Notre musique by Jean-Luc Godard

Category: Non-English

How relevant is Jean Luc Godard in this day and age? The legendary French director broke boundaries and was a little above Truffaut at places. Truffaut and Godard being the biggest names to come out from Cahiers Du Cinema and the French New Wave.

Notre Musique made in 2004 is his latest offering, the film which has a Divine Comedy of Dante style of narrative is divided into 3 sections - Realm 1: Hell which is a montage of images of war (fiction and non-fiction). Realm 2: Purgatory forms the bulk of the film and even has Godard deciding to take a front row seat to viciously attack and deconstruct. Realm 3: Heaven is a brief epilogue featuring the lead actress.

Godard continues where he left off with all his previous films - understanding Cinema itself, asking questions such as, "Can the little shiny cameras save cinema?" among other things. Framing, images, the aesthetic everything comes under questioning. The film itself is set in Sarajevo in which a French Jewish woman of Russian descent is attending a symposium on War which features other prominent thinkers and intellectuals such as Mahmoud Darwish.

There's also Godard's questions posed on language and the structure of Grammar - film and language. Interlaces it with still pictures and lets you figure out what he's doing exactly. He de constructs the city of Sarajevo, he does everything. The heart of this film is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Yes, he's still relevant today - in a day when even film makers of this day and age aren't. Watchout for his next release in 2010.

Recommendation level: 5/5. No director can deconstruct and analyze and pose questions the way Godard does, his political style of films has lasted and made him relevant even in this day and age. Color only brings everything to a different level. Speaking of which - watch out for his play with lighting. It is one of his first films I am featuring but I have been a regular Godard film watcher for a long time so I know what am talking about.

Management by Stephen Belber

Category: English

Am not going to lie, this film is much better than The Proposal, the only reason why it isn't selling as much or as popular is because Steve Zahn isn't really eye candy for all the women. But this film surprisingly works on more than just the obvious level.

It's a romatic chick flick but I was surprised to say the least that this film wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Steve Zahn plays a character completely lost about how he is going to live his life he meets Jennifer Aniston's character who is very uptight and basically the polar opposite of his. They have sex in the motel which is owned by Zahn's family and he falls in love with her, she doesn't. He plays catch up all movie which sees her ignoring him, squirming him to midly accepting him to finally getting married to the crazy Jango (portrayed by Woody Harrelson) who is an ex punk and now a Yogurt selling moghul. There's also that part of the Buddhist monks and a Chinese side kick.

I have to say, emotions were very well handled in this film - it does get you all emotional at places and then there's some humour in the form of Jango and the kinds of things he says or does. Aniston looks old, sadly she does and all the cosmetics in the world can't hide that she's tired. Zahn has always been that loser in the films and while this is no different he shines in his acting and portrayl - from being mildly annoying you see his point as the film progress'. Fred Ward is restrained as the father who never doted on his kid.

Recommendation level: 2/5 - Oh Lord, it's a little sappy, I might change this to a 1.5 later though. Having said all of that, do check this film out it's one of the better chick flicks I've seen lately.

The Proposal by Anne Fletcher

Category: English

For today & tomorrow am going to review two chick flicks, the first one is directed by Anne Fletcher and has Sandra Bullock returning to what she does best - sappy chick flicks. This time armed with botox in her buttocks and face and every part of skin that is exposed on screen. The movie has Sandra Bullock playing a really tight ass books/novels editor and Ryan Reynolds playing her assistant whom she always torments along with the rest of the office.

The acting is pretty okay - Ryan Reynolds is Berg Bergman from Two guys a girl and a pizza place (well he's been the same since then and in every other picture he has 'acted' in). Sandra Bullock' botox acts more than she does! There's a funny dog moment and that's all the film has, very lost moments.

The good news is, the supporting cast - primarily the grandmother is reasonable and thus doesn't make you go mad! But aside from that there's nothing new here barring the concept in general. I have to say though the emotions aren't even conveyed in this film, really disappointing the drama is fake and there aren't enough anti-Canadian jokes to make this movie palatable.

Recommendation level: 1/5 - It's not that bad! LIES it is. Saw this on the plane.

The Passion of Joan of Arc by Carl Theodor Dreyer

My review won't be able to do justice to do this piece of art. The Passion of Joan of Arc is one of the biggest landmark in cinema's for it's lyrical use of the silent medium and for the use of its extensive close up's enhanced by a special film (back in those days). The film is especially unique because it just tells the Passion of Joan of Arc, a different approach in comparison to the Trial's of Joan of Arc type of films we are used to watching.

As a result the film follows the last few hours before Joan gives up her life for her beliefs and most importantly displays immense humanity in these few hours. We're always used to watchin an extremely brave and strong Joan of Arc and Dreyer gets his lead actress, Maria Falconetti to essay this poetic role with immense grace.

