I watch so many movies that my movie memory is started to overload. So I've decided to start doing short reviews for each film I've watched during the week. Often they'll be movies I'm viewing for the first time, but some may be favourites that are getting their latest re-watch.
Family
(Japan, 2001, Takashi Miike)
4.5/10
I've been digging through some of Takashi Miike's less respectable efforts in an attempt to reach my impossible New Year's resolution of seeing every single one of his movies (that is a fucking lot for those unfamiliar with his prolific output). In recent reviews I've said that Silver was his worst I've seen, but Family easily takes it place. It really is unbelievable how poisonous Hisao Maki (the writer, producer and co-star of Family) is when collaborating with Miike. Each production they've collaborated on shows Miike at his worst. Bodyguard Kiba was a bit of fun, and its cheapness was acceptable being that it was an early Miike effort. Silver isn't allowed this consideration, being from 1999, but at least you could see a splash of Miike sneaking through the stupidity. But Family is just trash. Not to say it wasn't entertaining at times - as most trash is - but you'd be hard pressed to convince someone of Miike's genius by showing them this.
The mind boggles to think that this came out the same year that Miike made Ichi the Killer, Happiness of the Katakuris and Visitor Q. Three movies that rank amongst his absolute best. What the hell happened here? Family looks horrible, but its shot on video aesthetics are no excuse. Miike has worked wonders with video before. Here, he is completely out of control. Using horrible iMovie-esque filters at random and cross-dissolving wildly between shots. Again, Miike has used this over the top editing to decent effect before in work such as MPD Psycho, but here its meaninglessness makes it a disaster. Miike's presence is so detached from Family that I almost wonder if Miike made these films with Maki as a personal favour, or perhaps he treated them as an opportunity to experiment with video effects. But enough with Miike's failings, Maki is just as guilty in delivering this mediocre garbage. His "script" is an embarrassment.
Maki presents a juvenile yakuza tale that is needlessly convoluted and utterly half-arsed. I'd like to say it's full of holes, but the whole thing is a gaping hole. The film literally stops - and yes, I'm aware that Family is split into two entries in the West, and I watched both. We've got the incredibly weak story of a family of three brothers - confusingly named Hideshi, Takeshi and Takashi - that cause trouble in the yakuza. Takeshi (Taisihû Kase) is a hitman and is hired to kill a high ranking mobster. After the assassination, the yakuza family sends the brothers to find Takeshi, but along the way they uncover a trail of deception from their own bosses. Oh and another mobster called Kenmoshi (Ken'ichi Endô) also joins in, kidnapping Takashi's wife and raping her. Family is a mess. My brief plot outline is cleaning it up a lot and leaving out a lot of the useless details. Essentially, Family is an excuse for a finale in the Philippines with explosives and gunfire. Normally, I'd be fine with that, but I wish Maki had of taken the time to write an actual ending. To be fair, as disastrous as Maki's script is, Family is entertaining yakuza nonsense. I was enjoying the film's silly story on the level of cheap and violent entertainment and rarely did I feel bored. But the film's ending is such a middle finger to the audience, that any entertainment is wiped away.
Family is pure exploitation. Unlike Miike's better films, where violence and sex is used cleverly, Family is macho, misogynist, violent silliness and nothing more. Being a fan of trashy exploitation, I'm not offended by that. But I have to say, the rape scene in Family is despicable and would be more at home in a repulsive Japanese rape-porn than a cheesy yakuza film. It doesn't help that the rape scene almost feels as if it's played for laughs with Ken'ichi Endô yukking it up something rotten. Talking about Endô, he is - despite his uselessness in the film's larger story - one of the better things in Family. Endô is a truly great Miike regular and he has a lot of fun with his goofy role. In fact, the whole cast serves Family far better than Maki's script deserves with no real weak links in sight. I think if I had watched Family without knowing it was a Takashi Miike film, I would have tolerated it a little more. It is as thick as they come, but it works as an exploitation film. But Miike in the director's chair creates big expectations, and Family is by far his biggest letdown. At least, so far...
