Little Women [2019] ★★★★
I didn’t think I’d care for another version of “Little Women”, but now that I’ve seen what writer-director Greta Gerwig has managed to achieve, I have to apologize. This is a beautiful film from start to finish, a staggering achievement from a filmmaker that doesn’t play by the rules. How can a story written by Louisa May Alcott over 150 years ago still feel fresh and timeless in 2020? It’s a simple story on the surface: Four sisters who grew up together have to make life-changing decisions once they’ve come of age. And much like life itself, these changes can be audacious and sometimes cruel. Although the film’s emotions are immediate and contemporary, Gerwig never lets us forget that this is still a period piece, set at a time when men made most of the decisions. The costumes, sets and locations have an organic feel to them that suits all the wonderful performances. Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh and Eliza Scanlen are all perfectly cast. And there are no weak links in the supporting cast, including Timothée Chalamet, Laura Dern and the great Meryl Streep. I don’t say this quite often about a recent release, but “Little Women” is impossible not to love, especially with Yorick Le Saux’s stunning cinematography and Alexandre Desplat’s evocative score. It’s a reminder that no genre is completely played out when there’s a talented filmmaker around to see it with fresh eyes. And indeed, Gerwig has managed to pull-off the impossible: turn a familiar story into a full-blown triumph. “Little Women” could well be my favorite period piece, ever.
Like a powerful punch to the gut. That’s how Bong Joon Ho comes at you with his latest cinematic masterpiece “Parasite”. It’s a thing of beauty and terror; a bold and audacious look at the gap between the haves and the have-nots as seen through the eyes of a Korean family living in a miserable sub-basement. The boy is hired as an English tutor for the daughter of a wealthy family (how he gets the job is part of the fun). It’s a golden opportunity, which leads to a series of unpredictable events. I can’t say more, but I’ll say this: there isn’t a moment where you aren’t reminded that Bong Joon Ho is a world-class filmmaker working at the top of his creative form. His film digs deep into the lifestyle of two families from completely different backgrounds while giving us plenty to chew on. You never know where the story is headed or if it is going to explode like a dynamite stick, but the sense of discomfort he creates is acute at every turn. It’s a staggering achievement, and further proof that original ideas are alive and well in the hands of talented filmmakers. How many times can you say this about other films these days? I can’t recommend “Parasite” enough. It’s one of my favorite movies of the past decade.
People always mention “Metropolis” and “M” when they talk about German filmmaker Fritz Lang. While they’re both terrific, I personally vouch for “The Testament of Dr. Mabuse”, one of the best movies of the early talkies. Made in 1933, at a time when Nazism was on the rise, “Dr. Mabuse” was banned in Germany by Nazi propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels and was not shown to the public until 1951. When it opens, we learn that there’s a new crime wave in Berlin and it’s up to inspector Lohmann (from “M”) to investigate. All clues lead to Dr. Mabuse, a crazy scientist who’s been in a mental hospital for a decade. How is it possible? That’s the question that eats at you as “Dr. Mabuse” holds you in its grip for two hours. It’s obvious that Lang is giving a sermon about the consequences of a Nazi-infested Germany. In the words of Mabuse himself: “When humanity, subjugated by the terror of crime, has been driven insane by fear and horror, and when chaos has become supreme law, then the time will have come for the empire of crime”. Lang squeezes us without mercy in a rollercoaster of tension and suspense, but only to force us to look at the bigger picture. In a post-9/11 world, “The Testament of Dr. Mabuse” couldn’t be more relevant. It’s a timeless masterpiece.
Today I take a trip down memory lane. One of my earliest memories was watching “Harold Lloyd’s World of Comedy”, a compilation of silent comedian Harold Lloyd’s very best moments. Lloyd actually edited the film himself, in 1962, exactly 40 years since his first feature film “Grandma’s Boy” was released. But there’s no doubt in my mind that his most famous shot came in 1923, when his character found himself hanging from a clock, 12 stories above the city street. Then came “The Freshman” in 1925, another masterpiece about a college freshman who can’t seem to cope with his new environment. But somehow, it was a scene from his 1927 film “The Kid Brother” that was forever engraved in my mind. In it, Lloyd finds himself taking on a bad guy aboard a steamboat. As a kid, that scene scared the shit out of me. As an adult, it still amuses me. The son of a local sheriff, Lloyd’s “kid brother” has to prove himself as a “man” when outsiders threaten to take over the peaceful town. As usual, Llyod throws in one hilarious gag after the other, something that was very common in his silent comedies (he tried to emulate that in his talkies but didn’t quite succeed). As a result, the movie is still a treat to watch, almost a century after its release. If you’re still discovering silent comedies, you can’t go wrong with “The Kid Brother”. It’s one of the funniest movies of the silent era and one of Llyod’s very best works.
