Saw Proof (1991), an Australian drama about a blind man who befriends a busboy. The blind man takes photos of his surroundings and later has the busboy describe them to him. This gives him proof (note: Proof) that what others describe to him is indeed the truth. This habit apparently dates back to his manipulative mother who would describe the garden in their back yard to him, inserting small lies as she does so. Or so he suspects anyway. We viewers are kept in the dark as to whether his suspicions are correct or not. In modern times he has a housekeeper who is clearly unhealthily obsessed with him and who also plays weird information-withholding games with him, silently moving around his furniture or intercepting his photographs.
The mother and the housekeeper both have deeply unhealthy with the protagonist and are the only female characters (apart from a waitress and the sole female in a gang of teenagers who beat him up at one point.) The film comes off as fairly misogynistic although, of course, it may be that only the protagonist is a woman-hater and that some of this is in his head. These relationships are contrasted with the new and so-far pure relationship with the busboy (who, I should add is like 30.) It could be read as a bit gay I suppose, but it would be a sub-sub-textual reading.
No, the film is much more about trust and human relationships and how strained and twisted those become when proof is required for everything. The blind protagonist is isolated, even when surrounded by people who love him (even unto obsession.) He travels through the town he lives in but relies on a very small circle of people to function. If one lie is enough to poison these wells, then his relationships must remain dry and fleeting. This is no sort of life so, in addition to exploring his trust issues, we get a glimpse of a happy ending. Perhaps some day he'll trust himself and others.
Edit: I was really looking forward to this film, believing it to be the film of the same title from 2005 about the daughter of mathematician who is succumbing to dementia. This film was fine, but I was very disappointed!
Mar 26, 2017
Mar 25, 2017
Man of Aran
Saw Man of Aran, a Nanook of the North-style early documentary, made before the non-fiction bit had become a core requirement of the documentary genre. The film follows a family of man wife and child, for example, but in the opening credits we are told that the people portraying this family do not share surnames. Suspicious. Also, just as in Nanook, the climactic shark-hunting expedition was preformed with purposefully archaic hunting methods, a novelty for the hunters and filmmakers as well as the audience.
Anyway, the documentary (such as it is) follows life on the Aran Islands, an island chain off the coast of Ireland which is entirely composed of rock, with a few bits of soil wedged in crevasses. The inhabitants are mostly fishermen with a few literal dirt farmers who grow dirt by composting seaweed in other, more barren crevasses. It looks like a hard but not too uncomfortable life. I was struck by the absolute disregard the inhabitants had towards getting wet. They would stand there in their cable-knit sweaters and slipper-ish socks, blown by what looks to be a very stiff, cold wind, and just let giant ocean waves to come crashing down over them. Just watching it I wanted a change of clothes and a shower.
The film is a soundy but the people speak Gaelic, or in English which is so thickly-accented that it might as well be Swahili. There's a lot of footage of the mighty power of the sea. Tons of towering waves lashing at the rocks and itty-bitty little figures moving, silhouetted against the skyline like death in The Seventh Seal. It was a bit too austere for me, feeling sort of slow and remote, more Baraka-like than (I dunno) Perfect Storm-like. I feel this is the sort of film it would be good to see with a learned expert, to talk over and point out the interesting bits. Perhaps an audio commentary would have helped.
Anyway, the documentary (such as it is) follows life on the Aran Islands, an island chain off the coast of Ireland which is entirely composed of rock, with a few bits of soil wedged in crevasses. The inhabitants are mostly fishermen with a few literal dirt farmers who grow dirt by composting seaweed in other, more barren crevasses. It looks like a hard but not too uncomfortable life. I was struck by the absolute disregard the inhabitants had towards getting wet. They would stand there in their cable-knit sweaters and slipper-ish socks, blown by what looks to be a very stiff, cold wind, and just let giant ocean waves to come crashing down over them. Just watching it I wanted a change of clothes and a shower.
