PHOENIX

This was originally published for cutprintfilm.com back in July of 2015. But since the site/publication has apparently vanished - I'm posting it here with a few updates. Enjoy...

On one hand, Phoenix is a callback to certain specific cinematic elements that I appreciate very very much. It has the spirit of a lesser-praised German New Wave film from the late 70’s (The Left Handed Woman, The Last Days Of Katarina Blum, The American Soldier, The American Friend, etc) combined with the noir-ish qualities of a Neil Jordan film (The Crying Game, Mona Lisa, etc). Phoenix also falls in line with other semi-recent German-based WW2/Post-WW2 films like Carlos, Sophie Scholl  & The Baader Meinhof Complex (some of you might be scratching your head at the Carlos namedrop but the main motivation behind the misguided radical German leftists that we saw in Olivier Assayas’ film was based on extreme anti Nazi-ism that came about from the second world war which ended up backfiring).

Some might find Phoenix to be a little tedious or, dare I say, a little boring (and if not tedious and/or boring, possibly deceptive?). Within the first act it’s more than obvious that we’re in for some kind of a psychological drama but nothing traditionally “thrilling” or “startling” happens for quite some time, yet we’re almost led to believe otherwise (early on there’s a very potentially cryptic scene that takes place in a hospital that builds up to something that might be seen as anticlimactic or disappointing). It should also be noted that the performances (especially in the first half) are intentionally cold and slightly tense (highlighted particularly by co-star Nina Kunzendorf who plays Nelly’s friend “Lene”). Again – these are aspects that some might appreciate while others might be turned off by. Personally, I don’t mind it. I appreciate slow build-ups and I’m also more interested in things being conveyed through a look, hint or an implication rather than drawn-out dialogue. But I imagine this film was made for an audience larger than just myself so hopefully folks will appreciate what Christian Petzold was trying to do.

In Phoenix we follow “Nelly” (Nina Hoss) – A concentration camp survivor/lounge singer living in post World War 2 Berlin. At the very beginning of the film we learn that her face has been disfigured from her time at the concentration camp and she requires extensive reconstructive surgery. And to make things worse, it’s quite possible that her mysterious husband “Johnny” is the cause of it all. Nelly’s new post-surgery face gives her a new identity (her face is pretty unrecognizable to those who knew her before the surgery) and she uses this to her advantage. Nelly, now posing as a different woman, tracks down her husband Johnny to find out if he really sold her out. The two old lovers strike up a new relationship (Johnny doesn’t realize it’s Nelly although he does acknowledge the similar facial features) and Nelly finds herself taking the place of her old self (the identity switching draws an obvious comparison to films like Vertigo and Lost Highway). Both parties have ulterior motives with each other.

Christian Petzold is no stranger to referencing Hitchcock...

At the beginning of making Yella, I’d seen Hitchcock’s Marnie again. We ordered very expensive tracks that stretched one hundred meters on a train platform, and Nina Hoss had to stand on this platform like Tippi Hedren - Christian Petzold, Criterion.com

Marnie / Yella

And Phoeinx is just another example with this scene right out of Vertigo...

Vertigo / Phoenix 

The Wrong Man / Phoenix 

Phoenix can be seen as an obvious take on issues ranging from trust to the idea of “rebirth”. It’s also a comment on the self worth that women have of themselves and the sometimes strange loyalty they show for their unworthy male counterparts.

Some might look at Phoenix as a response to something like The Night Porter. In the Night Porter, Charlotte Rampling plays a concentration camp survivor that strikes up a relationship with her former Nazi overseer. In Phoenix we see a female holocaust survivor start up a similarly complicated/detrimental relationship with a man who is the possible cause/source of her pain. The female protagonist is an understated fixture within modern German-based cinema. Besides some of the aforementioned works I referenced earlier on (Katarina Blum, Sophie Scholl, The Left Handed Woman, etc), films like Coup De Grace, Barbara (another collaboration between Petzold & Hoss), The Marriage Of Marina Braun & Lola are further examples. Although not as prolific as most films from the German New Wave movement, Phoenix does come from the same school of thought 

If you appreciate modern German cinema (with a complex female lead) or personal/intimate stories with a historic backdrop, Phoenix might just be up your alley.

TWO BY WENDERS (SPECIAL GUEST WRITER: LEANNE KUBICZ)

As I was reading over Leanne's latest contribution to PINNLAND EMPIRE, I came to the realization that both of these films, along with the man responsible making them, are a little special to me - Early on in our relationship, I took my now fiancée; Sharon, to see Pina, while Wings Of Desire was the last film Claire Denis worked on before stepping out on her own to make her feature film debut (Wings Of Desire Co-Star Solveig Dommartin actually starred in Denis' sophomore feature as well).

So take some time outta your day to read the first guest writing of the year while I try to restore/rewrite some lost content and decide if I wanna write something on Philip Seymour Hoffman or not.

