au hasard balthazar (1966)

"au hasard balthazar" is my first robert bresson. a filmmaker known for the quality of his pictures over the quantity of them (only 14 films were made over a period of 40 years or so) bresson has in the past slipped under my radar in the past due to the conflicting nature of his work and the french new wave. as im going to be exploring his work in more detail over the next 12 months (due to my MA's reading list) i decided it was about time i dipped my toe into the water, picking up a selection of his work over the whole period of his career.

the concept alone of the tale of a donkey who is passed from owner to owner, some kind, some mean, draws comparisons with the life of christ, with the story being a strong analogy for that of his life, death and resurection. jean-luc godard's famous claim that au hasard balthazar is "the world in an hour and a half", certainly ring true, although im not sure that he would be as supportive of the religious overtones (a theory proven true later on in bresson's life, when he confirmed the analogy as being his intention).

the film is beautifully shot, in bresson's trademark workmanlike style. there is very little camerawork in the sweeping sense, in fact there is very little movement at all, but this is appropriate for the tale at hand. as is the score, which borrows from schubert.

the wizard of oz (1939)

as per the request of my reading list, a fresh viewing of "the wizard of oz" proved a necessity this christmas. having not seen the film for at least ten years i had forgotten just how vivid and downright great a film it is. as a fan of the work of murnau and lang i was amazed to realise that ''the wizard of oz'' came just 12 years after lang's "metropolis" and murnau's "sunrise", which is surprising considering the technical progression between the films. according to one of the many documentaries on the dvd, "the wizard of oz'' is the most seen film in history. madness.

traffic (2000)

steven soderbergh's "traffic" is possibly the last of a kind. its one of the final films that focussed on the US government's "war on drugs" prior to the events of the ninth of september 2001, whereby terrorism officially became the states' first port of call when it came to protecting its citizens. a concept explored deeply in television show "the wire", the idea that the the national drug problem hasnt been much of a priority since the towers came down rings true in hollywood at least, where sprawling epics based on the subject are now fairly uncommon. the likes of the abysmal "crash" (the haggis deadweight, not cronenberg's masterpiece) now take its place, pushing the emphasis on human nature as opposed to high crime. which is a shame, as "traffic" is pretty much the best thing both the director and cast of the film have ever done.

the strongest section of the film takes place in mexico, at the source of both the drugs that move the story along as well as the bookends for the film. benecio del toro leads the mexico sections, draped in drawn out yellows, part of the concept that dictates each section of the film is exhibited in a different colour (with michael douglas' scenes as the government minister shot in cold blue hues), wherein the gritty reality of the drugs trade is revealed, through a combination of torture, corruption and political clarity. catherine zeta jones leads the california sections of the film, as the wife of a local businessman who is found to be a key player in the importation of drugs, who's own downward spiral correlates with the narrative flow. and while im not generally a fan, michael douglas is genuinely great in the aforementioned role, as the government representitive on drugs, who's own daughter is a drug user herself. coincidence or what? the supporting cast, filled by class acts such as don cheadle and luis guzman are great, and while there's many a famous face in the supporting cast its never particularly distracting.

"traffic" has aged amazingly well, much in the same vain as the political conspiracy films of the seventies such as "all the presidents men", in the respect that they both represent an area of society widely ignored.

australia (2008)

baz luhrmann's ode to his homeland proved an apt post-christmas viewing. not expecting to enjoy it at all i was pleasently surprised by the final piece. the analogy towards "the wizard of oz", while lazy, was actually fairly satisfying, and while its not something i can see myself revisiting any time soon it provided an entertaining 3 hours on a lazy afternoon.

the passenger (1975)

jack nicholson's finest performance, "the passenger" is without doubt one of the greatest films ever made. in turn i would consider the piece to be michalangelo antonioni's finest work too.

nicholson plays journalist david locke, a man fed up of his life and situation. when the oppurtunity arises, he uses it to fake his own death and take on the identity of another man. when the man in question turns out to be an arms runner, locke's life falls into chaos, culminating in the famous ten minute tracking shot that brings with it the films climax.

the limey (1999)

terrence stamp plays the limey of the title in steven soderbergh's low key post-modern homage to the british popular culture of the 1960's and the revenge genre. watching this so soon after godard's french new wave piece "pierrot le fou" opened my eyes to the great influence the movement clearly had on this film. the style and tone are very similiar, structure wise especially (though the comparisons to earlier godard work may be fairer).

the most notable feature of "the limey" is its use of editing. the unique way in which the flashbacks and flashforwards compliment and dictate the story is very interesting, and manages to portray a hidden segment of the characterisation that would otherwise be hidden, or even missing.

pierrot le fou (1965)

for me, jean-luc godard's "pierrot le fou" not only represents the best example of the french new wave (despite some purists attaining that its not actually an example of the nouvelle vague at all...) but is, in my opinion the greatest film ever made.

''pierrot le fou'' is a film about regret, even down to the final scene. the story of an ad-man who one day, out of work and disillusioned with the route his life has taken decides to flee with his children's babysitter, a girl with whom he has a past. in turn it is discovered that the girl, marianne, has a couple of unresolved issues revolving around algerian gangsters, and so begins a journey to the south of france. the synopsis just outlined does very little to describe the film, as plot is, in a similiar manner to that of ''a bout de souffle'', almost irrelevent. the film is more concerned with the emotions of the semi-eponymous character (who actually goes by the name of ferdinand, yet marianne insists on calling him 'pierrot'), and his journey into decay, as outlined fairly explicitly in the early party conversation scene with samuel fuller.

half way through the picture, marianne tells a story concerning a man that decided to escape death (as in "death" the being. ala bengt ekerot in ''the seventh seal", as opposed to the actual act) by leaving paris and then heading to the south of france, only to hit a truck after driving all night. this analogy rings true for ferdinand, our hero, and could be seen as a nod to the audience, whom by this point in the movement, would have grown accustomed to the distinctive wit and wryness of the sort of humour expressed.

