Dead Man

05.30.10
Dead Man
(1995)
Starring: Iggy Pop, Johnny Depp, Gary Farmer

"That weapon will replace your tongue. You will learn to speak through it. And your poetry will now be written with blood" - Nobody

Dead Man, another weirdly fascinating masterpiece from the genius of Jim Jarmusch, takes the old west scene in glorious Black and White. Johnny Depp plays the down-and -out cowboy who travels to the town of Machine to fill a position that, after spending all his money on train fare, is already filled. Through a series of unfortunate events William Blake becomes implicated in the towns most infamous murder. Running from the crooked form of Law in the town of Machine, his fate becomes intertwined with the confused Indian guide named "nobody." Nobody is full of faux-wisdom for William Blake, because he believes him to be the dead ghost of the ancient poet, thus sending him on a vengeful apparition's killing spree. Overall this movie is so visually enthralling and the phenomenal soundtrack written by Neil Young transports the viewer into the very essence of the twisted-classic wild west epic. Although Jarmusch's style is difficult for a beginning film viewer to appreciate, the avid watchers eye will never be bored.

Water

05.18.10
Water
(2005)

"To talk about the truth is easy but to live by it is not."

Water was a film being shown at a Foreign Film Festival in Spokane, so i was pleasantly able to view this film on the big screen. It is a story of the plight of Indian widows under the religious repression of Hindu culture. Widows in the time before the revolution of Gandhi were considered "half dead," when their husband dies they must go into hiding till the end of their days. Water is about a small nine year old girl named Chuyia, who although she cannot even remember her husband, must live in constant grief of his death in separation from society. Chuyia meets many interesting people along the way, one of these being a wealthy man and follower of Gandhi who wishes to wed one of the widows that lives with Chuyia. The struggle of men and women trying to overcome religious constraints in order to live a happier healthier life is the focal point of this movie. The end scene, although heart wrenching, is leading the viewer to a hopeful belief in a better life for the survivors of the system.

Burn After Reading

05.15.10
Burn After Reading
(2008)
Starring: John Malkovich, Tilda Swinton, George Clooney, Brad Pitt

"Oh, yes. You see, you're one of the morons I've been fighting my whole life. My whole fucking life. But guess what... Today, I win."
-John Malkovich as Osbourne Cox

This concludes the third time I've watched this film and my sentiments have changed dramatically since my first encounter with the chaos of Burn After Reading.The first time i walked out of the theatre I felt like i wanted to stand in the middle of a large crowd of people, throw my hands in the air, and scream profanities at the top of my lungs. Second viewing left me feeling more annoyed then anxious. The Third time just so happens to be the charm, i was quite amused this run around. The Cohen brothers are fascinated with the concept of "the man": the common man who thinks that no one could possibly know anymore than him. Burn After Reading is no different from the rest of their films, the idiot wins. The Cohen brothers are the masters of the cynical cinema, mocking the very people that frequent their films. Perhaps i had such a difficult time watching this movie the first two times, because I'm not very good at getting past the individual characters, but once you can throw individuality into the background, the humor of the story takes foreground and it becomes the tragically humorous comedy it was always intended to be.

The Deer Hunter

05.13.10
The Deer Hunter
(1978)
Starring: Christopher Walken, Robert De Niro, Meryl Streep



The Deer Hunter was a phenomenal movie, a classic that will forever remain burned in my memory. The brilliant acting of a young Christopher Walken, Meryl Streep, and Robert De Niro create a very accurate depiction of the impact that Vietnam caused in the lives of people all around the world. The Deer Hunter won five Oscars in the year of it's release; Best Actor in a Supporting Role played by Christopher Walken, Best Director- Michael Cimino, Best Film Editing, Best Picture, & Best Sound. One of the many reasons that this film is so emotionally taxing is because it shows the small untouched hometown of the men that where sent to Vietnam to fight and then of their rag tag return to a world so mentally disturbed by loss that it can never again regain normalcy. A neccessary film for any film critic and anyone who needs reminder of the horror caused by the American involvement in the pacific.

21 Grams

05.11.10
21 Grams
(2003)
Starring: Naomi Watts, Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro



"There are so many things that have to happen for two people to meet."

21 Grams left me feeling unsatisfied, confused, and empty. Hopelessness prevailed in this narrative of three people thrown together by the cruel mistress of chance. Sean Penn plays a man with a failing heart. Naomi Watts is the upper-middle-substance-abusing-trainwreck of a mother. Benicio Del Toro is an emotionally tortured ex-convict trying to reestablish his existence through faith. In Requiem-for-a-Dream fashion we will see all of these characters spiraling down into the endless pit of loss and despair. The film is set up in brief glimpses of each life forcing the viewer to piece together the story in a haphazard manner while simultaneously watching the characters try to sort out their broken shards of life. Overall, I could appreciate the superb acting, editing, and direction of the film, but i wouldn't willingly watch it again and would think twice before recommending it to anyone.

Coco Chanel

05.07.10
Coco Avant Chanel
2009
Starring: Audrey Tautou

Coco before Chanel was a very well executed biographical film of Coco Chanel. The musical score and cinematography were absolutely beautiful and the costuming was, obviously, the focal point of the movie. Overall, i did not really enjoy this viewing experience, it dragged on despite it's meager 105 min. runtime. The character development, for any other role besides Coco's, was shabbily strung together and there was a shocking lack of "chemistry" between Coco and her various love interests. Sadly, the ever-impressive acting of the beautiful Audrey Tautou and the parade of Chanel's historically pivotal wardrobe at the end of the film were the only redeeming aspects of this film.