The americanization of Emily

I read a couple of reviews about this film which heralded this film as some kind of materpiece. It is not! James Gardner, who is a not a great actor, is a dog-robber, i.e. provides goodies to generals and admirals towards the end of WW2. It's supposed to be funny and witty but it's not really and I am not sure why it is part of the controversial classics, apart from James Coburn being in bed with a different girl every night...So in fact it's a film that tries to de-glorify war, but I couldn't really care about it all.

Blackboard Jungle

Another good surprise! I thougth this would be a dated film and in fact when one reads the newspaper, I guess teachers in crap schools get the same deal than Glenn Ford does.

Sideways

I was not expecting much, but since it ended as the best film of 2004 on the list of most US film critics I had to see it. Actually it was much better than I thought. It is unmistakably adapted from a book but pleasant nonetheless. There so much wine tasting in this gilm that we had to open a bottle of wine. Sadly I have no Californian wine in my cellar so we had to have a Gaillac 2002, which made the viewing experience even better as these guys drink throughout the film.

The phantom of liberty

Crazy non-sensical surrealist film from Bunuel who had free reign after the success of Discreet charm...Quite even but some good bits, the funny reception where one of the guest has his dinner alone, while the loos are around the dinner table and it is nasty to talk about food, the sniper bit. I didn't get so well the bit with Jean Rochefort's family and the little girl who has disappeared but is there, very non-sensical indeed but brave for a commercial film.

The Aviator

I got really bored watching this biopic. Visually good, Scorcese trying to recreate 2 strip Technicolour in the first 3rd and full Technicolour after 1935 is interesting (not sure about the CGI planes though) but the pace/rhythm was way off. Leo is good but the rest of the cast is not. Actually painful to watch and Marty needs to make a film under 2 hours.

Francesco giullare di Dio

A fairly austere film from Rosselini made in 1950, based on the writings of Francesco di Assissi. Rosselini uses a dozen of these fioretti showing the life of Francesco and his buddying monks. The story with Nicolai the Tyrant is the most entertaining and the last scene with the monks spinning and falling on the floor in a position that determines their future individual journey the most beautiful.

Fury

Fritz Lang's first film made in the US is a remarkable one, in particular thanks to some very very good shots coming from his silent period. The first half is fantastic describing how people can spread rumours and inflate stories up to the point where a mob is ready to kill a man. The second part is a bit more common and less exciting, cout room drama, ending up in a moralistic message.

Bad day at Black Rock

I clearly remember watching this film on the legendary French TV program 'La derniere seance' on a Tuesday evening when I was a teenager. I found it still very good with great actors, but not the masterpiece I thought it was.

Advice & Consent

It starts well with a great minimal Saul Bass credit design, and then goes on for about an hour following a bunch of senators. Henry Fonda has just been appointed by the President to become Secretary of State, Charles Laughton is not happy about it, and we go into a long Senate Committee to discover that Fonda was a Commie, more plotting, big shock the head of the commission is blackmailed, when he go meet a fat guy with lots of cats in NY we understand he played for the other team while he was in the Army, and kills himself and a bit more drama occurs. It takes a while to get started but it quickly becomes fascinating. I guess much haven't change on Capital Hill, and some Senators are as devious as they were then. Laughton is great, Fonda is not not starrring at all, all the actors are great, and the black & white photography in Panavision looks great. A very good start to the Warner Controversial Classics box.

Hoop Dreams

Is such a great documentary, following the past of 2 young guys from the rough Cabrini Green Project in Chicago and their failed quest to reach the NBA. A great sociological document as well as a thrilling sports film. The commentary track from the directors is also terrific.

The Bellboy

Jerry Lewis is Stanley, one of the bellboy at the luxury hotel Fontainebleau in Miami Beach. First Jerry Lewis I see (his directorial debut), and it's not far from being a masterpiece. Amazing visual jokes, a great use of space and the hotel location/design, as well as a great use of time. It is almost experimental - a funny looking guy, playing a Paramount producer, warns at the beiginning that it is a film without story nor plot, just a succession of scenes. The first few minutes instantly reminded me of Jacques Tati, and Stanley only speaks once at the end of the film. 70 minutes of pure genius.