Hollywood has always had a soft spot for musicals. “The Broadway Melody” in the 1920’s, “Singin’ in the Rain” and “An American in Paris” in the 1950’s, “Oliver!” in the 1960’s and “Chicago” in the early 2000’s. In 2011, french director Michel Hazanavicius hired Jean Dujardin and Bérénice Bejo to star in his film “The Artist”, a tribute to the silent era that managed to win 5 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Already nominated for 7 Golden Globes, “La La Land” could be on its way to replicate the huge success of “The Artist”, and deservedly so. If it were merely a tribute to old Hollywood musicals of the 1950’s, it would be easy to dismiss it as an amusing stunt and nothing more (think “Hail, Caesar!”). But writer-director Damien Chazelle (who directed “Whiplash”) has other ideas. His direction is so sure, his actors so engaging and charming, that he manages to grab us with his dynamic story and holds us in the palm of his hand from beginning to end. Leading man Ryan Gosling needs no introduction, and his leading lady, the wonderful Emma Stone, is a perfect match. Together they make “La La Land” an irresistible film that wins its audience the old fashioned-way: through songs and a love story. Gosling plays a Jazz musician who dreams of opening his own Jazz Club. Stone plays an aspiring actress who dreams of showing the world what she can do. I shouldn’t reveal more. But I will say that in Damien Chazelle’s hands, “La La Land” becomes an instant classic. My advice to approaching it is to sit back and let it engulf you. In terms of acting, imagination and spectacular musical numbers, “La La Land” is a masterpiece, a miracle of a film that deserves every award that is coming its way.
Filmmaker Denis Villeneuve follows up “
Regarded as the quintessential political satire of the 1960’s, “The Manchurian Candidate” is also meant to provoke paranoia and fear as an American patrol is captured and brainwashed by Chinese communists during the Koran war. One soldier, Raymond Shaw (a terrific Laurence Harvey), has been programmed for a top secret mission: to murder a presidential candidate 2 years later. The movie is based on a 1959 novel by Richard Condon and stars Frank Sinatra in one of his very best roles as a soldier trying to uncover the truth behind the mysterious program. The film, released in 1962, was so ahead of its time, that a legend linked it to John F. Kennedy’s assassination a year later. Needless to say, it still rings amazingly true today. Incidentally, I saw Jonathan Demme’s 2004 remake starring Denzel Washington, Liev Shreiber and Meryl Streep many years ago and wasn’t impressed. Now that Criterion has finally released the 1962 version, I highly recommend you to check it out. It’s easily one of the finest political thrillers of that era.
Part lyricism, part entertainment, “Kubo and the Two Strings” is living proof that animated movies cannot only equal live-action storytelling, but they can surpass it in every way possible. Leave it to Travis Knight, who was the lead animator on the amazing “Coraline”, to make his directing debut with a ground breaker. Part of Kubo’s beauty is in its simplicity. The story follows a young boy and his quest to find a magical suit of armor that was once worn by his late father, who also happens to be a well known Samurai warrior. And yet, the movie gets under your skin in ways you can’t possibly imagine. Knight and his team of warriors (no pun intended) work you over with the delicacy and lyricism of true poets. You don’t just watch this movie, you live it. And for 100 minutes, superior storytelling and stunning visuals bond in ways you don’t see coming. This unique and unforgettable movie asks viewers to keep their eyes peeled at all times, then offers constant twists and turns, turning from humor to sadness to a sense of discovery in the blink of an eye. Through Knight’s creative mind and soulful brilliance, the result is nothing short of a masterpiece.
Way before “ Boyhood ”, François Roland Truffaut, French film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and film critic, as well as one of the founders of the French New Wave, directed “ Les 400 coups ” (“ The 400 blows ”), a childhood movie featuring his own alter ego: Antoine Doinel.
Bed and board | Domicile conjugal [1970]
I’ve fallen in love with gangster films made in the 1930’s. Actors like James Cagney, Edward G. Robinson and Humphrey Bogart were in almost every gangster picture made in that era. And yet it took director Raoul Walsh years before making one of the best gangster films of all time. Cagney was an ageing star but his performance is nothing short of phenomenal as a mother obsessed psychopath who breaks out of jail to plan a heist. Walsh masterfully orchestrates some of the best prison scenes I’ve ever seen onscreen. Not to mention a fair amount of character study, depth, and a heart pounding finale. If you’re a fan of gangster films, consider “White Heat” a must see. Also, if this your first James Cagney movie, you may enjoy “Public Enemy”, “The Roaring Twenties”, “Lady Killer”, “Picture Snatcher” and “Each Dawn I die”, all made in the 30’s.
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