Also be sure to check out Leanne's film blog; LMK Film Pics...

Enjoy...

PINA

This documentary has a deceiving title; if you are expecting to learn about choreographer Pina Bausch and her dance methods, this is not the film for you. The quote included on the promotional poster, ‘Dance, Dance, Otherwise We Are Lost’ would have been an excellent title because this is a documentary primarily about image and not factual information. Who is Pina Baush? Where was she born, how did she develop her style, when was her dance company established, etc.? Well, I wouldn’t know unless I read about her after the fact, as none of this is covered in the film. Originally projected in 3D (I viewed it in standard 2D), Wenders cuts major works by Bausch with dances staged in nature, on public transportation and on busy roadways to showcase the striking beauty and emotional theatricality of her art and her troop of dancers.

When I stated that there is little to no biographical information presented in this documentary about the eponymous woman, there is also hardly any information about the dancers or the pieces either. Early on female dancers are shown laying on a stage filled with soil and then a familiar bassoon solo is heard. I thought, “Ah, The Rite of Spring, excellent! Wait, this is not the correct choreography. What?” Luckily, I am a Stravinsky fan or I would have been completely lost. There is no title to identify this as "The Rite of Spring" and no explanation of the divergence from the original ballet choreography. Baush’s piece is primal, grimy and terrifying but also very confusing. I want to know how this version was conceived and the intended meaning. Was the reception as negative as with Nijinsky’s choreography? No answers are provided and only certain sections of Baush’s piece are shown. It is visually arresting but frustrating; if the entire piece was shown it would be a performance film and no answers would be expected, but this is a documentary and there are cuts within the piece, which is a very disorienting stylistic choice on Wender’s part. The camera captures the sinuous dancers in an intimate fashion which brings you onto the stage with them. The pity is that the pieces are cut randomly and give little context for what the dances represent.

Almodovar’s Talk to Her showcases Baush’s piece "Café Muller" in a more understandable fashion, to my estimation. That film overtly implied the dance’s meaning by having Marco and Benigno seated together at the recital. They were going to try, maybe fail, at saving the women they love. That brief scene was more instructive on the theme of the piece than the footage in this documentary. Two dancers discuss the work and examine a scale set of the area strewn with chairs, but a good deal more commentary could have been added to lend some comprehension to the proceedings.

Talk To Her

Talk To Her

Having a terse sentence: “You just have to get crazier” be the explanation of Pina’s choreography advice is frustrating. I’m genuinely curious why one piece has a dancer declare, “This is veal!”, has her insert veal into her shoes and proceeds to dance en pointe outside of a factory. The audience is given this incredibly weird and off-putting image and it is quickly cut to reveal another snippet of a greater piece. The dancers receive my deepest admiration and Baush as well, but this documentary should have stayed with the pieces a while longer. Take time to breathe with the dances instead of cutting through as many as possible without examination. The documentary suffers from a lack of focus which could be attributed to the fact of Baush dying only a few days after she had revealed to her loved ones that she had cancer. A shock like that would throw the center off assuredly, but due to this being a documentary, maybe sharing that information would have helped.

Wings of Desire (1987)

Wenders produced a masterpiece with this story of angels in Berlin watching over humans. He infused beauty, humor and love, without pretention, into a setting that includes a circus with an introspective trapeze artist, angels outfitted in trench coats trading the details of human activities, Peter Falk playing himself and unexpectedly, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds for good measure. To be so personally affected by a film that I literally cry throughout the whole picture while also laughing is a gift. In other hands and with other players this film would have been trite; the magic Wenders worked cannot be understated.
I have never before and will probably never again view such a life affirming film. It’s absurd in a way that a story taking place in a dingy, ripped-apart city with the most fraught past could exude such wonderment. Starting the film with an old man singing and writing on paper, “Als das Kind Kind war…” “When the child was a child…” is the main point of the entire story. Live with childlike wonder and openness, live “Now, now, NOW!” as Damiel the angel (Bruno Ganz) says.

Wenders’ use of black and white interspersed with the most blinding, enrapturing color is dazzling. A bold instance of color finds Marion (Solveig Dommartin) sitting on her bed after flying on the trapeze, musing about life. Her inner thoughts are philosophical, dark and confused. “Emptiness. Fear. Fear. Fear.” Troubling thoughts perhaps but laced with “the desire to love.” Marion broods yet moves on, accepts her sadness, works with it and hopes for better things. The beauty of human vulnerability and the ability to imagine better days is highlighted by the bursts of color throughout the film.

When Damiel first experiences blood he happily licks it and smiles, “It has a taste!” To find delight in such a thing is childlike but also needed. To examine and experience the happiness of surprise is an act we do not engage in enough. Damiel does not always live in the moment, as when he sits in the empty field where the Alekan Circus had been parked. He yearns for Marion feeling the sadness of being just a little bit too late. Cassiel the angel (Otto Sander) looks over him with compassion, knowing that he will return to the present moment to soldier forth. Longing is the reason why Damiel became human in the first place, so his frustration is poignant and well placed. 