Diabolique

Clouzot is not Hitchcock! Midly entertaining until the laughable ending,

The Milky Way/Belle de Jour

We managed to watched these two while in our luxury Riads in Marrakech. I didn't like The Milky way very much, although the concept is kind of interesting, 2 bums/pilgrims travelling to St-Jacques de Compostelle and encouring different characters, or not, and disserting on the existence of God. Bunuel only used stuff written in kind of official church documents. Belle de Jour is still awesome, I love the pervy professor and Deneuve is marvellously dressed by Yves St-Laurent.

The life aquatic with Steve Zissou

I am very upset! What kind of moron has Seymour Cassel in his film, only to get rid of him within the first 5 minutes? So with Seymour this may had been awesome, but instead we have to deal with a lazy script, poorly fleshed characters, a big lull in the middle where not much happens, then some midly entertaining action scenes (although we don't really feel for the characters). So we have some quirky dialogues, usually said in a deadpan voice, the art direction is as usual good for a Wes Anderson film, and that's about it.

The Seahawk

This was tonight's entertainment. A 1940's blockbuster, Hollywood was already into formulaic films, rehashing Captain Blood. Funnily enough, Queen Elizabeth I is also in that one, slightly less ugly that in The Private life... Errol Flynn fights quite a bit against nasty Spaniards and treacherous English lords, and there is a cute monkey. Still, it's midly entertaining but Michael Curtiz is not a great director, and action films now officially bore me.

The Private life of Elizabeth and Essex

I love late 1930s Technnicolour films, Bette davis play Elizabeth I and Errol Flynn is the Earl of Essex, amazing costumes, nice sets but overall it's a bit dull, short of action, lots of talking and I drifted in and out of sleep watching it.

Fear and Trembling

I had been warned. Despite being extremely popular in France, Amelis Nothomb always gets bad reviews. Nonetheless, I rented the film and it was bad. And I was disappointed by how little was shown of Tokyo.

The Big Red One (The Reconstruction)

Lee Marvin and his 4 buddies land in North Africa, Sicily, Normandy, go through Belgium, Germany and end up in Czechcoslovakia. I never saw the fim as it was released in 1980, so can't compare it with this reconstruction. Sam Fuller shows war as it is with violence but also iddleness and even humour. The characters are great and human. A late minor masterpiece from the great Sam, whose film I fear suffered from being released a year after Apocalypse Now.

Cannes Stories / The Red Carpet, etc.

Two short documentaries about Cannes compiled by Gilles Jacob for Agnes B. It sounded good, but it is crap, no story, an average selection of clips with some great (Godard, Bresson and Antonioni) and some useless ones with random celebs turning up at Cannes (Michael Jackson, eh?), glamour but dull. Some odd ceremonies seem to take place there every year, usually involving a bunch of famous directors, standing on the stage being applauded for ages by film stars.

All about Eve

Ann Baxter plays the evil Eve, who is lying and plotting to succeed in the theater against an aging Margo Channing played by Bette Davis. As always George sanders looks very happy with himself as a famous critic. A Hollywood classic, but slightly too wordy, and not my favourite Mankiewicz (Letter to 3 wives is much better). A long flashback, interestingly with several characters narrating the story in voice-over.

A Way of Life

I made a mistake on my Amazon rental list, and rented this film instead of Summer of love. 'A way of life' is by a young British female director and is quite gutsy as a first feature. Set somewhere in Wales, it follows the life of 3 young unemployed guys and Leanne, who is a single mother. It's all very bleak, and ends up tragically for the Turkish neighbour. A dark film for a late Monday afternoon.

Bring me the head of Alfredo Garcia

A very strange film. The love story bit is odd, the actress is terrible, Oates is great as the loser constantly drunk on tequila carrying Al's head around. Again, not the film I expected, less action, very slow rhythm, the shootings, in traditional Peckinpah slo-mo, only kick-in the second half and cool scenes at Camino Real where the baddies have a suite. A dark and personal film from Peckinpah.