Last movie watched...

[I, Cosh]

In anticipation of the imminent release of Before Midnight, I sat down last week to revisit the first two films in the series. What follows is more a celebration than a jaundiced critical appraisal. For those unfamiliar with it, Before Sunrise is about Yank Jesse (Ethan Hawke) meeting French Celine (Julie Delpy) on a train and persuading her to get off in Vienna with him to spend the night walking around talking. That's it (although they're probably both thinking they might end up doing the wild thing.)

There are some things I like which I can't really understand why anyone else doesn't: chips and cheese, say, or Nikolai Dante. This film isn't one of those things. I'm acutely aware of how unbearably wanky it could seem to some people. If you've seen some of Linklater's other films - particularly Slacker or Waking Life - you'll have some idea of the sort of pseudo-intellectual waffle you're in for. It treads a very thin line between entertaining and cringeworthy and is wide open to accusations of pretension and simply havering a load of bollocks.

And they do talk a lot of bollocks. For me, however, it more often seems very true to the sort of crap that two uncertain, insecure people might talk in the attempt to impress each other and validate themselves as worthy of the other's attention. This air of people trying so hard becomes one of an extremely long list of things I find utterly endearing. Plus it's not all like that: there's laughter and silly banter and sly pisstaking aplenty. There's certainly an element of personal identification involved in enjoying it; I know I've been guilty of talking shit to try and impress women and I like to believe maybe I could hold the right person's attention in the right circumstances. Mostly, though, it's the wonderful, unshowy central performances and the genuine chemistry between the leads that sells it. Watching the small changes in the way they regard each other over the course of the evening and willing them to make the right choices is a joy.

It's not quite the same level as Star Wars or Die Hard, but I've seen this film so many times I can anticipate large chunks of the dialogue and changes of shot. For such a talky film this could seem like a problem but, in reality, the comforting familiarity allows you to focus on other aspects. Delpy and Hawke are onscreen pretty much constantly with very little to react to except each other so it becomes fascinating to watch the physical performances and the subtle shifts in body language which reflect their changing relationship over the course of the night. There's a scene near the start where our man goes for the classic "arm resting innocuously on the back of her seat on the bus" manoeuvre which is quietly counterpointed on hour or so later in the way she pulls his arm around her.

I overuse the facile observation that Sin City is nothing more than the unpleasant wank fantasy of a dirty old man/fifteen year old boy. There's no escaping the fact that Before Sunrise is pretty much the same wish fulfilment fantasy for ineffectual, floppy fringed, middle-class arts graduates with an inflated opinion of their own intelligence and importance. That doesn't stop it being pure magic.


I haven't seen Before Sunset anything like as often as the first film but I found myself grinning from ear to ear throughout. It picks up nine years later when they meet again, not quite accidentally this time. For almost all of the relatively short running time the screen is filled with Celine and Jesse either sitting together talking or walking together talking. Other than an odd word here and there, the dialogue seems so natural (more so than in the first film, although that's partly attributable to the changed circumstances) it's really like listening on two people who've just bumped into each other and found the old connection is still there.

As they talk, it's obvious that these are essentially the same characters but they've lived and grown in the intervening time. Conversations do meander down some of the same intellectual cul-de-sacs but the self-conscious need to impress on both sides is largely gone, replaced with a measure of comfort at having found a place in the world which allows each of them to channel some of what was only theory into practice. Not necessarily comfort with everything in their lives though: they wouldn't be same people if there wasn't always something in their lives to whine about! It's also more overtly funny. Celine in particular had some great funny lines in the first film but here she's much more willing to take the piss at any given opportunity.

Again, when you look past the words to their body language you see a whole other level of performance. From the initial joy of seeing each other again through moments of awkwardness and tenderness on both sides (an park bench echo of the arm on the back of the bus seat scene from the first and an uncertain attempt to touch the back of his head) to the final laid back looseness of two people comfortable in each other's presence even though uncertain what will happen next. I realise that when talking about this stuff all I'm really doing is describing "acting." Maybe I don't normally look closely enough or perhaps it's the familiarity that makes me look for more detail each time but I really see things in both performances in both films that stagger me.