Special note must be made about Peter Falk’s participation as himself. This is not stunt casting; his performance is sweet sincere perfection. His interactions as a famous man acting graciously with movie extras, “extra people” as his inner-voice calls them, are wonderful. He asks an older woman permission to sketch her picture. He does a nice job yet inside he thinks to himself, “Someday you’ll make a good drawing. I hope, I hope, I hope…” His doubt in his artistic abilities is very reassuring. Even Peter Falk doubts himself, one of the great actors! Falk’s normalizing part is played with humbleness and abundant glee. When Damiel exclaims, “I want to know everything!” Peter replies with a crinkly smile, “That you have to find out yourself. That’s the fun of it.”

Writing about this film can veer into sentimental territory; to watch it and realize the splendor and sorrow of life is sublime. I find the image of a woman sitting alone in a laundromat supremely moving. The orange machines stretch out before her as she sits. This is life and it is gorgeous. So mundane, so lonely, but to be alive, to see orange washings machines! Ah, it is fantastic!

THE TORONTO VAULT VOL. 2: FAUST (SOKUROV'S MISUNDERSTOOD MASTERPIECE)

I’m not a TIFF Vet like my buddies John & Chris but at this point I know enough to know that around the end of day 4/beginning of day 5 of the festival all the movies start to meld together and you feel like you’re watching one mediocre day-long movie. Faust was the last memorable film that I saw at the festival in 2011 before everything started to get all jumbled (and almost anything is enjoyable after just sitting through Rampart).

Apparently winning best picture at a major festival like Venice doesn't always guarantee that a film will get a descent run in theaters (art house theaters, but still…). Such as the case with Alexander Sokurov's latest; Faust - another retelling/reworking of the famous tale of Faust's quest/struggle to find ultimate enlightenment and the deal he makes with Mephistopheles. To my knowledge this hasn't been released yet outside of festivals & special screenings. Maybe I’m being a bit naïve but I assumed that Sokurov’s recent stuff like Russian Ark (a feature length film shot in one take) & his “power trilogy” (Moloch, Taurus & The Son) had solidified his spot in the art house cinemas but I guess not. In my opinion Sokurov has reached “master auteur” status (if you refer to 5 Questions with Guy Maddin, he considers Sokurov to be the best active filmmaker around) and Faust felt kinda special to me as this was the FIRST film of his I saw on the big screen. This version of Faust isn't your typical German fairytale. Even though this made my top 10 in 2011 it's still not the easiest thing to sit through. This Faust is a world full of deformed characters (in this version, Mephistopheles reveals that his penis is located on the back of his gross pear/squash-shaped body. ...yeah), the creepiest homunculus of ALL the Faust films and dissected bodies (in one of the film's earliest scenes we see Faust inspecting the inside of a body he's just cut open in order to find where the "soul" is). This almost doesn't feel like an adaptation. It’s as if Sokurov brought Faust, Mephistopheles, Gretchen and all the other characters into HIS dreamy world of dense beauty & intentionally slightly un-synced audio where everything feels just a bit...off.
In 2011 much was made of Terrence Malick's Tree Of Life and I couldn't help but think that if there was a place in theaters for that - then why not Faust? Both films have a similar disorienting vibe, deal with vague subjects & issues like; science (on some level) & the origin of life and both films have what many believe to be hidden messages. With Tree Of Life it was the message of Christianity, religion & evangelism whereas with Faust it was apparently a hidden message about Russia’s integration with the rest of Europe (honestly…I don’t see it, but that’s what people are saying).

While Faust shares a strange & unexpected connection with the cinema of Terrence Malick in terms of content, it also shares a connection with Post Tenebras Lux in terms of style & execution. Faust & Post Tenebras Lux, which are both directly inspired by the cinema of Tarkovsky (as well as psychotropic drugs) are two of the few recent works that come the closest to conveying the feel of an actual dream on the big screen.