its worth pointing out just how important anna karina, and indeed her relationship with godard was on the final state of the film. in the years since its release, ''pierrot le fou'' has been regarded as one of the all time great examples of a piece of work created through heartbreak. anna karina and jean-luc godard's marriage fell apart during work on "pierrot", with the couple divorced by the time the camera's rolled. this personal situation is evident on the screen, with "pierrot" actually turning into a rather more biographical piece of work than im sure godard originally envisioned. the treatment of marianne as a character, and the way in which she treats ferdinand steadily declines, commenting perhaps on the relationship between godard and karina. and while it may seem like rather a light hearted role when all told, try comparing the diet-femme fetale of marianne with korina's odile in ''bande a part", to see how such similiar characters are handled differently. im under no illusion that the break up of his marriage and the nature of his work following "pierrot" are no doubt linked, i would actually be inclined to say that such a dramatic change in style and tone has never been seen in the arts before or since.

jean-paul belmondo, godard's often used performer returns in "pierrot le fou", in a role that i feel bookends incredibly well with belmondo's work in "a bout de souffle", and in turn, performances that bookend the entire nouvelle vague movement. one could almost view pierrot le fou's 'ferdinand' as the grown up michel poiccard, a loose end that has grown up to be all that he despises.

godard's political tongue changes with "pierrot le fou", and signs of the work that was to follow are becoming. gone are the loving references to american popular culture, as seen in ''a bout de souffle'' with belmondo's 'michel' and his aspirations for bogard, and the almost status symbol-like nature of the coca cola bottles in "bande a part", and in are the sly (and at times blatant) swipes at american culture, be it the satirical verse of the party scene, told in taglines from advertisements, or the attack at the texaco petrol station.

and those are just a few of the reasons as to why "pierrot le fou" is the greatest film ever made.

die hard (1988)

tis the night before christmas and all through the house, ''die hard'' is blaring, it wouldnt be the same without.

christmas eve special! the hopeandbullshitlist (at 24/12/2008)

sunrise has finally been overtaken as the top film! im going to be watching a couple of films over the christmas holidays that are bound to threaten the new top film though, including my bona-fide favourite film of all time, so i guess we will have to wait and see just how long it lasts at the top.

1. the element of crime (lars von trier)
2. sunrise (f.w murnau)
3. bottle rocket (wes anderson)
4. the outlaw josey wales (clint eastwood)
5. red desert (michelangelo antonioni)
6. mon oncle antoine (claude jutra)
7. unforgiven (clint eastwood)
8. f for fake (orson welles)
9. the brothers bloom (rian johnson)
10. changeling (clint eastwood)
11. the dark knight (christopher nolan)
12. wall-e (andrew stanton)
13. blow up (michelangelo antonioni)
14. europa (lars von trier)
15. the shop on main street (ján kadár and elmar klos)
16. hellboy - the golden army (guillermo del toro)
17. out of sight (steven soderbergh)
18. days of heaven (terence malick)
19. blindness (fernando meirelles)
20. killer's kiss (stanley kubrick)
21. dirty harry (don siegal)
22. mad detective (johnnie to & wai ka fa)
23. the idiot (akira kurosawa)
24. in bruges (martin mcdonough)
25. play misty for me (clint eastwood)
26. bigger than life (nicholas ray)
27. bronco billy (clint eastwood)
28. the terminator (james cameron)
29. hancock (peter berg)
30. the day the earth stood still (robert wise)
31. iron man (jon favreau)
32. the gauntlet (clint eastwood)
33. breezy (clint eastwood)
34. before the devil knows youre dead (sidney lumet)
35. magnum force (ted post)
36. casino royale (martin campbell)
37. body of lies (ridley scott)
38. solaris (steven soderbergh)
39. indiana jones and the kingdom of the crystal skull (steven spielberg)
40. the puffy chair (duplass brothers)
41. i am legend (francis lawrence)
42. space cowboys (clint eastwood)
43. quantum of solace (marc forster)
44. wanted (timur bekmambetov)
45. the magnificent ambersons (orson welles)
46. speed (jan de bont)
47. coogans bluff (don siegal)
48. the enforcer (james fargo)
49. joe kidd (john sturges)
50. spider-man 3 (sam raimi)
51. dear wendy (thomas vinterberg)
52. goldeneye (martin campbell)
53. night watch (timur bekmambetov)
54. judge dredd (danny cannon)
55. robocop 3 (fred dekker)
56. robocop 2 (irvin kershner)
57. zack and miri make a porno (kevin smith)
58. goldfinger (guy hamilton)
59. you only live twice (lewis gilbert)
60. mad max - beyond thunderdome (george miller & george ogilvie)
61. die another day (lee tamahori)
62. W. (oliver stone)

mon oncle antoine (1971)

claude jutra's 'mon oncle antione' has the honour of being this viewers favourite christmas film of all time. sure its a tad grim; the tale of a young boy confronting death and mortality for the first time couldnt not have been, but the atmosphere of the canadian asbestos mining town and the folk surrounding it create a christmas feeling like no other.

i first saw the film earlier this year, having been sent a copy by mistake (and at no charge!) by an online dvd store. as i wasnt expecting the dvd it took me a while to get around to giving it a viewing, with my immediate post-screening reaction being "i should have left it til christmas'', which desite the derogatory slant the comment may take, its actually a compliment. with the film being set (largely) over the course of one day in the aforementioned town's convenience store, it seemed to be the perfect accompaniment to the lazy atmosphere in my own mind on christmas eve, having winded down after a few hours of last minute work based activity. the fact that the day on which the film is set happens to be christmas eve only serves to compliment this even more.

jutra's film, in which he also stars was recently named the greatest canadian film of all time, and while i may not agree with that entirely (guy maddin occupies too big a space in my heart for such bold claims to ring true) it is a complete masterpiece. after watching the film earlier today, i made the decision that it would be my official christmas film, and will be viewed every christmas eve.

solaris (2002)

steven soderbergh's often frowned upon remake of the tarkovsky classic was given a recent viewing, in light of the upcoming release of "che" next month. while its not the marvel that is the original 1972 film, it is actually rather interesting, at least as an example of soderbergh trying a different genre. over the next week or so im going to watch a few more soderbergh films, in the shape of ''the limey'' (one i havent seen) and ''traffic'' (one i havent seen since its theatrical release), alongside the previous ''out of sight''.

spider-man 3 (2007)

i caught this on tv a few nights back. i was a fan of the film when i saw it theatrically, seeing past the many criticisms thrown at it, but found that on repeat viewings the film suffered terribly, ven more so than the first two films.

