by Sam Juliano
Wishing all a soulful Martin Luther King Day.
This week, our longtime friend and arthouse film connoisseur Duane Porter posted a stpendous ‘Best of 2021’ list. Though Duane admits he is a year late, he wanted to be sure he saw as the essentials. The glorious result is a true labor of love and a treat to films lovers of the site!
Work on the novels continues, though this past week was busy on the “watching films” front.
Weekend movie bonanza!
I managed to watch five films over the weekend, four in local theaters and one streaming. The bonanza was highlighted by three films in the Montclair Claridge, though a trip to Teaneck and a single access of Amazon Prime to complete the negotiation of a mostly glorious quintet. First, I will mention the one “mixed” movie of the group, which Lucille and I watched at home Sunday night, the Golden Globes-winning Argentinian film, ARGENTINA 85. (Rating 3.0 of 5.0) The southernmost nation in the western hemisphere has Pope Francis and the World Cup, but I’m afraid the Globes win was underserved, especially as it was at the expense of three great films (RRR, All Quiet on the Western Front, Decision to Leave) and another which opens in two weeks that received superlative reviews: Close. ARGENTINA 85 had its heart in the right place and its use of montage sequences was effective, but the narrative cohesion was alienating, and the film was often convoluted and far from polished. Perhaps I’ll watch it again in the near future, but right now I can say it is barely passable as a cinematic experience, though of course as a political statement it was inspiring.
A MAN CALLED OTTO (Rating 3.5 of 5.0) Not as effective as the 2015 Swedish film, “A Man Named Called Ove,” upon which it was based (actually this Marc Forster-directed American film is a re-make) I was surprised this mixed-reviewed effort was as entertaining as it was. Tom Hanks was effective in the lead, as was Mariana Trevino as the Hispanic neighbor, an adorable cat and the oft-hysterical cantankerous actions of the lead character will hold viewers entranced until the touching finale. For the most part the critics turned their noses on it, and the audiences were wild for it. I wasn’t exactly “wild” for it, but overall I must side with the audiences. Lucille loved it.
SAINT OMER (Rating 5.0 of 5.0) Arguably this wrenching and intense French fictional courtroom drama, directed by documentarian Alice Diop, was the best film of the weekend (and certainly one of the very best films of 2022, a position I will elaborate on my REVISED list after I watch CLOSE, LIVING and THE SON in the coming two weeks or so) Bressonian silent eclipses are used to stupendous effect in this story of a literature professor who attends a trial (based on a real-life event) Of a Senegalese/French woman who admits she killed her infant daughter. The complexities of her guilt and her relationship with an older man are revealed in gripping trial inquiries and various societal taboos are unbared in some shocking revelations, and the casting is extraordinary, led by the still sympathetic young murderer Laurence Cody (played by Guslagie Malanga); the compassionate defense barrister Vaudenay (played by Aurelia Pett) and the especially tenacious judge (played by Valerie Drevile).
CORSAGE (Rating 4.5 of 5.0) One of the best performances of the year was delivered by Vicky Krieps as the vain, chain-smoking Empress Elizabeth of Austria in a nineteenth-century Austrian/German costume drama, depicting various melodramatic squabbles in a dysfunctional regal dynamic. Elizabeth’s meeting (purportedly fictional) with Louis LePrince (who is credited with making the first film) was a nice touch and modern music, including “As Tears Go By” is alluringly woven into the picture, which was sublimely lensed by Judith Kaufman. The director, Marie Kreutzer resented the film being compared to Sophia Coppola’s “Marie Antoinette,” which she is not enamored of.
BROKER (Rating 4.5 of 5.0, though I may eventually raise it to the perfect 5.)) Another gem by Japanese master Hirokazu Kore-Eda who filmed the movie in Korea with Korean characters. BROKER features fate intruding on a dog-eat-dog world, and the episodic world is freshly spontaneous, funny and deeply moving, even if the farcical nature of some of the proceedings stretch feasibility, in the end, fueled by an utterly wrenching climax, the film honestly examines the modern-day phenomenon of women giving up their unwanted children, and how, complicated by the complicity of others, there is o so much more than meets the eye from an emotional vantage point. The entire cast are wonderful.
Wishing everyone a special week!
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Hi Sam,
We don’t know why we have had this problem to connect–it was fixed and now it is gone. There are several issues we are dealing with which consumes a lot of our time. We can’t complain, we do get out for long walks to our appt(mostly Valerie right now). Hope you and all your family are doing well. Can you please “like” for us. and Comment: Glad to hear that you had an amazing weekend of wonderful movies!!
All the best Sam, Jim and Valerie
Well, Jim (and Valerie) as you can see there is no need to do as you asked, as your wonderful comment came through here after all. I completely understand that you need to attend to priorities right now, and it shouldn’t be any other way. We are doing fine, though Lucille will soon be having an operation on her lower back near her spine to resolve discomfort. I believe this will be in early March, but perhaps sooner, and I’m sure she won’t be back at school for maybe six weeks after that. (Oh, “Anterior lumbar interbody fusion at L4-L5 followed by a posterior lumbar fusion at L4-L5 with non-segmental instrumentation).
Wishing you both a great week and to feel much btter moving forward dear friends.
Thinking of the recently departed Owen Roizman, and remembering some of the best photography—not the dainty, ostentatiously aesthetic kind—I’ve seen in films:
The French Connection (Roizman), Bullitt (William A. Fraker), Red Desert (Carlo di Palma), Citizen Kane (Gregg Toland), The Birth of a Nation (Billy Bitzer), Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (Babette Mangolte), L’ Atalante (Boris Kaufman), Shanghai Express (Lee Garmes, James Wong Howe),.The Godfather (Gordon Willis), Persona (Sven Nykvist), Pierrot le Fou (Raoul Coutard), Once Upon a Time in the West (Tonino Delli Colli), Chinatown (John Alonzo).
There are countless others, but these are the first titles that sprang to mind.
At last. Angela Bassett (“Chi-Raq”) gets the awards recognition that she’s long deserved. You gotta love it, partly because shitheel Jeffrey Wells is in such a lather over her win.
Bassett’s fine work in the 2000 film version of Fugard’s landmark “Boesman and Lena” has been criminally overlooked for years now.
Mark, yes indeed, we lost one of the finest cinematographers in Roizman, who of course lensed some great masterpieces like Network, The Exorcist, and The French Connection. Those are mighty distinguished comparison points there including the likes of Willis, Toland, Fraker, Nykvist, Coutard, Delli Colli, Garmes and Kaufman, et al. Wow! Yes, I agree that Ms. Bassett is long overdue, even if I personally think that the very best supporting actress performance this past year was given by Kelly Condon of The Banshees of Inisherin. But Bassett is still a great choice for a host of reasons. Oh, and I am totally with you on your sentiments of that certain person, whose politics too tarnishes him further with me! I agree too on the 2000 film being underrated! Thank you and have a great week my friend!
Agreed about ARGENTINA 1985, despite my adoration of Ricardo Darín. You should see him in THE AURA if you haven’t done so already. I’ve been preparing for an interview with director/dancer Yvonne Rainer, so I’ve been watching her films for the past week. The first three are very slow-going, but I rather like her later films.
Marilyn, great to hear we came up with a similar estimation on ARGENTINA ’85 my friend. I have not seen THE AURA, but I have now written it down for future viewing. That’s great news about the Rainer interview! Good luck! I’d love to read it, and I need to see some of her work. Thank you!