If I had to describe Faust in one word it would be; dense – the kind of film that you make confused facial expressions at while watching it. On one hand, Faust is a beautiful & rich piece of art that almost feels like a moving painting. The costumes & set designs are excellent...

an appearance from Fassbinder regular; Hanna Schygulla

But on the other hand, Faust is dizzying & tough to watch in some parts (and not just the scenes of grotesque deformed bodies or the guts & organs we see in the beginning). It’s almost like watching an actual headache in the form of a movie (I realize the point of these write-ups are to shed a positive light on these mostly unseen films and I may have just turned you all off by that last statement, but it’s true). It’s a bit difficult to describe, but the ambiance of Faust was very very “thick” & cloudy in both the “feel” and the actual look. The beautiful Gothic-looking images & stills you may find on the Internet paint one picture but the actual moving images tell another story (look at the trailer at the bottom of the review). Sokurov used some kind of filter or special setting on the lens of the camera to give the film an intentionally blurry/cloudy perspective (like that feeling when you first wake up in the morning and haven’t rubbed your eyes yet). This is a challenging film to say the least. Not everyone is gonna wanna sit through something like this for OVER two hours (Faust clocks in at 134 minutes). Alexander Sokurov, who is an amazingly talented director with a unique style, is an acquired taste. Faust is a film that you have to ease in to and it should NOT be anyone’s introduction to his work (no matter how good it is). I genuinely found myself mumbling “…what the fuck?” under my breath more than once while watching this. Faust sometimes seems intentionally alienating. For such a dense, disorienting & trippy piece of work, it didn’t need to be as long as it was. I honestly can’t be mad at anyone if they don’t like this or need more than one sitting to finish it. Depending on the film you have to be kind of a trooper in order to make it all the way through some of Sokurov’s work and Faust REALLY weeds out the true fans (there were quite a few walkouts throughout the screening I attended).
But the beauty of the lead actress; Isolda Dychauk (who plays Gretchen) counters all the roughness & ugliness. Whenever Faust starts to become too much & unbearable her presence (just her face alone) calms the nerves and eases the anxiety that this film may bring on.

Faust might be the oldest and most adapted story in cinema (1926-2011). Every director that’s tackled it has told it in their own unique style. I'd been sitting on an unfinished proper length write-up of Sokurov's Faust for quite some time. Before finishing it off I sought out the original Murnau version and re-watched the Jan Svankmajer version last year at The Museum Of The Moving Image. Apparently there's an adaptation of Faust directed by Brian Yuzna (of Society fame) I still have yet to see. The Mephistopheles character has taken many different forms over the years...

Murnau (1926)

Gorski (1960)

Svankmajer (1994)

Sokurov (2011)

What is it about the story of Faust that has directors of almost every era since the silent era want to adapt this? I can still think of a few modern filmmakers that I'd personally like to see adapt this and put their own twist on it (Guy Maddin, Manuel De Oliviero & Catherine Breillat to name a few)

An interesting fact I recently learned about Faust is that it’s actually meant to be part of his “power trilogy" (which makes it a tetralogy I guess) but I honestly don’t see this fairy tale of a film fitting in with his biopics on Hitler (Moloch), Lenin (Taurus) & Hirohito (The Sun). Yes, Faust deals with similar themes & elements as Sokurov’s aforementioned works, like power & and the misuse of it, but Faust is a standalone work in his filmography. Faust pretty much became a misunderstood masterpiece before it even left the festival circuit. It has all the characteristics – a work of art to some and a piece of crap to others, frustrating to sit through yet rewarding at the same time and some attempt at originality.

ALICE IN THE CITIES: ANTI-LOLITA MEETS PAPER MOON

Ive name-dropped Wim Wenders (most recently in my last Jim Jarmusch entry below) and his movie 'Alice In The Cities' so many times on this blog i think its time that i just write about it. Had any other director made a film with the same amount of vagueness and plot holes as Wenders did with 'Alice In The Cities' id be criticizing it left & right. But for some strange reason it doesn't bother me here. This dreamy film, which is the first part in a trilogy of unrelated road movies (the others being 'Kings Of The Road' and 'The Wrong Move') is best described as: "The Anti-Lolita" (a description I'm quite proud of if i may say so). Both films have the same basic plot and style: A black & film about a motherless child traveling on the road with an adult male (in Lolita the girls mother dies, whereas in Alice In The Cities, Alice's mother temporarily ditches her). The BIG difference between the 2 films is that 'Lolita' has the pedophile/sexual angle, while there's no hint of that whatsoever in 'Alice In The Cites'. This is just another example of a European filmmaker taking source material that the average director would've turned inappropriate but made it a heartfelt story instead. In the film, "Phil", a German photographer/photojournalist is temporarily stranded in new york city because there's an airline strike going on in Germany and he cant fly home. At the new york airport, Phil helps a German woman and her daughter (Alice), who are stranded just like him, book an alternative flight. Because they're going to be on the same plane the next morning (they book a flight to Amsterdam and plan to drive the rest of the way to Germany), Phil gets a hotel room with them. The next morning the mother is gone, leaving her daughter Alice behind with Phil (according to a note left behind, she had something important to take care of). This part of the story has always been a little strange to me. I mean, we've all met people for the first time who we feel we might be able to trust instantly, but not enough to leave your 9 year old daughter alone with. Luckily the director of this film was Wim Wender and not Todd Solondz. For the next few days the mother leads Paul & Alice on a wild goose chase around the world (literally) to find her. Eventually Phil & Alice give up the search for the mother and with nothing but a photograph and Alice's memory, the 2 set out to find Alice's grandmother instead. Their trek takes them across 3 countries (America, Amsterdam & Germany). Along with 'Lolita', 'Alice In The Cities' has a strong connection with Peter Bogdanovich's 'Paper Moon' which was released a year earlier. Both films are black & white road trips involving a young girl and an older male father figure.