The film is a soundy but the people speak Gaelic, or in English which is so thickly-accented that it might as well be Swahili. There's a lot of footage of the mighty power of the sea. Tons of towering waves lashing at the rocks and itty-bitty little figures moving, silhouetted against the skyline like death in The Seventh Seal. It was a bit too austere for me, feeling sort of slow and remote, more Baraka-like than (I dunno) Perfect Storm-like. I feel this is the sort of film it would be good to see with a learned expert, to talk over and point out the interesting bits. Perhaps an audio commentary would have helped.
Mar 19, 2017
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
Saw Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, a relatively straightforward mystery/comedy starring Jim Carrey. It follows a man-child tracking down a stolen dolphin. The mystery part of it is pretty good. Clues get uncovered, connections are made, innocuous dogs and such give rise to flashes of insight. The comedy I didn't think was that funny but then again I'm about 20 years older than what I suppose to be the target demographic. I imagine if I was a kid when I'd seen it then I would have loved it, loved the character, and emulated his every catch-phrase (much to the dismay of everyone else.) It also has an extended bit of hilarious transphobia which annoyed me, but perhaps I'm being over-sensitive. This film was made in the early 90s when transsexuals were barely whispered about, so perhaps it's just a product of its time.
I know this film is much-beloved, so I wondered if this film would hold up to the cynical gaze of an adult decades after its release or if it was nostalgia goggles all the way down. I think it turns out, alas, it's the latter.
I know this film is much-beloved, so I wondered if this film would hold up to the cynical gaze of an adult decades after its release or if it was nostalgia goggles all the way down. I think it turns out, alas, it's the latter.
Mar 12, 2017
Talhotblond
Saw Talhotblond (thanks, Anne!) It was an earnestly directed and acted small-budget film about a married, middle-aged man who falls in love with a girl he met on the internet. This film feels like a cautionary tale from the 90s but is in fact from 2012. It feels helplessly naive and silly. It's horrible and awkward seeing this balding dude fall in love with an internet handle. It's like watching a teenager try to hit on a girl with cheesy pickup lines. It's just so deluded, kind of funny, but deeply sad.
We are told that this film is based on a true story (I believe it to be based, in fact, on the *truest* story) which barely needs to be said. The only shocking thing here is the late-film twist revelation that the person behind the talhotblond handle is actually a female human. The core of the story here is about a man's mid-life infidelity, dressed up in the modern-day clothing of email and instant messaging. This infidelity is not dealt with head-on however. Instead we are side-lined by other, larger, somehow more digital troubles. It's also not exactly cutting edge tech either. Their computer looks like it uses Windows XP and they all use flip phones. Maybe I'm forgetting how quickly tech moves? Did we have XP machines in 2012? The whole thing is strange.
It's a tough watch, mostly for the protgaonist's guileless trust in this internet stranger. It's very well-acted however and for all it's cringey sincerity, it's well directed too. The protagonist is a believably Hank Hill-ish dude who you could believe has no interest in these inter-tubes. His wife also is a nicely old-school matron whose tired but tough exterior gives way to an old softy underneath. It's a pity the film they're trapped in is so silly. Some day Hollywood will produce a good film about the dangers of the internet, but it is not this film.
Edit: there is no imdb trivia about this film. Nothing trivial occurred in the making of this film.
We are told that this film is based on a true story (I believe it to be based, in fact, on the *truest* story) which barely needs to be said. The only shocking thing here is the late-film twist revelation that the person behind the talhotblond handle is actually a female human. The core of the story here is about a man's mid-life infidelity, dressed up in the modern-day clothing of email and instant messaging. This infidelity is not dealt with head-on however. Instead we are side-lined by other, larger, somehow more digital troubles. It's also not exactly cutting edge tech either. Their computer looks like it uses Windows XP and they all use flip phones. Maybe I'm forgetting how quickly tech moves? Did we have XP machines in 2012? The whole thing is strange.