As the narrative progress' the more experimentation we can see with time and space itself. As the pace quickens to the expected end Joan displays a lot of human tendencies she's also much like Christ and his Passion has a doubts right up to the end. She is also reminded of her mother at just a few instances.

There's plenty of experimentation with Lights and Sounds - since it's a silent film the background score really makes this film much like stand out films like Lang's Metropolis. Definitely a very experimental film in terms of form and content.

My only grouse with the film was the sub titles were probably not the best since it was made in French, then after it was thought to be burned and surfaces years later it's been translated to Danish and then finally sigh - comes into English.

Dreyer is simply remarkable and I will definitely try and find some more work of his, there's not a lot of films he made but this one really got me hooked onto his style. Watch this space for more on Dreyer!

Recommendation level: 5/5 - For a true international cinema fan this was a treat, but I am not really sure if people who watch films for entertainment will find this Artistic 20's piece any good. Oh this is also one of the bunch of films I have picked up recently on holiday and there's a LOT of quality cinema coming up in the next month or so! Not available in India and still I have an original copy! Yaay!

Break #2

Well, it's that time of the year again, am off for a family vacation and this means I won't have the time to run the blog from tomorrow. I know it's a sucky thought but it's something I can't avoid.

I shall be back very soon though (in a week) and then we shall have sexy times! There's going to be a bunch of Korean films up for review when am back and hopefully I can get some cheap DVD's there and probably view them when am back.

Anyway - have a nice week and miss me!

The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie by Luis Buñuel

Category: Non-English

Aside from Un Chien Andalou, I haven't watched any of Buñuel's works and there's a good chunk of Surreal cinema am missing. I am now certain of this! Anyway - the film is a vicious, dark take on the Bourgeoisie. A section of the people who could only be interested in how they could cut a lamb roast or what wine tastes best with food. That one of their friend is a diplomat from a fake country is of no interest. That they make snide jokes about how people from "poor classes" drink dry martini differently actually bothers them!

The film takes its pace to settle in about the 4 principal characters essayed brilliantly by the cast. The first half of the film primarily deals with the viewers settling in and once the film continues the magik starts, Buñuel basically takes you through a complete visual and audible treat that makes you wonder what to pay attention at and what is exactly real. One of his final works before he stopped making films and eventually passed away, this 1972 film would have probably would have been way different had it been in Black and White.

There's also the Bishop who avenges his murdered parents by first giving the dying man Absolution and then proceeding to blow his brains out. There's also the Bloody Seargent of June 14th and plenty of jokes on the Bourgeoisie which will keep you firmly glued while watching and hopefully appreciating the film. Ah there are some really wonderful shots in the scene particularly when he wants to introduce a new track, like a magician he moves the camera around - conjuring images for you. Basically once the characters are established he starts tackling the dreams and the subsequent effects and there is also the 6 principal characters wanting to have a meal together but never getting about it and the mysterious path they all walk on, or rather we all walk on?

Recommendation level: 5/5 - I'd say you must see! I have a Palador print and it also came with a copy of Un chien andalou. A key actress to point out has to be Delphine Seyrig!

The Human Beast by Jean Renoir

Category: Non-English

I have to admit, I have never been into Renoir, barring a few films I can't really lay claim to being an expert on this. Onto the review - this film is very very dark, the characters are really not the most ideal ones and yet through his camera work and his execution Renoir paints a portrai in front of your eyes. Mind you - you don't even realize how serious this is until the very end of the film comes.

The primary characters are Jean Gabin's Jacques Lantier, Simone Simon as Séverine Roubad & to a lesser extent Fernand Ledoux's Roubaud. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Emile Zola. Lantier is a pathological killer who after serving his debt to society has settled down as a train operator he runs into a bit of trouble as he encounters the lovely Séverine who looks to start an affair with him - mind you she has an abusive childhood as a girl and is also storing away herself. Roubaud is the husband who commits a murder of an ex-lover of his wife and slowly disintegrates into nothing by the end of the film. His character crumbles away as the narrative progress'.

The film is completely powered by Gabin's performance and Simone as a back up. The camera gets very uncomfortable as the movie progress' and this just goes to show exactly Renoir wanted us to watch the film. The film has a very poetic set of lighting to it, thus probably alleviating the seriousness of the situation with the main characters. Some of the train sequences are really stunning for a 1938 film, the film gets a completely new depth when you are made to see the train pulling into the station.

Recommendation level: 4/5 - I really like it, but it's not a masterpiece! The editing is something to really watch out for. Got it from Palador and the rate was pretty good too, not to mention no glaring mistakes in the translation unlike some NDTV Lumeire films.