out of sight

being my first steven soderbergh experience i didnt know what to expect when i first saw 'out of sight', back during the dawn of dvd back in 1999. i picked the film up at the recommendation of a colleague at the time, he being the sole other dvd player owner that i knew back then. its difficult to explain the sheer exhileration that came with each and every dvd that i picked up back then, an impossible thing to explain now that the format is the most successful home entertainment platform of all time. alas, i was dubious of seeing 'out of sight' at first, the credentials of its cast being enough to cast doubt (clooney was fresh off of 'batman and robin' at the time, while jennifer lopez was, well, jennifer lopez) over the apparent quality of the picture. i was pleased to find that not only was i wrong to make such assumptions, but i was ridiculously wrong.

the shifting of time feels innovative, despite it being de-rigeur at the time of production to rely on such gimmicks, and the film has a none-too-shaky -cam handheld style that compliments proceedings well. and wouldnt you know it, clooney and lopez are both great in their roles. its since become apparent that clooney wasnt the clown that the misfire that was 'batman and robin' suggested, and miss lopez has seemingly all but disappeared, leaving not very much to be aspired.

judge dredd (1995)

a moment of madness, partly inspired by the news that a new version has recently been greenlit, ended with me taking a look at the the sylvester stallone-led "judge dredd". needless to say it wasnt as bad as expected, nor as bad as i remember. the concept of a helmetless dredd will never really work with me, yet the rest of the visuals work a treat. the blade runner-esque world of mega city-1 is really strongly realised, and stallone as the eponymous dredd is actually borderline perfect casting (were it not for the ego and the mask removal).

robocop 2 (1990)

the lowest point in the robocop movie trilogy (the tv series being off of the radar when it comes to levels of poor), has the eponymous hero dealing with a super addicitive futuristic drug and the ensuing cult that is attached to it. the film is harmless enough, yet it lacks the subtle sophistication of the first film.

the element of crime (1984)

lars von trier's directorial debut tells the story of a detective provoked to return to his old beat in order to solve an old case. the film has a very unique look about it, in that it is largely filtered with a sepia tone, albeit with vivid occasional splashes of blue. british actor michael elphick leads the cast as the aforementioned detective, following the trail of a serial killer using a technique outlined in a book, the element of crime of the title.

following 'europa' i was very much looking forward to checking out some similiar period von trier, and 'the element of crime' didnt disappoint, in fact i found it to be much better than 'europa'. the concept and the style worked perfectly together, both really complimenting each other, making a film that is not just style over substance, but incredibly powerful at the same time. the world of the film reminded of the work of gilliam and early jeunet, creating, similiarly to 'europa' a very old fashioned future, except that the world of 'europa' was a very futuristic past.

as to whether the film will hold up to repeated viewings im not sure, but the initial experience alone was incredibly inspiring, leading to what i would consider one of the best screenings i have seen in a long time.

the shop on main street (1965)

the next port of call in my cinematic odyssey is a little known film movement referred to as 'the black wave', a group of films that came out of yugoslavia in the 1960's. as very few titles are available i decided to spread my wings a bit and check out other balkan-based cinema in advance of the black wave, mainly to give myself a contextual reference point, but also out of a genuine interest in seeking out an area of film previously ignored by myself. given that it won the best foreign picture academy award in 1965 i figured that czechoslovakian film 'the shop on main street' would be as good a starting point as any to take a look at this area of film.

having very few preconceptions about the cinema of czechoslovakian cinema of the 1960's i found myelf entering the screening of 'the shop on main street' without knowing what to expect. unlike the cinema of the rest of europe at the time, 'the shop on main street' isnt particularly experimental in terms of visuals or style, although the subject matter is rather political.

robocop 3 (1993)

at this time of year i like to binge on rubbish films for some reason. or guilty pleasures as it were.

robocop is an unfairly maligned classic in some circles. the original 1987 film is genuinely great, with a deeper level of satire than most remember/give it credit for. thats not to say that the sequels benefit from the same level of quality in layering.

robocop 3 conceptually actually works really well, its just a shame about the execution. the story itself, concerning a corporation buying a city, draws semi-clever comparisons to many a politic strand, be it capitalism, globalisation or the holocaust, its just a shame that the b-movie production values and lesser performances let the film down.

i look forward to darren aronofsky's take on the subject matter.

the hopeandbullshitlist (at 16/12/2008)

1. sunrise (f.w murnau)
2. bottle rocket (wes anderson)
3. the outlaw josey wales (clint eastwood)
4.red desert (michelangelo antonioni)
5. unforgiven (clint eastwood)
6. f for fake (orson welles)
7. the brothers bloom (rian johnson)
8. changeling (clint eastwood)
9. the dark knight (christopher nolan)
10. wall-e (andrew stanton)
11. blow up (michelangelo antonioni)
12. europa (lars von trier)
13. hellboy - the golden army (guillermo del toro)
14. days of heaven (terence malick)
15. blindness (fernando meirelles)
16. killer's kiss (stanley kubrick)
17. dirty harry (don siegal)
18. mad detective (johnnie to & wai ka fa)
19. the idiot (akira kurosawa)
20. in bruges (martin mcdonough)
21. play misty for me (clint eastwood)
22. bigger than life (nicholas ray)
23. bronco billy (clint eastwood)
24. the terminator (james cameron)
25. hancock (peter berg)
26. the day the earth stood still (robert wise)
27. iron man (jon favreau)
28. the gauntlet (clint eastwood)
29. breezy (clint eastwood)
30. before the devil knows youre dead (sidney lumet)
31. magnum force (ted post)
32. casino royale (martin campbell)
33. body of lies (ridley scott)
34. indiana jones and the kingdom of the crystal skull (steven spielberg)
35. the puffy chair (duplass brothers)
36. i am legend (francis lawrence)
37. space cowboys (clint eastwood)
38. quantum of solace (marc forster)
39. wanted (timur bekmambetov)
40. the magnificent ambersons (orson welles)
41. speed (jan de bont)
42. coogans bluff (don siegal)
43. the enforcer (james fargo)
44. joe kidd (john sturges)
45. dear wendy (thomas vinterberg)
46. goldeneye (martin campbell)
47. night watch (timur bekmambetov)
48. zack and miri make a porno (kevin smith)
49. goldfinger (guy hamilton)
50. you only live twice (lewis gilbert)
51. mad max - beyond thunderdome (george miller & george ogilvie)
52. die another day (lee tamahori)
53. W. (oliver stone)

hellboy - the golden army (2008)

the surprise hit of the summer in my view, hellboy- the golden army took a second viewing in this weekend. the film was seen originally just a few weeks after the dark knight, an altogether darker affair, and was just the thing needed in comparison. the wit of the film is perhaps the most appealing feature of the film, and that includes the stunning visuals. the scene involving a rendition of a barry manilow song features more heart than most blockbusters could ever hope for, and was rightly voted the top musical scene in a film by saturdays guardian newspaper.