Both films have wonderfully open endings (which are then spoilt by the advance press for the next) which allow the viewer to project their own worldview onto the outcome and spend the next nine years idly pondering what's happened since.


TL;DR version: Cosh fancies Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke can sometimes do good acting too.

[TordelBack]

You write a good review, Cosh.  Only seen the first one myself, quite liked it, must try the second. While you were revelling in revisiting naturalistic performances of subtlety and beauty, I was watching The Expendables for the first time.  Far too much talking, but when things are blowing up it's pretty darn great.  Hrrrrrrgh. 

TL;DR: Mrs. TB fancies Jason Statham and TB thinks Dolph Lundgren is the greatest sweaty mumbler of his generation.

[Mardroid]

Man of Steel

There were a couple of small issues, but overall, I really enjoyed it.

[HdE]

Just saw 'Chronicle'.

Now, I'd resisted this movie for a long time, being sick and tired of found-footage style movies that didn't live up to their premise. This, though, was utterly brilliant!

[Frank]

Mongol (2007).  Absolutely splendid stuff - Conan with moustaches. Exactly how I like my mystical racial-myth hagiographies, dusty, well-paced, beautifully shot and with gorgeous women and even more gorgeous landscapes.  My favourite bit is where he's locked in a cage above the Tangrut capital for 5 or 6 years, and you just know it's only a matter of time until his gaolers are completely screwed. 

You might have told us you watched it on telly! It's still up iplayer, and it's every bit as gorgeous to look at as the man with the Tordel Back suggests; impossibly huge mountain ranges fill the screen and vast, lush landscapes of grass-covered steppes undulate so far off into the distance and on all sides you're amazed they aren't CGI. Those vistas and the scope of the horseback battles make Dave Lean and Pete Jackson look like kitchen sink dramatists, and the film also seems to get away with a level of sincerity common in cinema of old but which modern American films just look silly trying to pull off nowadays.

I really enjoyed the funny and charismatic performance of the guy who played the brother/the villain (i) and I've been trying to imitate that incredible throat singing the two of them get up to all morning. I remember reviews at the time saying the Russian directed and financed film seemed like an apologia for authoritarian oligarchy, and I can see why the film's message that you have to slaughter a whole load of people to unite a vast land and an unruly people has some bearing on modern day Russia and China. As does the final decree that the greatest crime of all is to disobey the Khan - "we didn't know" - THUNK!

There's a sequel, called The Great Khan, in the works as part of a planned trilogy.



(i) he actually says "I am the law!"

[Dandontdare]

since I got Netflix to watch Arrested development, I thought I'd check out the movies too. Peeved to se that Avengers is not available, so I watched Thor again last night, and loved it just as much as I did at trhe cinema. Branagh gives us just the right mix of Asgard/Earth action; the fights are brilliantly done, casting is spot on and the Destroyer is an awesome villain. If I had any minor niggles it's that Volstagg wasn't nearly fat enough and wore too much make-up; and Loki's desire to slug it out with Thor was uncharacteristic - he's never been portrayed as a fighter, certainly not skillful enough to go toe to toe with Thor.

it has ceratinly whetted my appetite for the sequel

[Link Prime]

I didn't care about the new guy all that much.

Is that new avatar Jeremy Renner in a bowler hat, Pops?

That's me in a bowler hat, but you're right, I do have the smouldering good looks of a movie star  ;-P

Hey, I didn't say Ryan Reynolds, did I?

[Hawkmumbler]

Just saw 'Chronicle'.

Now, I'd resisted this movie for a long time, being sick and tired of found-footage style movies that didn't live up to their premise. This, though, was utterly brilliant!

It is very good. Super powers does not equel super hero/ heroin.

[Richmond Clements]

Just saw 'Chronicle'.

Now, I'd resisted this movie for a long time, being sick and tired of found-footage style movies that didn't live up to their premise. This, though, was utterly brilliant!