ALICE IN THE CITIES VS. PAPER MOON:
Along with people like Jim Jarmusch, Peter Bogdanovich is one of the best modern directors to use black & white, and make it look so amazingly beautiful (see 'the last picture show' for further examples of Bogdonovich’s black & white talent). Real life father and daughter; Ryan and Tatum O’Neal, play depression-era con-artists on a road trip going from one scheme to the next. Tatum O’Neal totally steals the show. I love both movies equally, although i don't think its debatable that when you compare to the 2 child performances, Tatum O'neal is better. Maybe its just a coincidence, but these films not only have the same vibe and have similar plots, but there are quite a few scenes & shots from both films that look very similar...

Alice In The Cities (1974)

Paper Moon (1973)

Alice In The Cities

Paper Moon

Alice...

Paper Moon


ALICE IN THE CITIES VS. LOLITA:
One scene in 'Alice In Cities' that stands out is where Phil is in the bathtub and Alice comes in because she cant sleep. Somehow this scene doesn't come off inappropriate. In addition to that, there are a few scenes in both films that do look a bit similar......

Alice...

Lolita (1962)

Alice...

Lolita

The relationship between Alice and Phil is unique. At no point when Alice is left alone with him does she feel scared. Lets be honest, if a little kid is left alone with a strange man they'd be a little freaked out. But even before Alice's mom leaves her, she already forms a playful bond with Phil. She instantly trusts him. In fact, they get along so well in public that they're mistaken for father & daughter. Like any 2 people who are paired up with each other for a while, they do grow sick of each other but it doesn't last for very long. I guess that would be the biggest difference between 'Alice In The Cities' & 'Paper Moon'. Phil and Alice spend most of the film getting along, while Addy and Moze fight non-stop. You feel the bond between Alice and Phil so much through out the film that when they finally part ways in the end, it makes you feel a little sad. 
Obviously i love comparing and relating movies to one other, and 'Alice In The Cities' might be one of the best examples. Assuming you've read all of this (along with my other blog entries that mention this film: The Cinema Of Jim Jarmusch & I Travel Because I Have To...), you see that 'Alice In The Cities' branches off in to so many different directions. Its part of a trilogy, its influenced other films like 'Stranger Than Paradise' & 'I Travel Because I Have To' (director Karim Ainouz even said this himself at Anthology Film Archives a few months ago), it has a lot of similarities to 'Paper Moon', and was also inspired by the films of Yasujiro Ozo, who Wenders made a documentary about.

OLD FLUD REVIEWS PART TWO: ENTER THE VOID, THE WHITE RIBBON & VALHALLA RISING

Hopefully you guys have been checking out my reviews for the flud watches website in addition to this blog (links for recent flud reviews are on the right, or click the "flud reviews tag" on the right as well). The content from the old flud website is gone, but thankfully i saved everything. Here's the 2nd installment of older reviews that aren't up anymore. And make sure to check out the new flud site if you havent already...http://www.fludwatches.com/

ENTER THE VOID

I cant remember the last time I was in a movie theater when the audience ripped open in applause simply because of the opening credits. Maybe it was because the somewhat controversial director Gaspar Noe hasn’t released a feature in almost 8 years. Or maybe its because the opening credits to his latest film; Enter The Void have more energy and excitement than most films have in their entirety. Seriously, I haven’t gotten so hype from an opening credit sequence since the first time I saw David Lynch’s Lost Highway in the theater years ago. Enter The Void, centers around the relationship between a low level drug dealing brother (Oscar) and his stripper sister (Linda) who’s parents were killed when they were little kids. After their parents’ death, Oscar and Linda make a promise to never separate from each other, but that pact is soon broken when they’re sent to live in different foster homes. After years of being apart, they finally reunite, living together in Japan. However, they’re separated once again, this time permanently, when Alex gets set up by his friend and killed by the police. Although Alex’s body is dead, his spirit still remains on earth, and we spend the rest of the movie looking through Alex’s point of view as he watches over his sister (still keeping the promise he made to never leave his sister). The POV perspective isn’t as bad as cloverfield, but at 2 hours and 23 minutes, your eyes my need a break so you might want to look off to the side for a few seconds.
The acting in Enter The Void is nowhere near as good as the acting in Noe’s other films. In fact, this is probably his weakest film when it comes to acting (when you go from your last movie headlined by an amazing actor like Vincent Cassel to having 2 mumbling 20-something year olds front your cast you notice the difference) . But at the same time, this isn’t a performance-driven movie. Enter The Void relies more one CGI, trippy sequences, (sometimes) dizzy editing and dark atmospheric music. Unlike Gaspar Noe’s previous work, there aren’t any pregnant women getting punched in the stomach (I stand alone) or faces bashed in with the butt end of a fire extinguisher (Irreversible). I think by now anyone who’s been following this movie knows that many people are comparing Enter The Void to Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Oddessy. Now, Enter The Void obviously doesn’t have the same impact as 2001, but at the same time, watching Enter The Void is like watching the last 20-30 minutes of 2001, except for over 2 hours. No matter what, you have to respect what Gaspar Noe did. With each film, he becomes and more technically advances, and manages to push some kind of boundary, weather it be special effects or how we view violence in film. If you were able to make it through Irreversible, you shouldnt have a problem sitting though this.

