The latest movies
It is nearly 3 in the morning and I just got back from the cinema. Ah, the late showings. Cheaper, and you can find movies that most places do not have. Besides, it was at the Phoenix film-house, which is a more independent cinema than the Odeon owned theaters here. I became a member the first week I was here. So far I have seen 3 movies there, two of them for free because I know the deals going on. So far I have seen:
-Howls Moving Castle: A Miyasaki animated film. In the same whimsical style of his other movies. Not as dark as Mononoke nor as lighthearted as Spirited Away. In some ways it was that lack of definition that hurt it. Or maybe it was just because he didnt actually write this one. Do not get me wrong, it was still better than any other animated film to come out this year and better than most non animated ones. Miyasaki is such a master. It is a shame that many animated movies are dismissed as cartoons and assumed that they are meant for children. His stuff is universal, seriously.
-Broken Flowers: The new bill murray flick. What to compare it to... hmm... in a way it is sort of an awkward and painful tragicomedy with hints of both Sideways and Lost in Translation, with a pinch of Wes Anderson to boot. Of course it is hard not to compare to Murray's other recent work since his character has remained essentially static during the past 5 years. Brilliantly so, but still... The film was reminiscent of some of the 70s dark comedies where half the audience feels uncomfortable and the other half laughs. Brilliantly inconclusive and random. But not for the easily offended, it contains some awkward nudity (you will understand if you see it).
-Innocence: This is the one I saw tonight. I am still processing it, it was simply amazing. It was compared to Buñuel's work if that makes a difference to you. I could see him liking it for sure, though this is clearly more post-modern than his existentialist-surrealism. It doesnt really tell a story, it is more of a snapshot of a girls school of sorts (though describing it as such limits the surreal nature of the setting). The girls are all young, trapped and developing. So the director gives us this image of a metamorphosis without a real story per say. It is a french film with most of the actresses being under the age of 10. After 15 minutes of watching it, I knew it was the work of a woman. Not even because of the subject matter... there was an intangible femininity to the style and feel of the movie. Some feminine despair was also obvious by the end. It was amazing to see a coming of age story done by a woman and to see how different the slant was to that of most coming of age stories done by men. I think we are on the verge of seeing many more female directors in the movie industry and as far as I'm concerned, that is a very good thing.
-Howls Moving Castle: A Miyasaki animated film. In the same whimsical style of his other movies. Not as dark as Mononoke nor as lighthearted as Spirited Away. In some ways it was that lack of definition that hurt it. Or maybe it was just because he didnt actually write this one. Do not get me wrong, it was still better than any other animated film to come out this year and better than most non animated ones. Miyasaki is such a master. It is a shame that many animated movies are dismissed as cartoons and assumed that they are meant for children. His stuff is universal, seriously.
-Broken Flowers: The new bill murray flick. What to compare it to... hmm... in a way it is sort of an awkward and painful tragicomedy with hints of both Sideways and Lost in Translation, with a pinch of Wes Anderson to boot. Of course it is hard not to compare to Murray's other recent work since his character has remained essentially static during the past 5 years. Brilliantly so, but still... The film was reminiscent of some of the 70s dark comedies where half the audience feels uncomfortable and the other half laughs. Brilliantly inconclusive and random. But not for the easily offended, it contains some awkward nudity (you will understand if you see it).
-Innocence: This is the one I saw tonight. I am still processing it, it was simply amazing. It was compared to Buñuel's work if that makes a difference to you. I could see him liking it for sure, though this is clearly more post-modern than his existentialist-surrealism. It doesnt really tell a story, it is more of a snapshot of a girls school of sorts (though describing it as such limits the surreal nature of the setting). The girls are all young, trapped and developing. So the director gives us this image of a metamorphosis without a real story per say. It is a french film with most of the actresses being under the age of 10. After 15 minutes of watching it, I knew it was the work of a woman. Not even because of the subject matter... there was an intangible femininity to the style and feel of the movie. Some feminine despair was also obvious by the end. It was amazing to see a coming of age story done by a woman and to see how different the slant was to that of most coming of age stories done by men. I think we are on the verge of seeing many more female directors in the movie industry and as far as I'm concerned, that is a very good thing.