on to the visuals of the film; guillermo del toro is known for a particular brand of fairy tale-infused fantasy-inspired worlds and creatures, and with hellboy he seems most at home. the troll market for instance, is the sort of puppet laden environment not seen since the early eighties, when such craftwork was overtaken by computer generated imagery. its a sight to behold and shows why del toro has since been appointed the post of overseeing the hobbit.

ron perlman shines in the title role, with great support from all.

while blockbusters are not my usual sort of thing, the combination of the dark knight, wall-e and this means that 2008 has been a great year for the more commercial fare that doesnt usually appeal.

speed (1994)

having never seen this apparent seminal mid nineties action film before, i decided to pick it up on a (cheap) whim on friday afternoon. obviously it was hardly bergman, but as far is blockbuster experiences go it was at the very least an interesting few hours. the high concept plot hasnt aged particularly badly and it was nice to see a non-eastern-stereotyical terrorist as the antagonist for a change in these post 9/11 days.

the terminator (1984)

in light of the recent hype over next years terminator : salvation i decided to take in a light night re-viewing of the first terminator film. as a boy it was the OTT special effects of terminator 2 that excited me the most, overshadowing the fairly basic premise of the first film, but as iv gotten older the first one is the only one that i can bear (lets not mention the third one). i love the gritty nature of the flashbacks, the lower budget revealing a more basic setting that doesnt seem exagerated and is actually semi-believable. as far as eighties action films go, this is one of the stronger ones, and one that actually still has legs today, almost 25 years on from its original release.

the dark knight (2008)

the average person's film of the year, the dark knight proved to be a genuine treat, despite what the online naysayers may claim. it was with an air of apprehensiveness that i approached it a second time, hoping that i wasnt just taken in by the hype upon release. im happy to reveal that not only did it hold up on a second viewing, but i actually enjoyed it more this time, removed of the hype and expectation.

comparisons to the wire must be made. the dark knight feels like a big screen outing of david simon's epic masterpiece in places, and im surprised more hasnt been made of this. sure the situation may be severely exagerated when put next to the wire, but the concept of a city on the edge, of a society out of control with hope being an unobtainable dream draws many parallels, as does the intricate nature of how the plot is held together.

for me it is gary oldman that is the key performer in the film, and the one who's performance i enjoyed the most. his is the most relatable arc throughout the film, and the one that is easiest to literally relate to. christian bale is great as batman, further cementing his place as the definitive person for the role. aaron eckhart as district attorney really struck me upon initial viewing, but upon this screening didnt have the same impact. thats not to say that hes not good in the role, hes great, it just didnt strike me in the same way. maggi gylenhaal, morgan freeman and michael caine provide ample support, although caine is seemingly the biggest casualty of such a huge ensemble, as his role seemed to have shrunk when compared to the size of his performance in 'batman begins'.

the concept of heath ledger as the joker, initially a bitching-point for most geeks with internet connection, is possibly the most successful aspect of the dark knight, at least for the masses. removed of the hype and expectation i was able to appreciate the role and performance much more, noticing his subtle nuances and the ticks and mannerisms that really make the character. while genuinely terrifying a character, he is also brilliantly comical too, highlighted in the hospital scene, where the joker vacates the future crime scene dressed as a nurse. while not a fan of the "ledger deserves an oscar" campaign i fully appreciate the performance and am pleased to see it, alongside his role in brokeback mountain, as a fitting legacy for the actor.

red desert (1964)

following my previous foray into the world of michelangelo antonioni with the wonderful blow-up, i decided to follow it up with the newly released (on dvd) 'red desert', which incidently was antonioni's first colour film. i havent yet seen any of his black and white work, a situation hopefully soon rectified, so cant really comment on the difference between the colour and the black and white films, but i would like to point out just how beautiful the film looks. his use of colour has many connotations, with the use of red being symbolic of our protaganists state of mind amongst other things. the bold backgrounds, especially the earlier scenes set within the compound of industry gives the feeling of an otherworldy nature, which leads to my next point -

the film is almost like a science fiction piece. the environment and use of sound reminiscent of the worlds later created in films such as stanley kubrick's "a clockwork orange" and andre tarkovsky's "stalker''. ''red desert'' has a very unique electronic score, that adds to the mechanical and otherworldy feel of the picture, and the use of industrial change as a metaphor is similiar to those of those seen in later science fiction work.

i enjoyed red desert wholeheartedly, and look forward to my next antonioni, the passenger (1975).

the puffy chair (2005)

my first experience with mumblecore, watched late at night on film4. it was a fun little film, alas the feeling of a group of people trying too hard was a little too prevailent.

i am legend (2007)

will smith's post-apocalyptic tale of the last man on earth occupies a deserved place on this viewers list of guilty pleasures. i watched it with the alternate ending, which is very different to that of the original and more than anything suggests that the filmmakers didnt really know which direction they wanted to take the film in, as is the nature of the difference between the two different endings. nevertheless the concept of the being the last man on earth will never get old.

the hopeandbullshitlist (at 08/12/2008)

sunrise remains at the top, but there are three new entries in the top ten. theres some pretty high profile viewings this week, so im expecting lots of movement in the list, with potentially a new number 1 within the next few days.....


