying to figure out character’s motivations and, in some cases, their basic personalities. Unlike a lot of movies where the characters are dumbed down to the point of, “He’s an angry, violent criminal with a soft side”, this film has characters that are impossible to sum up. They remain mysterious, much like they were in real life. It’s not just shattered hero worship that caused Ford to betray James’ trust, but a number of happenings in his life that lead up to that moment.
I highly recommend this film to anyone who is interested in modern westerns and great character studies.
stardust - a mix of comedy and fantasy genre is hard to make work. Even the ‘dwarf humor’ in LOTR didn’t work most of the time. this movie is not a great comedy and not a very epic fantasy, but for a very small demographic (10 year olds?) it must be fantastically entertaining. The big name actors and smaller name British comedy talent kept my interest throughout, but forgettable stuff on the whole.
the diving bell and the butterfly - amazingly beautiful piece of cinema. And an amazing performance of Max von Sydow in two small scenes as Papinou. I have never seen him better. heartbreaking stuff. this movie deserves awards, lots of ‘em.
crank - inventive, funny, great ‘f*ck all’ attitude and on top of that the always sexy Amy Smart (who also has great comic timing) just a shame the whole Mafia intrigue backbone story wasn’t a bit more… intriguing
I just caught Persepolis at the cinema and really liked it. The animation is extremely stylish and original. It was very interesting to see the Islamic revolution through this one girl’s eyes. A healthy dose of humour in it too.
death proof (by quentin tarantino, 2007) - for me, this is the film of tarantino’s that dips too far away from individual creation and instead towards wanting to show off his frames of reference. it’s a film that’s about appreciation, allowing people something they can cope with taking in and say they undertand too, without actually necessarily being able to say they’re aware of (and have experienced) the specific and general stuff he’s taking from all too often. initially far too aware of the tricksy glitchiness of poor film stock and badly-handled prints, it eventually gets around to focussing on the story. thing is, the story is quite minimal in it’s overall content, and the framing of the shots (frequently quite basic, symmetrical) gives it a similar feel to films like the first ‘friday the 13th’ or even something like ‘last house on the left’ - you’ve a basic idea of what you’re trying to do, a few key points to get too, no real constraints or controls over what you’re doing, and you end up with something that drifts and faffs without much actual focus. the dialogue here - all sounding like people talking tarantinos words rather than speaking a characters dialogue, much more so than usual - is really poor, obvious, cliched and rapid to be given much attention. thing is, as with a filmmaker that’s partly about picking the puzzle apart and determining where the individuals creation begins and the borrowing of other peoples work begins, there’s probably always a smart get-out clause to explain why something was done in a certain way. could be intentionally clunky, could just be badly made. who knows? ultimately, these films shouldn’t have to be about being proud to know and appreciate certain other stuff which a large section of the public have a certain amount of awareness (but not a comparable knowledge of, or a semi-academic appreciation of the unnecessary aspects of the experience) because there should be enough of an understanding that things have to stand up on their own rather than be held up in some sophisticated framework of reference.
Shoot ‘em Up
A lot like Crank, but more expensive looking in production design and actors.
It’s wonderfully over-the-top, filled with cheesy jokes and has a few almost daring bad taste moments to top it off. Most people will discard this as juvenile crap, they don’t get the joke.
Unfortunately, one of the most important thing about telling a joke is timing, and Shoot ‘em up is perhaps 45 minutes-redundant, therefore rendering the film overkill. But, you say, that is part of the joke! Nay, I say, some jokes no matter how clever they think they are are still a bit of a chore to sit through.
Better luck next time to the team though.
(and yes, I dug on the extreme political incorrectness, and the nice detail of Clive Owen’s short-fuse-temper at smallthings, but Shoot ‘Em Up left me flat in the way that, say, Desparado (a compatriot of sorts in the overkill parody subgenre of action) did not. I’ve yet to see CRANK, and methinks I should correct that at some point, although I’ve been putting it off, because I’ve more or less had enough of Statham’s action persona after the glorious (and much enjoyed) idiocy of Transporter 2.
I agree it’s not a very clever joke, but the overkill is indeed part of the joke, part of the fun. I was expecting a no-brainer and was smiling all the way through, very pleased they kept the game going. All those little side gags, the stereotype characters relishing in the delivery of their bad one-liners. Most producers would want either more serious action or less understated parody on the whole, I think. And to get Clive Owen and Monica Bellucci and ofcourse Paul Giamatti as the bad guy to do it… It’s not thát brilliant but very fun and refreshing for my taste. But then I also liked Smokin’ Aces (another movie that uses Motorhead’s Ace of Spades on it’s soundtrack, that always gets bonuspoints in my book and Crank. All three get a solid 3.5 out of 5 from me. Besides westerns and post-apocalyptic movies the high adrenaline over-the-top crazy shooting rampage movies are one of the main themes of the year to me
Ploy - Newest film by the director of Invisible Waves & Last Life in the Universe. It revolves around a girl named Ploy. If you’ve seen those films mentioned, expect mostly more of the same (which is a good thing) with a cleaner palette like Last Life.
A Dirty Carnival - Korean gangster film that is full of cliché characters, but still managed to be highly enjoyable.
13 Beloved - Thai dark comedy/thriller that ended up decent but not entirely fulfilling.
Into the Wild - Beautiful cinematography and atmosphere gives it a 70’s feeling. I read about Christopher a long time ago so I decided to check out the movie (plus I love hiking and being around nature).
RE: Extinction - Eh. Apocalyptic action film “loosely” based on the Resident Evil Games. I ached for a movie based on the Fallout games while watching this.
King of Kong - Hilarious documentary about competitive classic gaming. See it!
Tekkon Kinkreet - Based on the Black & White manga. It compliments the manga wonderfully in my opinion.
Anton Corbijn is a celebrated photographer and music video director (maybe even better known Internationally than in his own country) and his amazing photographic skills show in this debut feature. The beautiful black and white images suit the time, the place, the person and the music this movie is about. As a fan of the ‘post-punk’ music genre I knew the story of Ian Curtis and his band Joy Division already. But to see it told so vividly on the big screen let’s it really sink in how young Curtis was and how tragic his life. The acting of all involved is amazing and the live performances of the Joy Division music in the movie are also spot on. It is clear that Corbijn has been involved with this band and this music from the very beginning in the late 1970’s. Because of this Control might just be the most accomplished debut in years! Watch it together with ‘24 hour party people’ if you want to delve deeper into this specific and important piece of music history.
and Crank. All three get a solid 3.5 out of 5 from me. Besides westerns and post-apocalyptic movies the high adrenaline over-the-top crazy shooting rampage movies are one of the main themes of the year to me 