It is very good. Super powers does not equel super hero/ heroin.

I wasn't that impressed by Chronicle. It annoyed me when the film makers started to ignore their own 'found footage' rules during the 3rd act. Still, Peach Trees was cool...

[moly]

Watched warm bodies thought it was a good take on zombies

[Hawkmumbler]

Nice coincydink moly. Watched Warm Bodies and thought it was awful!

[Tiplodocus]

BOOK OF ELI

I never tire of watching Denzel Washington even in middling fare like this. Some aces post-apocalyptic action aside, it doesn't really give us anything new. Sure there are a couple of twists near the end - but even I saw them coming.

But the biggest twist was, I suppose, the meta-twist. You think you are getting a Simpson/Bruckheimer style post-apocalyptic actioner  but in fact you get a Walden Media movie.

Or Book of Eli? More like Bag of Shite!

BAD TEACHER
Apparently, I can tire of watching Cameron Diaz.  I really didn't think that day would come.

or Bad Teacher? More like Bad Shite!

[Colin YNWA]

BOOK OF ELI

I thought it was okay BUT of more import here, if you ever get the chance you have to see Chris Weston (of these pastures) storyboards to believe them. You know how storyboards are normally quite sketchy... not these, you could bloody publish these. Incredible.

And so you do have the chance to see them.

http://chrisweston.co.uk/?page_id=283

[Ghost MacRoth]

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters

Great to see a movie relying so heavily on physical rather than CG effects, and for the most part, getting them right. Not that I'm against CG in any way, but I prefer traditional effects done at the time of shooting rather than in post production as I do a bit of that myself.   The sets were lovely, the cinematography was grand and sweeping at times, the costumes were great (tight leather trousers for Miss Atterton, oh yes!), and SOME of the 'acting' was pretty good.  The film however, was drivel.  Not that I expected much more, but I was a touch confused as to who this film was aimed at.  The script is so dumbed down I thought it must be for kids, but then there's the constant (unnecessary) swearing and violence, so I guess it would be for 'teens' instead.   Not the worst film ever made, basically utter pish that passes the time, and is worth a watch for those interested in effects.

[Mardroid]

The Lost Boys: The Tribe

I'm sure that actor who played that big vamp at the start was the same guy who played Sex Machine in From Dusk Til Dawn. I could be wrong as he doesn't look much older but there's a strong resemblance.

Anyway, this film is much derided and I think I can see why. It follows the basic premise of the original film with more sex, violence and gore. The blurb at the back of the case even describes it as a 'reboot' although it is certainly set after the events of the other film. It does feel a bit flatter to me although I found it entertaining.

Although it's not stated explicitly it appears the kids from this film could be the offspring of Michael and Star from the first film. (I thought that hard to believe but considering this film is set 21 years later and Corey is described as 'nearly 18' (her brother supposedly a year or two older) the maths actually do add up. I'm getting old. ) At least that's the implication by their shared surname 'Emerson'. Thing is: aside from the cameo at the end and Edgar Frog's reprising his role there is no reference to the previous film.  It would make more sense if the kids of each were completely unrelated. It served no purpose.

That being said, I thought the film was okay. Much too much swearing for my liking though.

Great traditional style stunt work in a biking/skate boarding cop chase scene. Some black humour that made me wince and laugh. ([spoiler]Having undead fast healing mates means you can take practical jokes to a whole new level. As long as you miss the heart of course.[/spoiler] ) I thought the vamped out makeup was a bit too close to Buffy for my liking. I can understand them wishing to improve effects since the 80s film but there wasn't much wrong with the vampire makeup in that film. The story was far from original but it served. I'd say the 80s film was far better overall although the subordinate vampires got to do more than their counterparts in the original.

It was interesting seeing that cameo from [spoiler]the late Corey Haim at the end and in the alternate endings. (Curiously he looked much more recognisable to his younger self in his vampire makeup than without it in the alternative endings!)[/spoiler]

Anyway, The Thirst is next. I understand that one is much better liked by the lost folk online.