1. sunrise (f.w murnau)
2. bottle rocket (wes anderson)
3. the outlaw josey wales (clint eastwood)
4. unforgiven (clint eastwood)
5. f for fake (orson welles)
6. the brothers bloom (rian johnson)
7. changeling (clint eastwood)
8. wall-e (andrew stanton)
9. blow up (michelangelo antonioni)
10. europa (lars von trier)
11. days of heaven (terence malick)
12. blindness (fernando meirelles)
13. killer's kiss (stanley kubrick)
14. dirty harry (don siegal)
15. mad detective (johnnie to & wai ka fa)
16. the idiot (akira kurosawa)
17. in bruges (martin mcdonough)
18. play misty for me (clint eastwood)
19. bigger than life (nicholas ray)
20. bronco billy (clint eastwood)
21. hancock (peter berg)
22. the day the earth stood still (robert wise)
23. iron man (jon favreau)
24. the gauntlet (clint eastwood)
25. breezy (clint eastwood)
26. before the devil knows youre dead (sidney lumet)
27. magnum force (ted post)
28. casino royale (martin campbell)
29. body of lies (ridley scott)
30. indiana jones and the kingdom of the crystal skull (steven spielberg)
31. space cowboys (clint eastwood)
32. quantum of solace (marc forster)
33. wanted (timur bekmambetov)
34. the magnificent ambersons (orson welles)
35. coogans bluff (don siegal)
36. the enforcer (james fargo)
37. joe kidd (john sturges)
38. dear wendy (thomas vinterberg)
39. goldeneye (martin campbell)
40. night watch (timur bekmambetov)
41. zack and miri make a porno (kevin smith)
42. goldfinger (guy hamilton)
43. you only live twice (lewis gilbert)
44. mad max - beyond thunderdome (george miller & george ogilvie)
45. die another day (lee tamahori)
46. W. (oliver stone)

the day the earth stood still (1951)

as robert wise's seminal science fiction allegory see's a largely unneccessary remake hit cinemas this week, so with that in mind i decided to take in a timely re-viewing of the original.

the most immediately apparent aspect of ''the day the earth stood still'' is just how subtle and philosophical the film is, especially in this day and age of spectacle and blockbusting. as the basis for a remake i can actually almost understand why fox decided to bother. not that the original concept lends itself to the notion of an apocalyptic thriller but im trying to cut them some slack!

hancock (2008)

a film very much made up of two halves, hancock was one of the more enjoyable films of the summer for this viewer. seeing it again on dvd, in a brand new 15-rated extended cut no less, benefitted the narrative flow of the film greatly. while the story originally suffered from a mid-story twist that seperated the story way too much, and for which the film was greatly attacked critically, the extra few minutes allowed with the extended cut actually help the film greatly. gone is the feeling of a mid-length change of pace, and in comes a feeling of a more natural flow.

dear wendy (2005)

a screening inspired by a bargain discovery in hmv the day after viewing europa.

in terms of the dogme movement, i much prefered thomas vinterberg's ''festen'' (1998) over any of the work of lars von trier, so the combination of perhaps the two most famous dutch filmmakers of the 1990's on ''dear wendy'' sounded like a great idea on paper, and while its an interesting enough film the prevailing message seemed lost and confused by the end of the picture.

basically a comment on gun control and teenage sensibilities (especially in the united states) the film tells the story of a group of misfits living in a small mining town. through the confidence gained from carrying guns the group's confused politics (a gun carrying pacifist) eventually spiral out of control leadig to a confused border-tragic climax.

while not a poor picture per-se, i found ''dear wendy'' to be overwhelming and, yes, the word of the day; confused.

europa (1991)

having never had a great deal of luck with lars von trier i approached europa with some trepidition. granted, my previous endeveours within his work all circled around that of the dogme period, and this looked very different. europa centres around the story of a young american man who heads to germany after the second world war in order to work with his uncle as a ''sleeping car conductor''.

the look of the film is what appeals most. using lots of back projection von trier creates a world that is reminescent of the type of film one would expect from the period of the films setting, but is almost cutting edge in its satirical note. as a fan of canadian avant-garde filmmaker guy maddin i noted many similiarities between europa and his work, be it in the use of film type and the style of the dialogue. it is said in the liner notes for criterion's new release that europa inhabits a setting that is an "oddly futuristic past", a description that i would wholeheartedly agree with.

one final note; max von sydow's iconic narration is outstanding. its a key ingredient with regards to clarifying the intended state of mind necessary with regards to viewing the film in the best way possible.

before the devil knows youre dead (2007)

reminiscent of spike lee's "the inside man'', sidney lumet's final film revolves around the tale of two brothers and a heist gone awry. philip seymour hoffman, ethan hawke and albert finney all give solid performances, with the off kilter strucure lending hugely to the slight plot. "before the devil knows youre dead" makes a good companion piece to lumet's earlier "dog day afternoon".

in bruges (2008)

i picked this up as a case of light entertainment post-changeling, and while i didnt expect much, it really impressed. it also contains possibly the finest joke heard in a fim this year, in the shape of -

"what is belgium famous for?" chocolate and child murderers, and they only made the chocolate to attract the children."

or something along those lines.

changeling (2008)

my recent season of eastwood films comes to an end with the theatrical release of ''changeling''.

one could be excused for going into ''changeling'' expecting the angelina jolie-fest advertised within the pre-film press, alas i was surprised to find that the film was more of an ensemble piece than anything. and an incredibly well made one at that. my love of the work of clint eastwood's work is no secret, there is something incredibly appealing about his unique, almost "workmanlike-with-a-hint-of-auteur" style, and it lends itself especially well to tough topics such as child abuse (mystic river), euthanasia (million dollar baby) and now the subject of child murder and the loss of said child. eastwood thrives off of the kind of topics that dont need nor warrent over the top camera work or glossy special effects, a habit which hints at a huge amount of respect on the behalf of the filmmaker.

the cast is incredibly strong an ensemble, with special notices going to michael kelly as the detective that actually attempts to detect, john malkovich as the pastor that serves to reek justice against the corrupt los angeles police force and jason butler harner as child killer gordon northcott. its butler harner in particular that stands out, in what is perhaps the finest turn as a serial killer-type seen all year.

while the ending of the film is considered bleak by many, it actually carries a fairly high degree of hope.

blow up (1966)

my first experience with antonioni proved a great one (inspiring the decision to pick up his "the passenger" and "red desert" off of the back of this successful viewing!). a filmmaker that i had never been greatly attracted to, antonioni has always alluded me in the past, with blow up long being criminally ignored as i was under the impression that it was simply a product of "the swinging sixties", a period of time i find to be incredibly embaressing (witness the finale of 'carry on camping' for my reasons as to this conclusion).

david hemmings plays a hip young photographer, who MAY have accidently photographed a murder in a park. as to whether or not this is true its never literally revealed, although im inclined to agree with the metaphor carried at the end of the film (that 'you can see what you want to see, even if it doesnt exist' being the message).

