Rate The Last Movie You Saw

[dave jenkins]

The State of Things / Der Stand der Dinge (1982) - 9/10. In Germany there is a recently released blu of the 2015 restoration--and stanton never mentioned it! Even though he knows--he absolutely knows--that this is my favorite 1982 film! I finally ran across the entry at amazon.de and ordered it. It came today and it looks really, really good (faithfully reproducing the b&w photography by Henri Alekan). I've never liked the ending: it's a real cop-out. Everything else, though (including the music), is first-rate. And I could have been enjoying it on disc for over a year now. I sure hope stanton comes to New York some time so I can kick his worthless butt.

[dave jenkins]

Body of My Enemy (1976) - 6/10. Belmondo gets framed for a double murder, and when released from prison returns looking for revenge. An elaborate flashback structure initially hides what is a fairly prosaic plot, but as the pieces of the puzzle began coming together, I found myself losing interest in the story. Belmondo is fun to watch (he wears some cool ties) and he's given plenty of witty one-liners by Michel Audiard to spout. I thank noodles for pointing me to this film (he's a much better friend than, say, that bathtub stanton) but having watched this once I don't feel the need to ever see it again.

[dave jenkins]

Camille Claudel (1988) - 7/10. A world-class sculptress (and erstwhile collaborator with Rodin) goes nuts. This is the one with Isabelle Adjani as Claudel, not the one with Juliet Binoche. I'd take Isabelle over Juliet any day of my life (I'd take Isabelle over just about anyone anytime), so that automatically makes this the better film. It's a little long, though. It's almost three hours, and they spend way too much time going through Claudel's crack-up at the end. It gets a bit repetitive. Also, the overheated score by Gabriel Yared, not a bad thing in itself, gets used to death. Hey, silence, every once in a while, is OK too. Give us all a break, man.

[noodles_leone]

Body of My Enemy (1976) - 6/10. Belmondo gets framed for a double murder, and when released from prison returns looking for revenge. An elaborate flashback structure initially hides what is a fairly prosaic plot, but as the pieces of the puzzle began coming together, I found myself losing interest in the story. Belmondo is fun to watch (he wears some cool ties) and he's given plenty of witty one-liners by Michel Audiard to spout. I thank noodles for pointing me to this film (he's a much better friend than, say, that bathtub stanton) but having watched this once I don't feel the need to ever see it again.

The movie is heavily flawed. It presents both terrific sequences (I absolutely love the 2 scenes that follow the political meeting of the father: Belmondo opens the door, "How are you dad?", dad under a blanket: "I'm cold!", cut, following scene, Belmondo's girlfriend asks him "how is your dad?", Belmondo: "He started dying.") and lame ones (most of what happens at that terrible looking night club). What will always stay with me is how it captures a very specific time in remote areas of France: the arrival of modernity and its impact (economy, architecture, clothing, societal stuff...). I also really like how the movie feels nostalgic but doesn't show that "before" was that great. And while it shows the evolution of the life of people, it's impossible to say if the movie is rightwing or leftwing (of course the general vibe is a bit the one frome The Leopard, "everything had to change so that nothing changes" and all). I like that a lot. It's so strong it's a shame they felt like they had to add layers and layers of different plots on the whole thing to keep the viewer's interest. It doesn't help that the actual answer to "how did he end up in jail?" is the weakest part of the plot and is explained in the weakest segment.

[dave jenkins]

The movie is heavily flawed. It presents both terrific sequences (I absolutely love the 2 scenes that follow the political meeting of the father: Belmondo opens the door, "How are you dad?", dad under a blanket: "I'm cold!", cut, following scene, Belmondo's girlfriend asks him "how is your dad?", Belmondo: "He started dying.") and lame ones (most of what happens at that terrible looking night club). What will always stay with me is how it captures a very specific time in remote areas of France: the arrival of modernity and its impact (economy, architecture, clothing, societal stuff...). I also really like how the movie feels nostalgic but doesn't show that "before" was that great. And while it shows the evolution of the life of people, it's impossible to say if the movie is rightwing or leftwing (of course the general vibe is a bit the one frome The Leopard, "everything had to change so that nothing changes" and all). I like that a lot. It's so strong it's a shame they felt like they had to add layers and layers of different plots on the whole thing to keep the viewer's interest. It doesn't help that the actual answer to "how did he end up in jail?" is the weakest part of the plot and is explained in the weakest segment.

Your comments are excellent. And it's interesting that you mention The Leopard, because all the time I was watching I was thinking of OUATIA.

I should have mentioned the many locations (IMDb lists 27). Most were (again, according to IMDb) in Lille, Nord, France, somewhere I know nothing about. Obviously, many of those places no longer exist or have changed considerably. So, for people who do know (or knew) those places, the nostalgia is baked in. The locations, though, point up the obvious sets, which all have a sameness I found tiring (the night club, the many hotel rooms, bedrooms, etc.).

Yes, that plot. It isn't enough that the Belmondo character is betrayed. We needed to see him doing some betraying of his own (more with the dad would have been good).

And a bit of Morricone would have helped it all go down more smoothly . . . .

[noodles_leone]

Indeed, Ennio did a lot to save flawed French movies between the mid sixties and the mid eighties. We need him back.

[noodles_leone]

Apollo 10 1/2 (Richard Linklater, 2022) - 7+/10
Identity (James Mangold, 2003) - 5/10
Ghost Dog (Jim Jarmush, 1999) - 7.5/10 (can someone removes the cross dissolve option from Jim's computer PLEASE?)