Images & Stills from Kubricks '2001'...

Images & stills from 'Enter The Void'. Cleary by looking at the pictures above you can see where Gaspar Noe drew a lot of inspiration...

In addition to drawing inspiration from the imagery of 2001, its also been brought up on many different movie sites and blogs that there may have been some influence from the great russian film; 'Come and See' in the design of the 'Enter the Void' movie poster. And even though the 2 films arent very similar and dont have much in common plot-wise, they are both equally intense and difficult to sit through at times. With both films, you feel like you need a break afterwards...

'Come and See' (1985)

'Enter The Void'

THE WHITE RIBBON

I gotta say, in the four years i’ve attended the new york film festival (inland empire, the wrestler, cache, etc) this is by far the most memorable movie i’ve seen so far. And i STILL have one more movie to see (Todd Solondz’s latest, so i’m sure i’ll be in for some dark comedy about pedophilia and dysfunctional suburban family life). This new film proves that Michael Haneke has become one of the very few directors to NOT make a “bad” film (…yet). In Michael Haneke’s latest film; “The White Ribbon”, he channels the spirit of classic german cinema (specifically; “Young Torless” and “Coup De Grace”…two movies you all should see if you havent) in both; subject matter and beautiful black & white cinematography. He gives a slight nod to the filmmaking style of Carl Theodore Dryer (a director i just recently got in to) as well as Tarkosfky. Haneke also revisits some of themes of one of his most recent films; “Cache”. ”The White Ribbon takes place in a small german town just before the start of WW1. The town starts to change after a series of mysterious and often gruesome (somewhat sadistic) events occur one after another. By the end of the movie, two of the townspeople start to put the pieces together as to who’s responsible. Through out the movie until its chilling end, you start to slowly see the seeds of violence within youth grow, and how they were planted. Seeing that the youth in this movie are of a particular age, set in a particular time period (early 1900’s), this film is also a look at the growth of fascism and the how those seeds were planted as well. One major hint are the white ribbons two of the children are forced to wear around their arm at the order of their father. Do the white ribbons foreshadow the swastika armbands that nazi soldiers will be wearing in the future? And similar to “Cache”, Haneke hints and lightly pokes at major events that make you wanna dig further. For example, one could look at “Cache” as a movie about “white guilt” and race issues in society. In the film he just casually mentions the algerian massacre, which serves as an important backstory for the 2 main characters in the film (also, is it any coincidence that the random person the main character gets in to an argument with outside the police station is a dark skinned african? for those of you who havent seen “Cache”, and don’t know what im talking about…make it a priority to see it). “The White Ribbon” now has me quite interested in the birth of fascism, and germany’s history leading up to WW1 (i was on google & wikipedia after i got home from watching the movie, lol). This is easily one of the 3 best movies of the year so far, and puts Haneke up there with all the “masters of cinema” (in my opinion).

'Young Torless' (1966)

'Coup De Grace' (1976)

'The White Ribbon' (2009). Even though this film was made in 2009, you really felt like you were watching a film that was made years ago (courtesy of Haneke's decision to make the film black & white)