for a film prided on its score, and considering the cultural impact of music at the time of the films production, blow up is a very quiet film. entire chunks of the film carry no sound whatsoever, before crashing into the following scene with oral hell, in what are chaotic and loud scenes. the pacing of the film is beautiful. its a bit of a cliche, but blow up is one of those films that you simply dont want to end. i found the world encapsulated totally believable, in a fantastical sense, and felt like i could watch david hemmings break down emotionally all day long! now if that isnt a compliment...

coogan's bluff (1968)

early-era eastwood that satisfies greatly. i would say more, but frankly im a little bit worn out when it comes to discussing eastwood at the moment!

the hopeandbullshitlist (at 25/11/2008)

1. sunrise (f.w murnau)
2. bottle rocket (wes anderson)
3. the outlaw josey wales (clint eastwood)
4. unforgiven (clint eastwood)
5. f for fake (orson welles)
6. the brothers bloom (rian johnson)
7. days of heaven (terence malick)
8. wall-e (andrew stanton)
9. blindness (fernando meirelles)
10. killer's kiss (stanley kubrick)
11. dirty harry (don siegal)
12. mad detective (johnnie to & wai ka fa)
13. the idiot (akira kurosawa)
14. iron man (jon favreau)
15. play misty for me (clint eastwood)
16. bigger than life (nicholas ray)
17.bronco billy (clint eastwood)
18. the gauntlet (clint eastwood)
19. breezy (clint eastwood)
20. magnum force (ted post)
21. casino royale (martin campbell)
22. body of lies (ridley scott)
23. indiana jones and the kingdom of the crystal skull (steven spielberg)
24. space cowboys (clint eastwood)
25. quantum of solace (marc forster)
26. wanted (timur bekmambetov)
27. the magnificent ambersons (orson welles)
28. the enforcer (james fargo)
29. joe kidd (john sturges)
30. goldeneye (martin campbell)
31. night watch (timur bekmambetov)
32. zack and miri make a porno (kevin smith)
33. goldfinger (guy hamilton)
34. you only live twice (lewis gilbert)
35. mad max - beyond thunderdome (george miller & george ogilvie)
36. die another day (lee tamahori)
37. W. (oliver stone)

the enforcer (1976)

eastwood's third outing as dirty harry see's our eponymous hero dealing with such arduous challenges as discrimination and progression. for here we see harry partnered with a female inspector whilst having to deal with a gang of socialist terrorists. kinda. its fairly confusing as to what exactly the terrorists represent, but its some sort of veiled attack on socialism by the producers i think. oh and one of them is a priest of sorts. its all a bit odd really, but harry as a character is so entertaining that all of these problems are disguised adequetly.

it was with "the enforcer" that i noticed that the dirty harry films are kind of like an alternative bond franchise. it has a similiar structure to each episode, much in the same manner that the bond films work.

wall-e (2008)

having seen wall-e upon its original release i knew exactly what to expect, but still anticipated a second viewing greatly. wall-e is such an endearing character that much has already been written about it, so to delve into that aspect is fairly unnecessary, alas i will simply add that a more empathetic and charming computer generated character has not been seen by myself. gollum included.

the wordless introduction to the film (i would hesitate to call it silent, as it isnt), cues the film perfectly. while not as revolutionary as thought upon first viewing it is still incredibly daring.

blindness (2008)

fernando meirelles follow up 'city of god' (2002) and 'the constant gardener' (2005) is a miraculous piece of cinema. from what must go down as one of the most terrifying opening scenes in modern cinema, through to the joyful climax i was thoroughly gripped.

i wanted to let the film lie for a while before posting my review, as based on what others have said about the film i was under the impression that the film lacked any real soul, or point, and unfortunately i can confirm that this is almost the case. the film itself was incedibly powerful an experience, yet post-thought i have to be honest and admit that the lack of substance has really caught up with my opinion. it is a great film tho, one definately worth seeking out, and worthy of a place on my top 20 of the year.

bronco billy (1980)

when i set out on the current task of working through the back catalogue of clint eastwood i knew that the job would involve some dubious pictures, largely in the shape of an orangutan named clyde. i have to admit that i lumped bronco billy in with the wave of eighties eastwood films that were basically poor comedy-action hybrids, but i couldnt have been more wrong. bronco billy is ridicuously enjoyable. sure the film has its problems, the storyline involving sandra locke's stranded millionaress heir is a bit ditracting, but the general concept is really strong.

body of lies (2008)

a surprisingly enjoyable post 9/11 thriller directed by the increasingly dull ridley scott. leonardo dicaprio is always great, and was here, with russell crowe on good, if not outstanding form as dicaprio's modern day wingman. boston doubling for manchester is slightly dubious, and the politics are rather suspect, especially when you consider that this is a film made by a british filmmaker, but all in all it was an entertaining two hours or so.

joe kidd (1972)

fairly average mid-career eastwood, ably directed by john sturges. while the film is plenty entertaining, its hardly revolutionary cinema.

zack and miri make a porno (2008)

i had two hours to kill this afternoon so decided to take in a screening. first things first - as a teenager i loved kevin smiths films. mallrats was a late night tv classic for me and my friends. there will always be a special place in my heart for that film, along with clerks and chasing amy. dogma was great too, and while, as a film its pretty dire, jay and silent bob struck the right chord at the time. i was one of the few people that actively enjoyed jersey girl, even to the point that i was disapointed when smith returned to the view askewniverse with clerks 2, although after seeing the film i was grateful he did. and while over the years i think i have maybe grown out of enjoying his films in the same way as i did as a 17 year old, i have always had time for them, and always, at the very least, enjoyed them.

unfortunately that ends with zack and miri.

not being a fan of seth rogen was always going to prove a problem. i cant help but think just how much funnier this film would have been had someone like jason lee played the role of zack, alas that is beside the point, the film suffers from something much more severe than a simple case of mis-casting. smith's dialogue simply isnt funny to me anymore. emphasis on cursewords in lieu of genuine wit is one thing, but the long held problem that smith cant write dialogue for women has never been more obvious than in zack and miri. take into account the bizarre treatment of banks' character at certain points and you have a film thats perspective is borderline misogynistic at certain points, reminiscent of the more particular over zealous internet geek-sites that smith himself ripped apart in jay and silent bob strikes back. by the way he writes it sounds like he doesnt have a clue about women.

if there were a prize for bad titles, then ''zack and miri'' would take it. handsdown the worst title iv heard this year.