[dave jenkins]

Apollo 10 1/2 (Richard Linklater, 2022) - 7+/10

I wondered about this one. The trailer made it look really good, but then I imagined they used all the best stuff for that (i.e. the secret kid's moon mission). I read a review that says that that stuff is only a small part of the film.

[noodles_leone]

Yes it?s mostly a list of details on how it was to live in these suburbs in the 60?s as a kid. The surprising part is that despite how much ? beaten to death ? nature of that concept, they manage to always stay involving and interesting. It is due to the very precise quality of the details they?re telling you about. They??re a bit less precise on the music parts but they still work. Also the way the moon things are integrated into something so realistic is surprising too at first but actually pretty smart and coherent with the whole thing.

[drinkanddestroy]

The Father (2021) - 9/10. Anthony Hopkins slowly--and then suddenly--going batty. A few years back, when this was a play on Broadway, Drink and I watched the impressive Frank Langella perform the title role. Hopkins may be better. The play was always cinematic, so this adaptation (directed by Florian Zeller, the man who wrote the play) works well. The story may be even better as a film: in the play we gradually understand that everything we see is a product of the old man's mind. The film on the other hand allows an occasional insight into the minds of the other characters, chiefly that of the old man's daughter. The story seems more complete that way. Still, a bit of a downer. But now with 6 Oscar noms!

well the senile old man is now sexually harassing people

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/frank-langella-fired-netflix-fall-003050010.html

[dave jenkins]

well the senile old man is now sexually harassing people

I would like to hear the senile old man's side of things.

[cigar joe]

La noche avanza aka Night Falls (1952) Mexican Noir

Directed by Roberto Gavald?n. Written by Jes?s C?rdenas, Roberto Gavald?n, and  Jos? Revueltas, based on a story by Luis Spota. The The excellent Cinematography was by Jack Draper, and Music was by Ra?l Lavista.

It stars Pedro Armend?riz (3 Godfathers, Fort Apache, Distinto amanecer) as Marcos Arizmendi Jai Alai superstar, Anita Blanch as his old, three season old, old flame Sara, Rebeca Iturbide as the very recently ex virgin Rebeca Villarreal, and Eva Martino as torch singer Lucrecia, the squeeze he's tapping in Mexico City.

Professional Jai Alai is "Often called the ?fastest sport in the world,? jai alai consists of men with weird basket hands whipping rock-hard balls against a granite wall, trying to make their opponent miss the return while avoiding being hit with the speeding bullet themselves. It?s a game that requires a combination of skill, speed, and acrobatics." (in: Leisure, Living - Brett & Kate McKay)

So Marcos Arizmendi is not only a talented athlete playing in a dangerous sport but also a macho arrogant prick with a chick magnet in his pants playing another dangerous skill of juggling, multiple women simultaneously. 8/10

[dave jenkins]

La noche avanza aka Night Falls (1952) Mexican Noir

Directed by Roberto Gavald?n. Written by Jes?s C?rdenas, Roberto Gavald?n, and  Jos? Revueltas, based on a story by Luis Spota. The The excellent Cinematography was by Jack Draper, and Music was by Ra?l Lavista.

It stars Pedro Armend?riz (3 Godfathers, Fort Apache, Distinto amanecer) as Marcos Arizmendi Jai Alai superstar, Anita Blanch as his old, three season old, old flame Sara, Rebeca Iturbide as the very recently ex virgin Rebeca Villarreal, and Eva Martino as torch singer Lucrecia, the squeeze he's tapping in Mexico City.

Professional Jai Alai is "Often called the ?fastest sport in the world,? jai alai consists of men with weird basket hands whipping rock-hard balls against a granite wall, trying to make their opponent miss the return while avoiding being hit with the speeding bullet themselves. It?s a game that requires a combination of skill, speed, and acrobatics." (in: Leisure, Living - Brett & Kate McKay)

So Marcos Arizmendi is not only a talented athlete playing in a dangerous sport but also a macho arrogant prick with a chick magnet in his pants playing another dangerous skill of juggling, multiple women simultaneously. 8/10

Thanks, CJ. That jai alai comment triggered a memory, and I checked the archives. Sure enough, this film was one I saw back in 2015 during MoMA's "Mexico at Midnight" series. http://www.fistful-of-leone.com/forums/index.php?topic=7645.msg178841#msg178841 My anemic response seems to indicate I didn't like the film all that much. There are better Mexican "noirs", I think. Be on the lookout for La Otra (1946)!

[cigar joe]

Thanks, CJ. That jai alai comment triggered a memory, and I checked the archives. Sure enough, this film was one I saw back in 2015 during MoMA's "Mexico at Midnight" series. http://www.fistful-of-leone.com/forums/index.php?topic=7645.msg178841#msg178841 My anemic response seems to indicate I didn't like the film all that much. There are better Mexican "noirs", I think. Be on the lookout for La Otra (1946)!

La Otra is good agree, also check out Salon Mexico and  Distinto Amanecer

[dave jenkins]

El Esqueleto de la Senora Morales / The Skeleton of Mrs. Morales (1960) - 7/10. A taxidermist hits on the perfect way to get rid of his shrewish wife. The twist at the end makes this seem like a Mexican-made episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents that goes on a little too long.