Manhattan Murder Mystery
(USA, 1993, Woody Allen)
8.5/10
My Woody Allen education continues with Manhattan Murder Mystery, and yet again, I'm left cursing my previous unfounded hatred of Allen's work. (To be fair, I did start with Anything Else and Melinda and Melinda.) Manhattan Murder Mystery is not exactly a timeless masterpiece, but it's certainly a fun and tight film. Watching Diane Keaton and Woody Allen on screen again and solving a murder is an absolute blast. Throw in the brilliant Angelica Huston (one of my favourite actresses) and the always reliable Alan Alda and you've got a crackling good film. Manhattan Murder Mystery feels like a quickie - and supposedly it was, a film made quickly to distract from Allen's personal problems at the time. The locations and cast are both limited, and it didn't feel like Allen was attempting to make any kind of grandiose statement. But this does not hinder the film in any way, in fact its "smallness" makes it feel more humble and strips away all pretensions making Manhattan Murder Mystery an endearing little film.
M. Hulot's Holiday
aka Les vacances de Monsieur Hulot
aka Les vacances de Monsieur Hulot
(France, 1953, Jacques Tati)
8.5/10
M. Hulot's Holiday may not reach the level of perfection displayed in Tati's Play Time and even Mon Oncle, but that doesn't stop it from being quite brilliant in its own right. In fact, it's down to earth aspirations perhaps make it an easier viewing, especially when compared to the overwhelming Play Time. Tati is an artist of visual comedy and M. Hulot's Holiday is an excellent introduction to his talents. Following the iconic Monsieur Hulot on his - at first, somewhat depressing - beach holiday, Tati presents a series of comedic set ups that could almost function as individual skits. Not all are hilarious, but they are all wonderfully creative and masterfully executed. Even if Tati's comedy is not to your taste, it would be difficult not to appreciate Tati's beautiful framing and lovely locations. I would also find it hard to imagine any viewer not enjoying the character of Hulot. Hulot is the influence for many comedic characters - which ones will become obvious after viewing the film - but Tati's performance is hard to top. I highly recommend starting with M. Hulot's Holiday for viewers new to Jacques Tati.
Mon Oncle
(France, 1958, Jacques Tati)
9/10
It's fascinating to study the upward steps in quality in Tati's work between M. Hulot's Holiday and Play Time. M. Hulot's Holiday is great and Play Time is perfection, while Mon Oncle sits comfortable in between in the category of near perfection. Mon Oncle feels as if it is a warm up for Play Time with its similar themes and attitudes towards technology. Mon Oncle is not quite as good as Play Time, but, like M. Hulot's Holiday, it is more grounded and structured. Play Time appears as if it was made on another planet and almost moves beyond the world of comprehensible cinema, whereas Mon Oncle feels more akin to a narrative film. That's not to say there's not mouthwatering otherworldly genius to be found, it just feels as if Tati has contained it within a reasonably structured story. In some ways, this makes Mon Oncle a better film than Play Time - even though it's not - and it certainly makes it a less exhausting watch. The aesthetic of Mon Oncle is difficult to describe. The sets and ridiculous futuristic (and failed) technology Tati presents are absurd and unlike anything you'll ever see, yet they are also rooted in familiar reality. The characters - both pretentious and humble - are similarly simultaneously alien and familiar. Outside of his pleasing aesthetics, Tati pushes his comedy set pieces to new levels in Mon Oncle. The party scene stands as one of the most impressive scenes of comedic escalation I've ever seen. Watch Mon Oncle in a double bill with Play Time and feel your brain shiver in ecstasy with the combination of visual artistry and comedy.
