film | the m0vie blog

Non-Review Review: The Master

Posted on November 17, 2012 by Darren

The Master is a boldly ambitious picture, if one that’s occasionally difficult to parse. Is it a character study of the two leads, the broken Freddie and dysfunctional Lancaster Dodd? Is it a commentary on the sudden material success and spiritual emptiness of fifties America, in the wake of the Second World War? Is it a study of the phenomenon and psychology of “cult”, with one particular cult in mind? The Master is all these, and probably a great deal more, and its only real flaw is that it never manages to truly fashion these multiple compelling facets into one fully realised whole. Still, that’s a comparatively minor complaint, when dealing with a movie produced with this level of technical craft.

All at sea…

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: Anderson, Dodd, film, Freddie, Lancaster Dodd, Master, Movie, non-review review, Paul Thomas Anderson, pta, review, the master, the master (2012), there will be blood, United States, world war ii | 5 Comments »

Non-Review Review: End of Watch

Posted on November 13, 2012 by Darren

For its first two thirds, End of Watch is a rather novel examination of the routine of the boys in blue who patrol X-13, the most notorious district within Los Angeles’ notorious South Central. Centring on two police officers, Brian Taylor and Mike Zavala, it offers a portrayal of the Los Angeles Police Department that feels almost novel. Rather than centring on the city’s infamous racial tensions, or the allegations of corruption within the force, End of Watch offers a candid and insightful examination of what an average day on the beat might look like, helped along by natural interplay between leads Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña.

The movie runs into problems with its third act, when it opts to abandon its naturalistic, almost documentary, approach to these officers and their world, forcing a climactic confrontation that never really feels like it entirely belongs.

Arresting drama…

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: Brian Taylor, David Ayer, end of watch, film, Filmmaking, Jake Gyllenhaal, los angeles, Los Angeles Police Department, michael pena, Mike Zavala, Movie, non-review review, Police officer, review, Taylor, training day, United States | 2 Comments »

Non-Review Review: The Warriors (1979)

Posted on November 13, 2012 by Darren

The Warriors remains something of a curiosity. Its cult stature has only grown in the three decades since its original release, and the sense of young urban disenfranchisement that director Walter Hill tapped into remains as potent as it ever it was. That said, the film remains a bit of puzzle, and it is never quite sure what to make of its protagonists. Does the movie want us to root for the wayward Warriors as they navigate the urban jungle in a quest to get back to Coney Island, or does it instead remain passively amoral amid all the violence and nihilism? It’s hard to really say, but it remains a potent piece of cinema.

“Out here in the fields, I fight for my meals…”

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: Agriculture and Forestry, American Civil Liberties Union, Artificial turf, astroturf, Bronx, business, Clothing, Coney Island, film, Gang, Grass, Horticulture, luther, Movie, new york, New York City, New York City Police Department, non-review review, review, School, Shopping, Sol Yurick, Sonny Fai, Sports, Uniforms, Union Square, Walter Hill, Warrior, Warriors | 9 Comments »

Non-Review Review: The Deep Blue Sea (2011)

Posted on November 12, 2012 by Darren

The Deep Blue Sea has two reasonably solid leading performances and some nice enough direction, but it suffers because it can’t convince us to are about any of its central characters. We don’t have to like any of the three characters involved in the central love-affair, but there does have to be some hook that grabs us and convinces us to emotionally engage and invest in this post-War exploration of several broken characters. That connection simply isn’t there, and the rest of the movie collapses as a direct result of that absence.

Yeah, she wants to dance with somebody…

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: Battle of Britain, britain, Britishness, Deep Blue Sea, Esther, film, Flight lieutenant, Freddie, Hester, London, Movie, non-review review, rachel weisz, review, romeo + juliet, Royal Air Force, Samuel Barber, Supermarine Spitfire, tom hiddleston, world war ii | Leave a comment »

Non-Review Review: Conan the Barbarian (1982)

Posted on November 8, 2012 by Darren

The 1982 Conan the Barbarian is one of what might be described as the “pop culture epics” of the eighties, a decidedly cheesy and campy take on an epic mythology – like Masters of the Universe or Flash Gordon. To be fair, John Milius’ adaptation of Robert E. Howard’s pulp hero holds up considerably better than most similar efforts to get an epic pulp product to screen. It’s still more than a little campy and cheesy, and more than a little dated. It still takes itself, perhaps, a little too seriously. However, it’s also a more thoughtful and considerate film than most give it credit for, and exceptionally nuanced in its portrayal of themes and ideas that most critics and pundits casually dismiss.