VALHALLA RISING

Its nice to know that independent/art-house directors are trying their hands at films and genres outside of the typical slowly paced, depressing dramas they’re often associated with. Nicholas Refn, is one of the most misunderstood directors out right now. Refn’s films like the ridiculously underrated Fear X and Bronson have brought on a comparison to the likes of Stanley Kubrick (which is something I imagine no up and coming filmmaker wants). Being compared to one of the greats like Kubrick must not only be intimidating for a young director, but give people high expectations to live up to. This movie came out at the perfect time. Ive been revisiting all of Nicholas Refn’s films over the last few months; Fear X, Bronson and The Pusher Trilogy (the movie he’s most known for). Valhalla stars Danish film star; Mads Miklesen (the villain from Casino Royale for those unfamiliar with his work), as “One-Eye”: A prisoner in 1000 A.D. Who’s forced to fight other prisoners to the death for the enjoyment of their captors. His ruthless fighting ability has not only left him undefeated, but it slowly builds him a reputation among the other prisoners. After escaping from prison, he joins up with a group of religious crusaders set on claiming on a land, which just happens to already be inhabited by a certain group of people called “Native Americans”. Kubrick’s influence is nowhere to be found in Valhalla Rising. If anything, you could say the structure of the film draws inspiration from fellow danish director; Lars Von Trier. Valhalla Rising is told chapters (something Von Trier is known for in many of his films), and soundtracks (very similar to the soundtrack Brian Eno did for Fear X) leaves you with an easy feeling, similar to the soundtrack in Von Trier’s most recent; Antichrist. The one-on-one fight scenes are realistically brutal and entertaining. Although thats not all the movie is about. In fact, the trailer to this movie can be somewhat deceiving. The fighting scenes between the other prisoners really only take place in the first 30 minutes or so of the film. The middle of the film is where things get interesting (and at times a little troublesome and out of control). The film turns in to heavy handed religious symbolism, and there’s very long stretches without much dialoge. Some may find this part of the movie boring, while others my look at it as a work of art. Either way, the ending is worth sitting through the troublesome middle part.

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MOVIES FOR HALLOWEEN: PART 2

HALLOWEENIE (Pete & Pete)
Ever since season two came out, i always make it a point to watch this episode (which is one of my all time top 5 Pete & Pete episodes ever) during the Halloween season. It brings back so many memories. Aside from the tv show being a major part of my childhood, this specific episode brings back Halloween memories of all the stupid shit me and friends use to do during Halloween once we got to old to dress up and knock on doors for candy, which is basically what this episode is about. In 'Halloweenie', big Pete realizes he's getting too old for Halloween which causes a problem for little Pete. Little Pete wants to break the record for getting the most candy, but he cant do it alone and needs his older brothers help. At the same time, a gang of highschoolers called; The Pumpkin Eaters (led by recurring character; Endless Mike), plan to not only destroy Halloween for all the little kids in town, but hey also try to recruit big Pete in to their gang. Now big Pete is torn between weather or not he should help his little brother on Halloween or grow up and say goodbye to trick or treating. Any Pete & Pete episode with Endless Mike is gold. He's one of the shows best characters (even more than Artie as far as I'm concerned). If you ever wanted to turn anyone on to 'Pete & Pete', THIS would be the episode for sure. This one really highlights the shows unique sense of humor, which i like to call 'G-rated dark humor'.



PARENTS
This is one of my all time favorite movies, and one of my greatest late night cable tv discoveries as a little kid. In 'Parents' (directed by Bob Balaban), a little boy suspects that his parents are serial killing cannibals. His suspicions arise due to his parent's love of eating only meat and the horrific nightmares/visions hes has that show his parents in a disturbing light. This is one of the most original (and underrated) movies of the 80's. 'Parents' has the spirit of; 'Pete & Pete', 'blue velvet', 'heathers' and 'are you afraid of the dark' all rolled up in to one movie. The acting in the movie is really great. In fact, Randy Quaid was nominated for an independent spirit award for his performance in this. The lead kid in this movie never went on to act in anything else, which is a shame because he did a really good job. Also, Bob Balaban has never directed or written anything quite like this ever since. In fact, this seems more like a David Lynch movie. As underrated and forgotten about as this movie may be, it has a small cult audience, and is slowly getting rediscovered thanks to the hulu and the youtube movie channel. Also, even though you cant see any traces of 'Parents' in any of his work, this is one of Darren Aronofsky's favorite movies.



THE REFLECTING SKIN
This movie would make an amazing double feature with 'Parents'. 'The Reflecting Skin' shares the same basic plot as 'Parents'; the disturbing imagination of a child who suspects the adults around him are evil. This movie, like 'Parents' is also VERY underrated. 'The Reflecting Skin' tells the story of 'Seth' and the creepy Midwestern town he lives in. He comes from a dysfunctional home (his father is not only a drunk but has been labeled the town pedophile due to a misunderstanding that took place many years ago and his mother is overly religious and physically abusive). His brother (Played by Viggo Mortensen in one of his earliest roles), has come back from WW2 with a disease that's making him weaker and weaker. He's absolutely convinced that the British woman who lives next door to him is a vampire (she eventually becomes his older brothers girlfriend). And all of his friends are being killed off by a group a serial killers that pray on the young boys in the neighborhood (this aspect of the movie is actually very open to interpretation in that the serial killers might be a split personality of 'Seth' himself, who in reality may be the one killing his friends). This movie has its share of funny scenes, but at the end of the day its a serious film. Like some of the other movies on my Halloween movie lists, this isn't so much a horror movie as it is a psychological thriller/drama. The soundtrack to this movie is great, btw.



