Movies
1. Movies:
Witness for the Prosecution: A suspense classic. Well acted, funny, pacing is perfect. Charles Laughton carries the whole movie. 4/5.
Rest in Pieces: A Portrait of Joe Coleman: From the beginning, this is disturbing, strange, difficult to watch. It oscillates between a 1 and 5, ten times a minute, throughout the entire film. But in the end, it’s a movie I’ll never forget. Visionary artist documentary filmmaking at its most engrossing and all-consuming. 5/5.
Tideland: Whoa. I mean, I love Terry Gilliam. And this is about as Terry Gilliamistic as they come. I’m sure a lot of people would be (deeply) disturbed by the film’s content. Me, I was just disturbed by the fact that, in spite of it being a sometimes beautiful look at what goes on in Gilliam’s head, it’s really not a very good movie. Still it gets a two because it makes me laugh to visualize some studio head at some point actually greenlighting this. 2/5.
Angel Face: Great noir. Robert Mitchum is his usual Mitchumesque self, which I usually like, but I didn’t quite believe the whole auto-mechanic/ambulance-driver thing somehow. Still, it’s a great film. 4/5.
Dark Days: I was really excited about this documentary about a culture of homeless people living in underground Amtrak tunnels in NYC. But other than a few poignant moments, you don’t really care much about the people, and what could be a cool look at a hidden culture doesn’t ever come across. 2/5.
Babel: One of those multiple-storylines-woven-together films. Well done, well shot, well acted, but just a couple of notches below what it might have been. Still, it’s somehow reassuring to think that Brad Pitt can have a really bad day. 3/5.
Inside Man: A perfectly crafted Spike Lee action flick. Both Denzel Washington and Clive Owen assert their talents well, and the plot is clever and well-paced. 4/5.
The Ballad of Ramblin’ Jack: A sweet little documentary by Jack Elliot’s daughter about her folk-singing dad. Surprisingly honest, balanced and careful, and featuring interviews with everyone from Arlo Guthrie to Odetta to Kris Kristofferson. 4/5.
Sid & Nancy: I had seen this back when it came out. The bio-pic of Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious and his bizarre/annoying girlfriend Nancy Spungen. It’s dark, disturbing and difficult. But a well-crafted look at the 70’s punk scene in all its self-destructive glory, and a wise tale about the disconnect between celebrity and talent. 4/5.
2. Coat hangers.
