Monday, November 5, 2018

THE WEEKLY RECAP: October 29 - November 4



Beetlejuice (1988)

Directed by Tim Burton

* * *

Barbara and Adam (Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin, respectively) are a modest, mild-mannered, and seemingly normal couple living in a lovely countryside house…except for one little detail: they are ghosts, having died in a car accident, and are now spiritually confined in the walls of the house. Even though they are assigned a guidebook entitled “The Handbook for the Recently Deceased”, the transition to spiritdom is seemingly impossible. It gets worse for them, as the house has just been occupied by the Deetz family. Though they are initially intent on getting the family out of the house (even resorting to spooky bedsheets with eyeholes), everything changes when they form a bond with the teenage goth Lydia (Winona Ryder), which leads to Barbara and Adam being more welcoming. But a con artist posing as a bio-exorcist named Betelgeuse (Michael Keaton) might ruin it for everybody.

How funny that for the longest time I remembered the Beetlejuice cartoon show (albeit, very vaguely), but never knew that it was based off of a live action film. Well, having been in the mood for something a bit more fun and synonymous with Halloween season, I finally got around to Tim Burton’s cult classic. I had a ball with this movie. The characters were all lovable with wonderful performances to compliment those great characters (Ryder is exceptionally adorable, and that’s an understatement). The whole premise in general is also great fun in its originality – I especially loved the idea of Barbara and Adam being assigned a caseworker.

While a good movie, I couldn’t exactly call Beetlejuice a great movie, interestingly enough not for the reasons I expected – Tim Burton is usually overbearing in his style for my taste, but not the case here. My biggest criticism is the somewhat lack of depth in the characters – they have enough personality that we enjoy their company a lot, but we never get to know them, especially Keaton’s titular Betelgeuse. Speaking of him, the tone of the movie shifts Betelgeuse from villain to potential hero in the rather convoluted climax, then back to villain at the last minute. It may not be perfect, but Beetlejuice was still a clever take on the ghost story and, more importantly, great fun.


The Black Stallion (1979)

Directed by Carroll Ballard

* * * *

After a horrifying shipwreck, young Alec (Kelly Reno) groggily awakens on the beach of a desolate landscape. He wanders about, in search of whatever hospitality he can come across, but instead he only treads nearer to death’s door. In the nick of time, when death was literally inches from his face, Alec’s life is miraculously saved by a beautiful black stallion. With nobody else around, the two share a bond – they are mutually hesitant at first, but grow closer and closer. Alec is eventually rescued from the island, but not without his trusty and noble steed. With the proper training, he just might have the potential to master turn this horse into a racehorse the likes of which nobody has ever seen.

Like Alec’s trial through the sinking liner he was once aboard, we are sometimes thrown into life itself via horrifying means. If we triumph through our trials, who knows what glory awaits us in the next step in life. I think this is what The Black Stallion is getting at, and these are the kind of open-allegorical experiences that I insatiably crave in cinema, especially in the first half. With little dialogue, a very unique and original score that gives the film a silent movie vibe, it is purely experience, and what bliss I experienced watching the film. Let me put it this way: certain circumstances left me slightly distracted from the movie, and I was still struck by it regardless.

As for the second half...I’ve read some criticism stating that The Black Stallion becomes “routine” after that first half. There is indeed a difference in feeling from the first and second chapters of the movie, considering there’s more plot going on in the latter, but it doesn’t feel like an abrupt tonal shift. It never gets locked in the narrative, and still maintains a level of elusiveness that allows for allegorical meditation – honestly, give me a few more watches, and I could probably do an “Under the Microscope” entry on this film. Regardless, though, this beloved film is one I will cherish for quite some time.


The Color of Pomegranates (1969)

Directed by Sergei Parajanov

* * *

Though technically about Armenian musician Sayat-Nova, this is not a biopic. In the opening titles, the following is stated: “This film does not attempt to tell the life story of a poet. Rather, the filmmaker has tried to recreate the poet’s inner world through the trepidations of his soul, his passion and torments, widely utilizing the symbolism and allegories.” And the result? Well, as a work of art, it is literally spectacular. Parajanov adopts a somewhat meditative style with a colorful and whimsical visual palette, almost as if Tarkovsky is channeling his inner Fellini. Speaking of Tarkovsky, I was reminded of The Mirror in the way the film is less a narrative than a collection of artful moments. There are some terrific images here, too. Many a time I felt like I was gazing at paintings from the Middle Ages (and I mean this as a compliment). As artsy as this film may be, and it’s certainly not for everybody, it’s never arrogant or pretentious. In fact, it is very humble, and I really liked this quality about it.

