H
This is one of those French comedies that also has a serious undertone
to it as well, and I'm having a hard time thinking of how to sum it up
exactly. I think, in the end, it is rather one of those "the grass is
always greener" kind of movies, where the married men are jealous of
their freewheeling bachelor friend and said bachelor is jealous of their
wives and children. There are affairs and secrets and conversations and
romances and chance encounters and questions and much silliness and love
and struggle.
I definitely enjoyed the film, but it's very uneven and at
times even puzzling and confusing. There was one line that made no sense
whatsoever and had me utterly baffled for quite some time, making me
question for a good while exactly who was the wife and who was the
mistress in one case. And another moment in the film, either a fantasy
or a memory, also was very confusing, making me unsure of exactly what
was really going on. Being at least aquainted, if not personally
involved in polyamory, there is always that weird space of looking at
all these shennanigans and wondering if it's really necessary and
wondering if these people prefer and believe in the traditional forms
of marriage and relationships set down by culture over time or if they
are just trapped by them, believing that this is the only acceptable
way to live and love? Fluffy and fun and had the most bizarrely
unexpected cameo by Johnny Depp that totally threw me off, like seeing
someone you know well in a totally unexpected place/context.
Return to the Index
This is one of the fluffiest of the Beatles' movies, substituting dry
wit and style for hijinks and wackiness. Nevertheless, if you like
slapstick and screwball comedy sprinked with what essentially are music
videos before there were music videos, you'll have a blast. In this
ludicrous film, a fan sends Ringo a massive red ring that he cannot for
the life of him get off his finger. Unfortunately it is his life that
is at risk, as the sacrifical ring belongs to the bloodthristy cult of Kali
and it is decreed that whoever wears the ring must be slaughtered. If
that weren't enough, a crazed scientist discovers the ring and is
convinced he must have it because with such a ring he could, dare I say
it, rule the world! This is terribly irreverent and politically
incorrect to the extreme, but I revel in its fabulous foolishness.
Return to the Index
This movie makes Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon look like an OK
flick. Don't be deceived by the seemingly simplistic beginning. The film
is far more complex and layered than it first appears to be, telling and
retelling a story of how one man managed to defeat three of the greatest
assassins in all of China. The choreography and martial arts are
fantastic, the characters are fascinating and compelling, and the
cinematography is breathtaking. The story is told with a high sense of
myth; the grandeur befitting the epic tale being spun. But most
striking and delightful is the use of color as a metaphor for the
emotions, situations, and characters: red for passion, light blue
for reason, green for youth, and white for truth. An amazing cast. An
amazing film. It stole my breath away.
Return to the Index
This is an extremely beautiful movie about a very ugly time, when
cholera was ravaging the south of France in 1832. An Italian soldier,
running from the Austrian secret police, comes upon an exquisite young
woman who is determined to find her husband, even though it means she
must delve deeper and deeper into quarantined and disease-infested areas
of the country. As determined as she is to reach her husband, so is the
soldier to go with her and protect her as best he can. While watching
this film I kept shaking my head at this woman's persistence, which to
be honest is more often foolhardy insanity. I had the urge to smack her
upside the head in the hopes of bringing her to her senses and could
not for the life of me understand why this handsome dashing soldier
would find her quest, or her for that matter, so irresistable that he
could not abandon her. Over and over again I whispered inside my head,
"She's crazy! She's married! You can do better! Dump the crazy bitch
and get on with your life!" Probably just as well he couldn't hear me -
would have made for a pretty dull movie otherwise. And it is, without a
doubt, an exceedingly well-made and gorgeous film, with amazing
landscapes, architecture, costumes, and people.
Return to the Index
|