Return of the Streetfighter
aka Satsujin ken 2
aka Satsujin ken 2
(Japan, 1974, Shigehiro Ozawa)
7/10
Return of the Streetfighter is very much a sequel. It is very similar to the first, only with less creativity and energy. Characters that died in the first are replaced with less interesting ones with identical functions (Chiba's sidekick being the prime example). The action is still there, but is less gory and visceral. (That said, Chiba does punch a guy so hard that his eyeballs pop out.) Return of the Streetfighter's biggest problem is the abundance of useless karate training footage. It feels as if a third of the movie is dedicated to karate demonstrations. On the plus side, while Return of the Streetfighter may not be as good as the original, it's no slouch either. The film is fast paced with an appropriately slim running time and, ignoring the karate montages, it fills the screen with a lot of action. The soundtrack sadly does not use the Streetfighter theme song enough, but it is still of a high quality in terms of classic 70s martial arts scores. Sonny Chiba is, of course, as charismatic and brutal as ever and a few returning characters from the original put on a good show. Probably the worst of the Streetfighter series, but still a decent enough martial arts film.
Swamp Country
(USA, 1966, Robert Patrick)
7/10
Swamp films are started to become a favourite of mine in the world of exploitation films. I've only seen a handful of them, but they have a wonderful authenticity to them no matter how silly their stories are. Swamp Country contains a shot that is a good summation of this authenticity - a sheriff, along with some helpful hillbillies (they look like real swamp rats, not actors), walk along the edge of a swamp, a a gator approaches them and they shoo it away shouting "get, get" (pronounced "git, git"). This was all captured in a beautiful, and bumpy, tracking shot. It felt real, like something captured between takes as the cameraman followed the actors to the next shooting location. This rawness is Swamp Country's greatest asset. Not that the story is terrible, but it's not exactly memorable. In a brief outline, a woman is strangled in a motel, it is blamed on the man staying next door to her. He escapes to the swamp and the sheriff (with helpful hillbillies in tow) take chase. Unfortunately, the man is some kind of ex-jungle survivalist. Meanwhile, the sheriff and Baker Knight (playing himself) fight over a girl who is attempting to solve the mystery of the murder.
Along with its thick swampy atmosphere, Swamp Country benefits from an excellent cast. No one here is a particularly good actor, but they all suit their roles well. Baker Knight is especially great. Knight is a singer-songwriter (in real life and in the movie) and penned some big hit songs. We are treated to a few songs from Knight, and, without any hint of irritating irony, I truly enjoyed them. His songs had a grittiness to their lyrics that was very much in tune with the film. The rest of the cast is rounded out with a platter of not-particularly-television-friendly faces. We have haggard old storekeepers, toothless hicks and characters that are completely incomprehensible (but enjoy to laugh manically). Yeah, it's pretty great. The worst thing about Swamp Country is its dull love story and female lead. Carolyn Gilbert's performance is about as mediocre as her looks, and her quest to solve the murder case so she can decide between her two suitors is not very engaging and sadly steals quite a bit of the film's running time. But luckily, the exciting swamp shenanigans drown out the film's duller moments. Swamp Country - in all its ham-fisted glory - is high quality, gentle trash.
Underground
(France/FR Yugoslavia/Germany/Hungary, 1995, Emir Kusturica)
9/10
I left this film last to review this week, because I honestly don't know where to start. It's difficult to summarise Emir Kusturica's Underground in words, but some of the following are a good start: obnoxious, indulgent and brilliant. But I think if I had to pick only one word it would be assaultive (even though my spell check is adamant that it's not a real word). Underground is such an assault on the senses that, within five minutes, I had a piercing headache. We are bombarded with frantic music, gunfire, explosions and zoo animals, all occurring simultaneously. Yes, it is as painful as it is genius. Kusturica doesn't let up either and the film remains consistently frenetic till its insane finale. Underground follows Marko (Miki Manojlovic) and Blacky (Lazar Ristovski) - two men that could either be described as charismatic criminals or part time freedom fighters (I'd stick with the former) - as they move through Yugoslavian history from WWII to more recent struggles. Although supposedly the best of friends, Marko steals Blacky's unwilling love interest Natalija (Mirjana Jokovic) in the most horrendous of betrayals.
