Never fear my little cinephiles, Cinephilia (like life in Jurassic Park) "finds a way". My long commutes have given me time to catch up on those small films that were either lauded or derided in their brief theatrical runs. So until I make it to the theater to see the "Oscar Carrots" as I like to call them. This will have to do!
MANDERLAY (2005, dir. Lars von Trier / limited NY run January 2006)
An excellent if whacked-out follow up to Dogville. If you hated the first of Von Trier's proposed, now-apparently-abandoned USA Trilogy, you will absolutely despise this second installment. As Von Trier has appointed himself the moral compass for the 200 years of United States History without ever having visited this country, I have decided to judge his trilogy without seeing any of his other films. I think its a fair trade.I loved Dogville the third time I saw it and hated it the first two times. I have seen it several times since then and would have to say that it makes the short list of my favorites (somewhere between 10-15). That being said it only took a sophomore viewing of Manderlay before it began to grow on me. I really love both films despite how insufferable they truly are for two main reasons. 1) the Aesthetic 2) the Mythology. These are crucial components of storytelling that are basically "extras" in modern American cinema these days.
The aesthetic I've gone on and on about at length so I'll sing of my love for the myth of it all. I love Grace. The main character is really an abstract and pliant symbol like the Madonna or the Statue of Liberty. Grand in her breeding and unrealistic in her ideals, the beautiful daughter of gangsters trapped in odd and isolated communities in Depression-era America serves as a catalyst for everything there is to hate and love about American school of thought. Channeled through the angelically evil Nicole Kidman in Dogville, Grace's shadowy past and mysterious purpose served as the only narrative thrust in a film running mostly on the fumes of ideas. In addition, however, her movie-star iciness was a kind of idolatrous presence in a stripped-down theater of cruelty knock-off. I thought the performance was Kidman's best since To Die For, and I hoped against hope that this muse had finally settled down with a director.
It was not to be. But it seems to have been best for the mythology to have a completely different actress play the role. Now that the mysteries of Grace's powerful background had been revealed not to mention dramatically illustrated... it was vital for the sake of narrative to see that power misused. In Manderlay, Grace is played by the fresh-faced Bryce Dallas Howard with all the earnestness and enthusiasm of a recent college graduate. A classically trained theater actress, Howard is actually more at home on the Manderlay set than in the recent big-budgeted Shyamalan pictures she eagerly volunteered to carry. Under the thumb of Von Trier she wiggles and worms her way into a new Grace. A Grace that attempts to aggressively control her surroundings as opposed to the previous Grace (Kidman) who willingly martyred herself to make a point. In Manderlay, she shouts her point from the rooftops and it gives Von Trier an excellent palate from which to paint his landscape of American hypocrisy.
I hope he continues with the trilogy even though he's threatened to drop it. Come on! You haven't given a brunette a run at Grace!
Bottom line: I heartily suggest this film to those who enjoyed Dogville. If you have no idea what I'm talking about skip altogether. Theater and Brecht enthusiasts will find titallating!
THE DEATH OF MR. LAZARESCU (2005, dir. Cristi Puiu / limited NY run in April 2006)
I'm just going to be completely honest. I did not get behind this movie. The whole thing hinges on such a sentimental premise for such existential musings. I think the filmmakers seriously underestimated how self-involved an audience member like myself is. It chronicles the last night on earth for an ailing old man as he is shuffled from hospital to hospital. I believe I was supposed to feel sorry for him and lament the failings of health care but I really didn't give a crap about this guy. I think because he was such a boring subject. Nothing initially pulled me into caring about him. Also, the style was bizarrely detached despite the fact that it was aiming for ultra-realism. At times, I felt like I was watching a science-fiction film. That's not as interesting as it sounds. I mean, the film's reality seemed weirdly off and it allowed my interest to drift even further from the center of the drama. I may watch it again to see if it resonates in a second viewing. But mostly, I was thinking... "This is the kind of movie I would have loved my sophomore year at NYU. When I was high, reading Camus's The Plague, listening to the Donnie Darko soundtrack on repeat and wearing white angel wings with every outfit."Bottom line: Only for the very brave in their college and twilight years .
4 comments:
I just saw L'enfant on DVD and was stunned. The Dardenne brothers have a powerful approach with their realism/naturalism. The film was as good as any I can think of. We are kept in suspense to the end about an uspeakable act: a father selling his newborn baby. The acting was superb and the directors followed the characters with hand-held cameras for a feeling that you lived the moments with them in real time. Give it a try if you haven't.
already sitting on top of my DVD player. definitely rent The Son if you haven't already.
So glad you were nonplussed by Lazarescu. I was, too.
Hey Arden, great site. I just have a comment about lazarescu. I saw this film at the Toronto film festival and loved and hated it. I liked the pacing, the slow build up to an ambiguous ending. I don't think that any empathy for Lazarescu was demanded for, in the film, and it wasn't something that I was looking for. What I didn't like about it was the theatrical almost television acting by the secondary characters which burst my bubble of realism in the film. I saw the film in a theater filled with Romanians and they were laughing at the most serious moments in the film ( I guess something was lost in the translation). I didn't see any "science fiction" like you said but agree I may have liked it more afew years ago.
About L'enfant, I was a little dissapointed. Didn't care for anyone in the film, couldn't believe the motivation of the characters or sense these people were even from a lower class. Rosetta was a far better film. I noticed you chose Head On as your top pick one year, I felt this is the film you should be wearing angel wings to, I thought it was a bit amateurish, the character arcs were a bit contrived and I didn't believe any motivation.
Just some thoughts; even if I have complaints about these films, I still prefer them a hundred times over anything hollywood or sundance are giving us.
John K.
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