there were a few positives; craig robinson had some great lines, they even raised a chuckle, and jeff anderson is always great value, if not slightly jarring when out of the comfort zone of randall. justin long's voice was a sound to behold and it was great to see brandon routh back actually doing something. overall though i just couldnt help but feel like smith didnt have anything to say, yet was still managing to say it badly.

breezy (1973)

"breezy" was the first clint eastwood film not to star clint eastwood himself, its appropriate that its the first none-clint starring film that iv viewed on this run. having not previously seen the film, i was pleasantly surprised by the slow, assured nature of the drama, which is reminiscent of martin scorsese's "alice doesn't live here anymore" (1974) in style, and hal ashby's wonderful "harold and maude" (1971) in subject. "breezy" would make an interesting double bill alongside ashby's film, as both deal with "may to december"-style relationships, albeit with a spin on the couples (with "breezy" featuring an older gentleman with a younger girl, and "harold and maude" looking at an elderly woman and young man). while "harold and maude" looks at the relationships with comedy the focus, "breezy" takes a psychological and dramatic stance, and while its clear that both films deal with similar material, its fairly apparent just how different the two films are.

william holden plays the aging male lead, known as "black cloud" to the young, stereotypical "flower child" breezy, a girl who is seemingly so optimistic that nothing gets to her. the only holden performance seen by myself to date is in sam peckinpah's "the wild bunch" (1969), obviously a fairly different role!

it will become more apparent how and where exactly "breezy" fits into eastwood's oeuvre as my season goes along. it will be especially interesting to see how it sits alongside his other none-starring films.

bottle rocket (1996)

wes anderson's debut feature is being released as part of the prestigious criterion collection at the end of this month, joining the rest of his body of work (with the exception of 'the darjeeling limited'). my copy arrived early, and while i havent had a look at the extras yet i did watch the film tonight. having seen the film countless times it was hardly a new experience, but i had consciously made an effort to not watch 'bottle rocket' since first first hearing about the criterion release over a year ago, so there was a freshness to the film that i hadnt felt in a long time.

im not sure for definite, but i think that 'bottle rocket' may now be my favourite wes anderson film. as character is one of anderson's key strong point (as mentioned by martin scorsese in a text introduction to the film) its hardly a revelation for me to express how strongly i feel the characters are in the film, yet i feel compelled to. an indication of just how strongly the characters of dignan (owen wilson, who also co-wrote the flick), anthony (luke wilson), bob (robert musgrave) and inez (lumi cavazos) effected me my immediately thoughts after the film turned to a thought not often deliberated by myself; why doesnt wes anderson make a sequel to 'bottle rocket'?

dont get me wrong, im not a huge fan of sequel's, generally viewing them as soulless cash-in's, but i feel like 'bottle rocket' could genuinely benefit from a real-time based sequel. while i balk at the mere thought of a sequel to "rushmore" (1997) and cant think of anything more unnecessary than a 'the royal tenenbaums' follow-up, i genuinely would like to know what befated dignan post-prison, and how the relationship between anthony and inez panned out (in my heart of hearts i know that theyve settled down and have a bunch of kids running around, attempting 'adventures' of sorts. perhaps even "uncle" dignan would figure, a second generation bad influence... o'how one can dream).

stylistically the film is surprisingly well-developed in terms of anderson's look, especially considering it was his debut picture and so technically he couldnt have actually developed a style per-se. regardless of pedant, the film looks wonderful and really displays anderson's unique outlook on film.

magnum force (1973)

the follow up to dirty harry doesnt reach the heights of its predecessors but it does raise some interesting notions. for a start we receive an insight into harry's personal politics, revealing much of his character. for example, the presumed rebel without a cause of the first film, with his instinctful, shoot from the hip attitude is revealed to be more of a rebel within reason, when confronted with some genuinely provocative workmates. a respect for order from the chaotic maverick is found, and while it may be considered contradictory a trait by some, i would argue that it adds a level of depth to the character that was previously missing.

of course there are a couple of qualms with the project. for a start the age old rule of sequel's going for the "bigger is better" attitude of including more villains applies here, and while david soul is surprisingly creepy, hes no match for andrew robinson as the previous films scorpio, nor are the assortment of other bad guys. also, the previous film ended with harry effectively quitting the force, by throwing his badge into the watering hole that signified scorpio's demise, yet no mention of this is made by harry (or indeed anyone else) throughout magnum force.

dirty harry (1971)

its been a while since i had seen dirty harry, at least four years. in those four years david fincher's masterful "zodiac" (2007) has been and gone, and one of my big worries that came with that films success was that i may not be able to take don seagal's unofficial take on san fransisco's zodiac killing's seriously under this new light. im pleased to report that that wasnt the case, and that i can extend my disbelief far enough to forgive any of the films shortcomings, at least when it comes to the very hollywood take on what was a pretty distressing period in san francisco' recent history.

san fransisco is the unbilled co-star in the first dirty harry film. in fact it was through this viewer's research of the city of san fransisco that he found out about the film, from an academic point of view at least. a few years back i was looking at sitting my masters degree at the san fransisco academy of art, when, through the program for the university, in a section on notable films shot in the city that i first delved into this, the first in eastwood's flagship franchise (alongside such other films as hitchcock's "vertigo" (1958) and orson welles' often overlooked "the lady from shanghai" (1947); incidently, soon to be remade, in name at least, by wong kar-wai)

the character of 'scorpio', billed simply as "the killer" in the credits of the film, is based loosely on that of the zodiac killer. i say loosely because very little was known about the zodiac killer, as anyone who's seen fincher film will attest to. the style of the character is drawn from that of the zodiac, the way the character manipulated and used the media to accomplish his task is exagerated in "dirty harry" (see the use of the media during the killers scene in the hospital, post staged-beating) from that of the real case, and while little focus is made of the print industry's involvement, mention is made.

the hopeandbullshitlist (at 17/11/2008)

theres no change at number one, but eastwood has knocked his own number two placing for "unforgiven" down a spot with "the outlaw josey wales". to be honest im very surprsed with the quality of the films so far, i mean with a film as good as "the magnificent ambersons" at 19 thats saying something.