It's a tough watch, mostly for the protgaonist's guileless trust in this internet stranger. It's very well-acted however and for all it's cringey sincerity, it's well directed too. The protagonist is a believably Hank Hill-ish dude who you could believe has no interest in these inter-tubes. His wife also is a nicely old-school matron whose tired but tough exterior gives way to an old softy underneath. It's a pity the film they're trapped in is so silly. Some day Hollywood will produce a good film about the dangers of the internet, but it is not this film.
Edit: there is no imdb trivia about this film. Nothing trivial occurred in the making of this film.
Mar 11, 2017
The Master
Saw The Master which is directed by P T Anderson whose work I love and which is about a PTSD-suffering sailor who gets involved with The Cause - a cult loosely based on Scientology. I remember the the Scientology angle got a lot of press at the film's release but it's really not such a good angle to view the film from. There are parallels but the film is not satire and is only tangentially to do with anything so specific.
I think the film is much more about two men who need each other very much. The charismatic con man who is head of the cult, who needs easily manipulated people around him, and the protagonist, a man who very obviously needs help. The protagonist recognizes, on some level, that this is all fanciful lies, but he doubles down, furiously lashing out at several people who so much as question the deeply silly doings of The Cause. The leader (Master) for his part is amazing. Played with oily grace by Philip Seymour Hoffman, he spins these great yarns of nonsense that only vaguely hang together, himself rising to a bellow whenever seriously questioned. Great stuff.
I don't feel I fully understand this film. There's a theme of deception and intimacy but I don't feel I have it pinned down. P T Anderson's work here is (as ever) hypnotic and dense, luring you (or me anyway) into an obsessive, almost hypnotic state. There are gorgeous black voids and nervy violins on the soundtrack. Great, dense, confusing stuff. I liked it!
I think the film is much more about two men who need each other very much. The charismatic con man who is head of the cult, who needs easily manipulated people around him, and the protagonist, a man who very obviously needs help. The protagonist recognizes, on some level, that this is all fanciful lies, but he doubles down, furiously lashing out at several people who so much as question the deeply silly doings of The Cause. The leader (Master) for his part is amazing. Played with oily grace by Philip Seymour Hoffman, he spins these great yarns of nonsense that only vaguely hang together, himself rising to a bellow whenever seriously questioned. Great stuff.
I don't feel I fully understand this film. There's a theme of deception and intimacy but I don't feel I have it pinned down. P T Anderson's work here is (as ever) hypnotic and dense, luring you (or me anyway) into an obsessive, almost hypnotic state. There are gorgeous black voids and nervy violins on the soundtrack. Great, dense, confusing stuff. I liked it!
Mar 5, 2017
Malcolm
Saw Malcolm, a film which I believe to be a family-friendly heist film. The titular character, Malcolm is an autistic (or otherwise obsessive) man who is fascinated with electronics, motors, and small, toy-like devices. His house is full of model trains, fetching mail, going down the street (remote controlled) to pick up some milk. Alas, the film opens with him being fired and he has to get boarders. He takes in a man who is obviously a career criminal and the heist follows.
Being a family-friendly film, the criminal guy is fundamentally a sweet man. He flies into rages every so often and swears a bit but is gentle and kind to Malcolm, never using him for cruel entertainment, always giving him autonomy. This is a sweet film and climactic heist is pretty fun. It's got this ramshackle quality that is meant to add to he anarchic fun but which unfortunately extends to the film quality itself. Plot threads go nowhere, long stretches of time are spent on trivialities. Like its protagonist, it's a bit clumsy but also like its protagonist it is harmless and kind of sweet.
This is a cute little video. I wasn't particularly struck by it, but it's winning in an amateurish way. A nice little film.
Being a family-friendly film, the criminal guy is fundamentally a sweet man. He flies into rages every so often and swears a bit but is gentle and kind to Malcolm, never using him for cruel entertainment, always giving him autonomy. This is a sweet film and climactic heist is pretty fun. It's got this ramshackle quality that is meant to add to he anarchic fun but which unfortunately extends to the film quality itself. Plot threads go nowhere, long stretches of time are spent on trivialities. Like its protagonist, it's a bit clumsy but also like its protagonist it is harmless and kind of sweet.