Underground sounds quite grim and serious, and there is no denying the intelligence of its satire. But Kusturica presents the dark history of Yugoslavia an unexpectedly playful and energetic manner. I wouldn't say that this film is light viewing - not in the slightest - but Kusturica laces Underground with a strong and wild sense of humour. And it works, for the most part. At times, Underground is too much. At nearly three hours of continuous intensity, it can become draining, and it left me dazed and frazzled as the end credits rolled. But I'm sure that was Kusturica's intentions. While I was impressed with the incredible filmmaking and inventive chaos tossed around onscreen, I must admit that my lack of knowledge in the area of Yugoslavian history meant that Underground's deeper meaning was lost on me. Underground was certainly a fascinating viewing, but I think I require a second watch after an extensive history lesson.
Underground sounds quite grim and serious, and there is no denying the intelligence of its satire. But Kusturica presents the dark history of Yugoslavia an unexpectedly playful and energetic manner. I wouldn't say that this film is light viewing - not in the slightest - but Kusturica laces Underground with a strong and wild sense of humour. And it works, for the most part. At times, Underground is too much. At nearly three hours of continuous intensity, it can become draining, and it left me dazed and frazzled as the end credits rolled. But I'm sure that was Kusturica's intentions. While I was impressed with the incredible filmmaking and inventive chaos tossed around onscreen, I must admit that my lack of knowledge in the area of Yugoslavian history meant that Underground's deeper meaning was lost on me. Underground was certainly a fascinating viewing, but I think I require a second watch after an extensive history lesson.
What Have I Done to Deserve This?
aka ¿Qué he hecho yo para merecer esto!!
aka ¿Qué he hecho yo para merecer esto!!
(Spain, 1984, Pedro Almodóvar)
9.5/10
This is it. This is the film that converts me into a full fledged Almodóvar fanatic. I've enjoyed everything I've seen by Almodóvar up to this point (which is admittedly, not enough), but What Have I Done to Deserve This? absolutely demolished me. What Have I Done to Deserve This? is a bit of everything. It's offensive, it's heartwarming, it's depressing and it's incredibly funny. Almodóvar and actress Carmen Maura give us the character Gloria. Gloria has a rotten life. Her husband (Ángel de Andrés López) is a sour taxi driver that obsesses over his past affair with a Nazi sympathiser. One of her sons is dealing smack and her other son whores himself out to pedophiles. Her mother-in-law (the great Chus Lampreave) hoards fizzy drinks and brings a lizard into the house. And her neighbour (Verónica Forqué) is a whore who invites Gloria to watch her in the act. Not to mention, Gloria is addicted to no-doze and has no qualms in selling her son to a lustful dentist.
While it sounds like a depressing affair, What Have I Done to Deserve This? is not quite as dark as it sounds. Somehow, Almodóvar manages to - quite horribly - joke about terrible things such as pedophilia and murder and still retains a fairly lighthearted tone, no matter how black his comedy is. What Have I Done to Deserve This? is loose in its plotting, but when the credits rolled, I felt quite emotional in the film's, admittedly ridiculous, conclusion. Almodóvar manages to tie things up neatly in a wonderfully messy movie. The cast of Almodóvar regulars are a great attribute to the film. Maura is excellent as the film's centrepiece. Chus Lampreave steals the show as the grandmother and Ángel de Andrés López's constant aggressive gloominess put a huge smile on my face. What Have I Done to Deserve This? may appear to represent the world we know, but it operates on its own logic. Scenes with telekinesis and death by meat reminded me of this and kept me on my toes. What Have I Done to Deserve This? is crude, but if you can appreciate Almodóvar's cheeky surreality and melodrama you will most likely love this as much as I do.