HOUSE
This cult Japanese film from the late 70's has regained a new cult following due its recent midnight screenings at IFC and its addition to the criterion collection. If it weren't for criterion/janus films, most people (myself included) wouldn't be exposed to a lot the great Japanese films outside of Kurosawa and Ozu. Even though 'House' is more of a satirical and somewhat cheesy movie, it still falls in to the same category of films like; kwadain or jigoku (which have also been released by criterion), just a lot less serious. This surreal horror/comedy/musical will probably leave you laughing more than frightened, but it still possesses the spirit of Halloween. In 'House', main character; 'Gorgeous' takes her six friends (each with an equally peculiar nickname; 'kung-fu', 'fantasy', 'mac', 'melody', 'sweet' and 'prof') to her aunts house (whom she hasn't seen for years) for the summer, to get away from her father and new stepmother. What they don't know is that not only is Gorgeous's aunt a ghost, but the house they're staying in is haunted. In fact, the actual house itself starts to take on a life of its own and one by one, each of the girls is killed during their stay at the haunted house, each in a different hilarious way (one is killed by a piano that comes to life, one is beheaded, etc etc). The 'House' criterion dvd comes out at the perfect time for the Halloween season (October 26th). This is a great movie to watch with a group of friends.



COMMUNION
'Fire in the sky' might have one of the best alien abduction scenes ever, but the entire movie overall is pretty average. Communion on the other hand is a great movie all around (weather the events are true or not), that kinda got forgotten about over time. The movie, based on the true story of an alien abduction just like 'Fire in the Sky', stars Christopher Walken in the lead role as a man recovering from an alien abduction and the toll it takes on him and his family. This is probably one of Christopher Walken's last performances where actually ACTS instead of playing a character of himself which is pretty much what he's been for the last 15 years or so. In fact, Walken's performance is just as creepy as the aliens in the movie (christopher walken actually kinda looks like an alien to be honest). Speaking of the aliens in the film, that might be the one aspect of the movie that falls short (which is probably due to the budget, judging by how cheap the aliens look). In 'Communion' Walken is visited by two different kinds of Alien race. The first kind are reminiscent of the aliens at the end of close encounters (skinny bodies, big heads and big eyes). While the second group of aliens Walken comes in contact with are little black troll-like aliens. Some people may be turned off by the cheapness of the alien suits and special effects, while some might not mind. If can put that aspect of the movie aside, you'll be able to enjoy 'Communion' for the 1/2 science fiction, 1/2 psychological drama that it is.



ANGST
Any movie that Gaspar Noe counts as one of inspirations is going to intrigue me. Thanks to a multi-region dvd, I was finally able to see this after years and years of only youtube clips. When you finally see 'Angst', and then think back on Noe's work, it'll all make sense as to why this is one of the favorite movies of the guy responsible for 'Irreversible'. In 'Angst', we follow a psychopath who's just been released from prison and the difficult time he has adjusting to life on the outside. It's clear that he should've never been released, and he turns to killing again. A lot of people will look at 'Angst' as nothing more than a slasher film that's just violent for the sake of being violent. But what sets 'Angst' apart from typical slasher movies is its cinematography, which makes me even more sense that it would be one of Gaspar Noe's favorite movies (the cinematography in 'Enter The Void' is especially reminiscent of 'Angst'). In fact I wouldn't be surprised if the cinematography in 'La Haine' was partially inspired by 'Angst'. Similar to how movies like; Bladerunner & Element of Crime, Vertigo & Lost Highway, Parent & The Reflecting Skin and Barton Fink & Eraserhead go together, 'Angst' has a similar relationship with 'Henry: Portrait of Serial Killer'. This movie isn't for everyone.



LET THE RIGHT ONE IN
Vampires seem to be 'in' these days, so I thought id mention at least one of the few good vampire movies out there (i still have yet to see 'Thirst'). Seeing the remake to this movie last night, made me go back and watch the original when I got home. Even though I found the remake surprisingly good (which takes a lot for me to say, because I went in to the remake wanting it to be bad), it made me appreciate the original much more. The remake still retains the spirit of the original version. The story of a lonely boy that becomes friends with a child vampire and the "complicated" relationship between the vampire girl and her 'father'. But the remake is more of a horror movie, whereas the original Swedish version is pretty much an art house drama with a few isolated scenes of gore & violence here & there. The American remake has more of a traditional horror movie soundtrack (tense, dramatic strings that build up to an obvious vampire attack), way more blood, and (like most remakes) there are some parts of the original that were left out in the remake. The biggest contrast between the original and the remake is how its shot. Specifically the lighting of each film. Because the remake is made to be more of a traditional horror movie, the look of the movie is very "dark". It seemed like most of the scenes took place at night. This is a HUGE contrast to the original which is very bright and makes great use of the snowy landscape. The bright white look of the original accentuates the violent and bloody scenes. 'Let The Right One In' is easily one of the best vampire movies to come out in years.