Steeling himself…

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: Arnie, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Conan, Conan the Barbarian, Crom, doom, film, Flash Gordon, Homoeroticism, John Milius, Movie, non-review review, review, Robert E. Howard, Valhalla | 2 Comments »

Non-Review Review: Argo

Posted on November 8, 2012 by Darren

Argo might not seem like it, with the action unfolding amidst the Iranian embassy siege and the stakes involved in the rescue of six hostages, but it is something of an affectionate love letter to cinema from Ben Affleck, who is emerging as one of the most talented actors-writers-directors of our time. From the moment that the grain scratches across the retro Warner Brothers logo to the closing credits where fact and fiction compare and contrast, Argo feels like a celebration of movie magic. Perhaps it’s a little tooself-congratulatory at points, as films made by Hollywood about Hollywood tend to be, but Affleck’s direction keeps the movie surprisingly focused. The film maker does an exceptional job wringing real tension from a true story – no small accomplishment, and a testament to his ability.

Standing out from the crowd…

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: Affleck, alan arkin, Alice Cooper, Argo, ben affleck, Bryan Cranston, Central Intelligence Agency, film, hollywood, iran, Iran hostage crisis, Movie, non-review review, review, Titus Welliver, Tony Mendez, United States | 4 Comments »

Non-Review Review: Silver Linings Playbook

Posted on November 7, 2012 by Darren

It’s very hard to find a movie that deals with mental illness in a compassionate way, let alone without descending into cheap emotionally-exploitive hokum. The story of Pat Solitano, coping with his “undiagnosed bipolar” disorder by returning home, Silver Linings Playbook manages to be sincere without being cheesy, to be warm without being soft and to be human without being melodramatic. Returning to his parent’s house, Pat stumbles across Tiffany, another “broken bird” dealing with her own personal issues. Silver Lining Playbook is the story of two extremely damaged people helping one another in the most human way possible.

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: bradley cooper, Chris Tucker, David O. Russell, Fighter, film, Jennifer Lawrence, Mental breakdown, Mental disorder, Mental Health, Movie, non-review review, Pat, review, robert deniro, Russell, Silver Linings Playbook, Tiffany | 2 Comments »

Non-Review Review: The Candidate (1972)

Posted on November 6, 2012 by Darren

The Candidate is that rare movie that is anchored firmly in its own time, released in June 1972, but remains relevant through until today. Writer Jeremy Larner won an Oscar for his screenplay, and his portrayal of election politics seems worryingly plausible. The Candidate is remarkably frank about its politics, but also in its depiction of the system. There’s no pussyfooting around for fear of alienating the audience with hostile political ideas, instead the film embraces its political position and runs from there. While it feels like it was written in the shadow of the then-looming 1972 Presidential election, it does seem to be quite applicable to modern politics.It remains relevant, perhaps an illustration of how little has changed.

If anything, it seems like The Candidate is relatively tame compared to current political realities.

“I came here to chew gum and get elected… and… well, I’m not out of gum.”

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: Abortion, Beauty, Boyle, Candidate, david palmer, Democratic, Democratic Party, film, Gene Wilder, George McGovern, hair, Health, Jeremy Larner, john f kennedy, McGovern, Mitt Romney, Movie, nixon, non-review review, Peter Boyle, politics, Redford, review, richard nixon, Roman Empire, Shopping, Sideburns, United States, West Wing, Young Frankenstein | Leave a comment »

Watch! Top 250 Films, in 2.5 Minutes…

Posted on November 4, 2012 by Darren

As far as compiling a list of the best films of all times, the IMDb Top 250 films of all time is a fairly populist measure. Some enterprising soul out there decided it would be fun to compile all that into on two-and-a-half minute clip. It’s pretty intense, and kinda brilliant in a surreal sort of way. If nothing else, I never realised that so many movies featured trunk shots. Enjoy.

Filed under: Movies | Tagged: arts, Beatles, Cypress Hill, film, House of Pain, Internet Movie Database, Movie, review | Leave a comment »

Non-Review Review: The Creature From the Black Lagoon (1954)

Posted on November 2, 2012 by Darren

In many respects, The Creature From the Black Lagoon feels like a brass band funeral for the golden age of the Universal monster movies. The subgenre would continue ticking over for quite some time. Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy would be released the following year, The Creature From the Black Lagoon would spawn two sequels for the two years following, and Universal would try a spate of monster movies up until The Leech Woman in 1960. However, it’s clear that – by 1954 – the golden age of the Universal monster movie was well over.

And I think that part of the reason that The Creature From the Black Lagoon works so well is because it’s almost a mournful eulogy for the genre.