This is a cute little video. I wasn't particularly struck by it, but it's winning in an amateurish way. A nice little film.
Mar 4, 2017
Shadows
Saw Shadows, a Cassavetes film from 1960. It's black and white and shot in a Fellini-ish, Goddard-ish spacey sort of way. Mostly people just talk to each other in halting sentences, adopting poses and attitudes, pretending and acting within the reality of the film. The central story is that a guy sleeps with a black woman who passes for white. He meets her more-visibly-black brother and freaks out. This destroys the little harmony of the woman's family, plunging her into an angry, defensive attitude, aggressively defying a world that has rejected her. It's an interesting, racially charged nucleus to an otherwise bleary and wandering film.
The film was also shot in New York City and it's neat to see the dirty, porn-theater-riddled Times Square of yesterday and see the city when it was beginning to shift from men in suits to hippies in paisley. I didn't really like the film very much. The central racial conflict is interesting and the setting is nice, but this is a slow film. Much time is spent in intimate shots of the characters being bored, drinking, fighting. It's very gritty and must have been utterly shocking in its time but today it's a bit too slow, a bit too pointless. Who are these people anyway?
The film was also shot in New York City and it's neat to see the dirty, porn-theater-riddled Times Square of yesterday and see the city when it was beginning to shift from men in suits to hippies in paisley. I didn't really like the film very much. The central racial conflict is interesting and the setting is nice, but this is a slow film. Much time is spent in intimate shots of the characters being bored, drinking, fighting. It's very gritty and must have been utterly shocking in its time but today it's a bit too slow, a bit too pointless. Who are these people anyway?
Pineapple Express
Saw Pineapple Express, an amiable stoner comedy about a subpoena-serving stoner dude who witnesses a murder. Unfortunately he drops a joint of some rare strain of weed at the scene and is thereby tracked down by the marijuana gangsters. The film is a shaggy dog sort of thriller, getting to the bottom of the weed-gangsters and their turf war. The protagonists are just sort of untouchably floating through all of this, hilariously under-reacting or just lamely reacting to the action-film cliches happening to them. A guy's foot is blown off by a shotgun "Ew, gross!" They're being manhandled by goons "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Why do you hate me?" All of that was pretty reliably amusing for me.
Another source of comedy they use is completely sincere expressions of homosexual romantic attraction. They say I love you to each other with increasing frequency as the film progresses. The relationship of the two male protagonists is more centrally important to the film than the relationship of the protagonist to his girlfriend. I think we the audience are meant to laugh at this but within the film's universe, these guys are being completely sincere. I don't know what to make of this half-ironic-half-sincere bromantic joking. I feel like the comedy is seeing emotional vulnerability from straight males. It's not important in the film, it just struck me.
The film is just a comedy. It's got no point and is an inoffensive buddy of a movie, a bro. The protagonist is the arrested development kind of guy, sleazily dating a highschooler and vaguely discontent with his life, aspiring to someday be a radio DJ. He's played by Seth Rogan who is the human equivalent of a hug, so it's not too gross. All in good taste. I didn't think it was howlingly funny, but it was a pleasant waste of an afternoon.
Another source of comedy they use is completely sincere expressions of homosexual romantic attraction. They say I love you to each other with increasing frequency as the film progresses. The relationship of the two male protagonists is more centrally important to the film than the relationship of the protagonist to his girlfriend. I think we the audience are meant to laugh at this but within the film's universe, these guys are being completely sincere. I don't know what to make of this half-ironic-half-sincere bromantic joking. I feel like the comedy is seeing emotional vulnerability from straight males. It's not important in the film, it just struck me.
The film is just a comedy. It's got no point and is an inoffensive buddy of a movie, a bro. The protagonist is the arrested development kind of guy, sleazily dating a highschooler and vaguely discontent with his life, aspiring to someday be a radio DJ. He's played by Seth Rogan who is the human equivalent of a hug, so it's not too gross. All in good taste. I didn't think it was howlingly funny, but it was a pleasant waste of an afternoon.
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