1. sunrise (f.w murnau)
2. the outlaw josey wales (clint eastwood)
3. unforgiven (clint eastwood)
4. f for fake (orson welles)
5. the brothers bloom (rian johnson)
6. days of heaven (terence malick)
7. killer's kiss (stanley kubrick)
8. mad detective (johnnie to & wai ka fa)
9. the idiot (akira kurosawa)
10. iron man (jon favreau)
11. play misty for me (clint eastwood)
12. bigger than life (nicholas ray)
13. the gauntlet (clint eastwood)
14. casino royale (martin campbell)
15. indiana jones and the kingdom of the crystal skull (steven spielberg)
16. space cowboys (clint eastwood)
17. quantum of solace (marc forster)
18. wanted (timur bekmambetov)
19. the magnificent ambersons (orson welles)
20. goldeneye (martin campbell)
21. night watch (timur bekmambetov)
22. goldfinger (guy hamilton)
23. you only live twice (lewis gilbert)
24. mad max - beyond thunderdome (george miller & george ogilvie)
25. die another day (lee tamahori)
26. W. (oliver stone)

space cowboys (2000)

space cowboys represents clint eastwood's first and only (to date) venture into the realms of borderline science fiction. it tells the story of four elderly former trainee astronauts, led by eastwood himself, who never originally had the opportunity to make the journey into space when they were actually supposed to. anyway basically a system that only they know how to use breaks down and its up to them to head into space to fix said problem.

the film has taken a lot of flack in the past, and has largely been forgotten (to be honest i thought it was much older than ten years old) by many, but i actually found it really enjoyable. yes the story is ridiculous, and yes, on paper at least, its a very tired conceit, but the reality of it is that its a very enjoyable and largely FUN film. the ending is a great example of a great fairytale ending too, simply wonderful.

in terms of fitting in alongside the rest of eastwood's oeuvre, im not sure exactly where "space cowboys" fits in. it follows in the log tradition of eastwood's habit of turning genre's on their heads and approaching them from a unique or post-modern angle, films such as "the outlaw josey wales", "million dollar baby" and "mystic river".

it's been a relatively quiet week...

for reasons unknown, i have only managed to catch three films since monday. im not sure why exactly. i watched the first half of mystic river last night, but as i didnt finish it i didnt think it was fair to include it in the list just yet.

i have some really exciting films to get through this week, including murnau's "faust", a film iv meant to get around to seeing for a long time. im going to make a start on the dirty harry series this week too. iv only seen the first one, and that was a while ago now too, so im looking forward to it.

the outlaw josey wales (1976)

clint eastwood's fifth film as a director is perhaps his most remarkable. "the outlaw josey wales" is simply an utter joy of a film, turning the western and revenge genre's on their respective heads and pushing the boundaries of hollywood drama.

everybody knows the story of how "the outlaw josey wales" is an analogy for the war in vietnam, so i wont explore that concept here. i like looking at the film as a predecessor to the modern vogue of taking a hero and emphasising the concept that the hero in question is out of their time. this is where any similiarities bear to real conflict, be it vietnam, iraq or the battle of endor, and their heroes (read victims) are strongest.

the modern western, in the shape of "the assassination of jesse james by the coward robert ford" (2007) and "there will be blood" (2007) take a lot of inspiration from eastwood's film, in fact its probably not an overstatement to suggest that "the outlaw josey wales" paved the way for the aforementioned films, as well as countless others (not forgetting eastwood's own "unforgiven").

the idiot (1951)

it has been mentioned in the past how i am rather fond of akira kurosawa's melodramatic films, despite not being able to get a handle on his more popular samurai films. im not sure why exactly this is, i have always blamed the complicated politics of the films as the probable reason, and have all but given up on the genre. "the idiot" is kurosawa's love letter of sorts to the work of fyodor dostoevsky, with the source material's location of russia being transferred to kurosawa's home of japan. not having read the novel i cant attain to it personally, but the film is said to be fairly close an adaptation to the original book. based upon the fact that the film is paced very similiar to that of a novel in the way that the relationships and characters develop it would certainly seem that this is the case.

akira kurosawa's "scandal" (1950), produced just one year before "the idiot" is one of my very favourite films, hence the seeking out of this picture, and while it doesnt reach the heights of "scandal" its still a magnificent film. if one looks back on kurosawa's run throughout the early 1950's it truly is quite the accomplishment, regardless of your feelings towards some of the work. alongside "scandal" and "the idiot", kurosawa produced "rashomon" (1951), "ikiru" (1952) and "the seven samurai" (1954), truly a genuinely historical run of films.

indiana jones and the kingdom of the crystal skull (2008)

having heard many a terrible thing about the most recent indiana jones i didnt expect much from this. i avoided it in the summer rush as iv never been the biggest fan of dr. jones, but as it was on release week special i decided to give it a go.

and what can i say, i was actually impressed. ford carried the role well, it was nice to see karen allen back, and john hurt played the role of a nutjob well. even shia labouef wasnt that bad. the only real qualm i had with the whole thing was the fact that it felt at times like an "indy & friends" feature, rather than a bona-fide indiana jones film. it would have been nice to see him tackle the final act alone, instead of being accompanied by all manner of folk.

one question tho - whats with the beaver/monkey inclusion?!? baffling.

the hopeandbullshitlist (at 11/11/2008)

1. sunrise
2. unforgiven
3. f for fake
4. the brothers bloom
5. days of heaven
6. killer's kiss
7. mad detective
8. iron man
9. play misty for me
10. bigger than life
11. the gauntlet
12. casino royale
13. quantum of solace
14. wanted
15. the magnificent ambersons
16. goldeneye
17. night watch
18. goldfinger
19. you only live twice
20. mad max - beyond thunderdome
21. die another day
22. W.

killer's kiss (1955)

there's something incredibly satisfying about a short film. i dont mean a short film in general, im referring to the sort of film that gets the story done and dusted in an hour or so without the need for any sort of padding. stanley kubrick's sophomore effort, 'killer's kiss' is one such film. the story of a boxer who falls for his dancer neighbour, after saving her from the hand of her obsessive employee.

the film acts as a precursor of sorts for many of the themes explored in kubrick's later work, in particular the obsessive love theme of 'lolita', as well as a direct visual reference to 'the shining'. the film reminded me greatly of allen baron's 1961 post-noir crime hitman drama 'blast of silence'. thematically 'killer's kiss' is slightly less developed than baron's post-modern magnum opus, yet the films remain in the same quarter of the mind for some reason.