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Reviews
The Ides of March (2011)
Flawed but riveting and thought-provoking
I really enjoyed this movie, the acting was excellent and the plot was entertaining. It was a kind of cautionary tale about politics, or, rather, Clooney's reply to the (oft-asked) question about why he doesn't actually go into politics himself.
The movie is not without its faults, though. There are some clichés like the "I'm Catholic" line which was a little too twee and made me wince slightly. I also thought the suicide was a bit extreme. Was it because she would have had to work for Ben? Or was it because of the shame of being used by two powerful men she once looked up to? Also, the new young female intern shown at the end of the movie seemed to have been offered up as "fresh meat" to the powerful men she worked for. Have I assumed too much?
Thank God for the Ida character, though. Without her, the only female characters would have been weak and victims of (potential) exploitation by powerful men.
Despite its flaws, I enjoyed this movie and have enjoyed discussing it, which is even better!
The Squid and the Whale (2005)
Interesting as a psychological study
I found this movie was interesting on a psychological level. The writer and director, Bambauch, based the story on events in his life, so it feels like he is working through his past with this film. The script and acting helped us understand what was happening, so, on this basis, were of high quality. It was easy to see how each of the 2 sons aligned themselves to a parent when the parents' separation occurred: the older son with his father, his role model and mentor, and the younger with his Mum, who was his nurturer. The older son defended his father against his mother, to an almost inexplicable extent, until the scene where he recounts a happy event with his mother that occurred before his younger brother was born. Jeff Daniels played the lost and lonely writer coming down from his former glory very well. It's painful to the point of ridiculousness to see him try to patch things up with his wife with superficial gestures, and then advise his son in matters of the heart. The 80s styling was lovely, and the music appropriate and moving.
9 Songs (2004)
One of the worst movies I've ever seen!
To start with, I thought the title was a metaphor, then I realised that there were, literally, 9 songs! So I gave them a chance, and finding them not to my taste, I fast-forwarded through them to get to the "good bits", hopefully a decent story and good erotica.
The plot was disjointed, the acting pretty bad - the dialogue sounded as if it were ad-libbed, and I didn't believe the chemistry between the man and woman. The sex was boring at the beginning, and I had almost lost hope, when I noticed the that the sex scenes were getting more explicit. But it was not enough.
Blehhhhhhhhhh!
Look Both Ways (2005)
Life and death and love presented in an artistic and compassionate way
This film is magnificent! Western society generally doesn't condone too much focus on death, but it is a part of life, and sometimes defines the dynamics between the members of a family. This film presents humanity in its raw state, but in a beautiful artistic and intensely affectionate way. William McInnes deserves an Academy award for his restrained but intense performance. His real life wife, Sarah Watt, has created magic with the script and direction and the dream/thought sequences that employ her unique style of animation. The neighbourhood of the main characters is shown as Jeffrey Smart paintings come to life, a treat for a Smart fan like me! I highly recommend this movie to all discriminating movie goers!
Nathalie... (2003)
Riveting but ultimately disappointing.
Nathalie was recommended to me by a good friend with good taste in movies. So, I was disappointed when I watched a well-made movie with a hollow premise.
At the heart of the plot is a middle-aged wife who finds out her husband is sleeping around (as French husbands do, as her mother observes). Yet, she is cold in bed, and, worse, employs a beautiful winsome prostitute (to whom she gives the name Nathalie) as bait, to see how her husband behaves when he plays around.
In a seemingly obsessive manner, the wife seeks Nathalie's accounts of her encounters with the unsuspecting husband. And, the more she hears, the more she is hurt, and the colder she becomes towards her husband. The accounts are sexy and provide the momentum in the movie, but, as they grow in intensity, the wife becomes more and more ridiculous as she listens and does nothing as her marriage seems to be going down the gurgler. Does she WANT to lose her husband?? Why doesn't she use the stimulus of Nathalie's accounts to regain some of her waning sexual interest? Why doesn't she respond to the attempts of her husband to woo her back?
The twist in the end saves the movie, however, and just as well. This was a puzzling movie to me, with such a great cast, but with Fanny Ardant playing a dumb wife. French movies used to portray human relationships better this!
Alexandra's Project (2003)
Reality or fantasy?
I was disappointed by this film - I had high hopes, because of the cast and director and the subject matter. However, my impression is that of indecision and sensationalism. If this film was meant to be a realistic portrayal of the outcome of the breakdown of a marriage, then I have some complaints. The first half, the set up or background to the main event, was too patchy and wishy-washy. The second half, in contrast, was schlocky and gimmicky. The result is shock (the wrong kind!) and a bad after-taste in the mouth. If this film was meant to portray an unhappy woman's fantasy, then it did not go far enough. A surrealistic spin (something like the style of American Beauty) would have been more appropriate here. In short: good acting, clever twists and visual gimmickry, but patchy and indecisive in style.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)
Feature or Documentary?
I enjoyed this film very much - literally laughed and cried! Being Italian (i.e. not quite Greek) and first generation Australian (i.e. not quite American), I could identify with the main character very much. So it is with clear insight that I make a comparison between this film and a documentary. Much like Monsoon Wedding, this film celebrates the chaos and love in a family in which one their daughters is to be married. Being a migrant family, though, it has the added factor of cultural comparisons, and the pressures on each generation to follow tradition, whilst still satisfying the need to take advantage of new oportunities and make progress. A most enjoyable film.
La stanza del figlio (2001)
Sensitive and realistic
This is a beautifully-made movie about one of the saddest cards that life can deal out. The concept of looking at the issue from the point of view of an analyst was a brilliant one, hitting home the fact that even those who deal with other's problems have their own crosses to bear. The portrayal of the ways in which the three members of the family of the dead son deal with their grief is so sensitive and accurate - it makes you wonder whether Moretti is writing from real-life experience. Particular highlights are the tension created between the husband and wife, and the alternating scenes showing the analyst interacting with his patients, and dealing with the dramas in his family.