So, The Color of Pomegranates is an exceptional artwork, but as a film…I can appreciate it for what it set out to achieve, and it indeed achieves its ultimate goal. However, it won’t have much lasting power for me. I’m all about film as an art form, but this film begins to feel like a series of moving paintings rather than a movie. It’s great to have on in the background, but the film never gives you much room to actually get into it (ironically, I have the same criticisms of The Mirror). Also, as Tarkovskian and Felliniesque this film is, it has trouble balancing these tones – it’s never bombastic enough to be Fellini, but it’s too animated to allow for artful meditation like Tarkovsky. Granted, it’s not trying to be either, but it’s my way of voicing my criticism. Overall, it may not amount to much in the long run, but it’s an ambitious achievement in its humble way. At the very least, at less than 80 minutes, it doesn’t overstay its welcome.


Eternity and a Day (1998)

Directed by Theo Angelopoulos

* * * *

Renowned poet Alexander (Bruno Ganz) is a weary man, from his rugged appearance to his life’s work – regarding the latter, he has slavishly attempted to finish a 19th century poem started by Dionysios Solomos. Alexander has just discovered he is ailed by a terminal illness, and he is to be checked into the hospital tomorrow. Today, however, he wants to enjoy this day as if it were his last, wandering about and musing on the significance of his work and life up to this point. Along the way, he meets a young boy (Achileas Skevis), a vagrant whom he rescues from the police. Though the child displays a hardened exterior, there is a great fear within his being, a fear of the unknown. In the face of his own mortality, Alexander shares this same fear.

My first experience with Angelopoulos was Landscape in the Mist. Next was the Palme d’Or-winning Eternity and a Day. With these two films under my belt (with more to follow), he has the potential to become one of my very favorite filmmakers. These films are timeless and universal, always leaving you to think about something with beautifully composed and poetic shots (at the very least, his films are amazing to look at). While Eternity wasn’t as striking as Landscape, it was still an exceptional film, tackling the eternal fear of the unknown ahead of us, whether living or dying. Topped by a great score and the lovely presence of Bruno Ganz, I really loved this movie.

I was originally going to give Eternity a 3.5, but this was one of those cases that the more I thought about it, the more fondly I recalled of it. While it did maybe dwell a little bit here-and-there, it didn’t detract from the overall experience in the long-run. I honestly don’t have much to say about this one. It was a great film from a great, if underappreciated and maltreated, filmmaker. Honestly, the only bad thing I have to say is in jest, as the title sounds way too much like the name of a melodramatic metalcore band. Other than that, a beautiful film.


The Piano (1993)

Directed by Jane Campion

* * *  

We hear Ada’s (Holly Hunter) voice only once throughout the movie – Ada is inexplicably mute, and the voice we hear is that of her mind. She has just arrived on the shores of New Zealand, where she is to marry Alisdair (Sam Neill) under the contract of an arranged marriage. Alongside Ada is her beloved daughter Flora (Anna Paquin) and, equally cherished, her piano, which is not only an artistic outlet for her but also a way of communicating to the world around her. As Ada starts her commodity of a marriage with Alisdair, it is, unsurprisingly, cold and arbitrary with a little bit of tension over the piano. It is here that their relationship turns into a slow-burn when Ada begins mingling with Baines (Harvey Keitel), a local who becomes infatuated with her.

Sometimes, the key to getting an incredible performance out of an actor is by finding a dynamic character that is grounded in the actor’s abilities, rather than a character that is completely out of their league. Some of the best examples I can think of are Schwarzenegger in The Terminator, Jack Nicholson in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, and now I can confidently add Holly Hunter in The Piano to this topic. Her trademark feistiness and fire are very present here, but the character’s circumstances paint her abilities in a light very unique to Hunter’s career. Needless to say, she’s incredible here, enough to earn herself an Oscar along with young Paquin, who brings a remarkable performance from a child.

Production design and cinematography are also fantastic, the latter especially. Campion’s approach to the feminist message is very unique without being overbearing. The bond that Hunter and Paquin share is absolutely gorgeous, but I wish I could say the same about everybody else involved. I never felt much for Baines or Alisdair, as they feel kind of “there”, so to speak, and I can’t help but feel they didn’t add all that much. Maybe not a masterpiece (for now, anyway), but still a solid movie.

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