Szerelmesfilm (Love Film)
István Szabó (1970)
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Michel Gondry (2004)
I was given a wonderful and unique gift this Father's Day — a year's subscription to the British Film Institute's (BFI) monthly magazine Sight & Sound. This month's issue features a cover article about double bills — pairings of movies at repertory theaters or grindhouses that often were linked in some way, though sometimes were put together at random. For this wonderful piece, writers and critics and film historians were asked to name one dream double bill and to explain it. I am too young and have lived in to many nonurban places to have experienced an original double bill. I did see the fabulous Grindhouse movies by Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez, but the whole experience was contrived and not the work of a theater programmer. I have had many ideas in recent years for double bills of my own to watch with a group of friends. I even had a chance to try one of my double bills: Alien 3, David Fincher (1992) and Panic Room, David Fincher (2002); a then and now look at his filmmaking. That's one acceptable approach to programming a double bill, but I like the thematic approach the most. With that in mind, I submit my own dream double bill — Love Film, Istvan Szabo (1970) and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Michel Gondry (2004).
I saw these films relatively close together in time and both on DVD — I knew immediately that they were made for each other. Love Film has a special significance to me because my wife watched while studying in Budapest and fell in love with it's unique story. I couldn't help but fall for the brilliant collaboration of Charlie Kaufman and Michel Gondry in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, I wish I had been able to see this on the big screen. This double bill is an ode to love's memory — its endurance. They are alive with the dynamic joy and sorrow of remembering. Distance and societies and even reality enhance the value and the liability of past love. Love Film's lovers are separated by the Iron Curtain at the height of the Cold War — Jancsi lives in Budapest and Kata in France. The lovers in Eternal Sunshine are on the brink of losing their memory of love though they share the same suburban Long Island community. Each movie weaves it's story into something that better resembles a dream catcher than a tapestry. Perhaps like a spider web, extending out in all directions, going back and forth through time. Istvan Szabo is able to convey the dream-like nature of memory using editing — scenes are repeated in different lengths and in no particular sequence — and sparse dialogue. Michel Gondry uses editing and his signature special effects — hand made props and mixing the real with the unreal (junk yard cars fall out of the sky around Joel) — to achieve the same goal. These films are beautiful partners, like the couples in each film, separated and different but perfect.
I have other ideas for double bills, like The Maltese Falcon, John Huston (1941) and The Long Goodbye, Robert Altman (1973). Try it, maybe, and see how two different directors at the top of their game at two different times take on the hard boiled detective story. I love to get ideas below for other double bills — think about and leave a comment. Both Love Film and Eternal Sunshine are available from Netflix.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Train in Vain: The Darjeeling Limited
Note: As always, see Rober Ebert's review for a plot synopsis and for another point of view.
Wes Anderson's The Darjeeling Limited is beautiful. It's main characters are bodies in orbit around an intangible and invisible center — family. Their orbits criss-cross and diverge in familiar ways, even family ways. The three brothers and their mother act in ways that evoke a typical family to most. Without taking too much time, the three brothers are Francis L. Whitman (Owen Wilson), Peter L. Whitman (Adrien Brody) and Jack L. Whitman (Jason Schwartzman). Their mother is Patricia Whitman (Anjelica Huston). There are other characters who are wonderful, but these four are the core — the orbiting bodies.
The most interesting aspect of this film is that it is about details, so much so that Mr. Anderson even employs slow motion several times. I'm sure that most of his films are full of details, but I noticed it prominently with this one. This is essentially a short film that has been expanded. I don't say that in the way such a thing is said of TV shows that become movies. I mean that the brother bit is so familiar that a short in the train car could have told a fine story, but we are treated to minor triumph in the lives of these men with a longer story.
My image of the orbiting planets is not accidental, the story is circular as are the lives of the members of this family. Or any family, for that matter. Just as in real life— this distinction is important not just because this is a work of fiction, but because it is borderline absurd — these brothers are imprinted with their own personalities. And those personalities don't change, even as they become better brothers. They each exhibit interesting and superficially outrageous traits and flaws. Francis, the firstborn, is both a leader and bossy. Peter, the second born, is competitive and resentful. Jack, the baby, acts like the baby with his constant refrain of "I don't know". Jack interests me because Mr. Schwartzman collaborated with Anderson on the screeplay and stars in the short before the film, The Hotel Chevalier (Really a prologue and vital to the whole experience). He's created a character that is not unlike his Louis in Marie Antoinette or even his character in Shopgirl. My first inclination was to wonder why, then it just came to me: Maybe they're not acting so much as being. Think of Wilson's ex boyfriend in Meet the Parents or even his voice-over Lighting McQueen — he's always the firstborn.
As they orbit, the brothers not only criss-cross and separate, they also bump into each other. The traits and flaws that are exposed on this bizarre trip into India provide some repeated pleasures. I particularly liked the way that Francis couldn't help, but to direct everything. Mr. Wilson strikes a balance between knowing that this is potentially a flaw in his character and not being able to control it. I feel like this is unusual, that normally actors are too self-aware and tend toward being tentative or cruel in their performances. A great example comes in the dining car as Francis is ordering dessert, he's been told that Peter hates when he orders for everyone. Francis begins ordering for everyone, stops and acknowledges that Peter wants to make his own choice, then proceeds to needle Peter with the choice Francis has already made. Peter agrees, reluctantly, that he wants what Francis said. It's as illustrative of Peter as it is of Francis and Adrien Brody is great as the brooder. While these men hardly seem to be different in age, though Jason Schwartzman is probably the younger of the three, their characters are well enough written and the performances well enough given that we're convinced.
And then there's the mother. Angelica Huston has never been one of my favorites, but I love the work she does with Wes Anderson. Here she is close shorn with a rough boyish haircut and untreated silver hair — she's fabulous. Her screen time is brief and much about her character and her location is a twist in the story. I won't give anything away except to say that it's clear that she's their mother. They take after her in ways that I found both surprising and typical. Also, she's so frank — she has the best face for frankness. When she says something that is direct, the effect is that she's just answered whatever question you might have had. And her eyes...
So much more can be said about this film: the ancillary characters are amazing and vivid or the locations are characters too and so on. Because I've focused on some things and not others, you need to see it so you can fill in the blanks I've created. If you've seen it already, throw in some stuff that you love below. A word of warning, and perhaps admission, see another recent Anderson first if you're a newbie — The Royal Tenenbaums or The Life Aquatic will do nicely. Actually, here's the admission: I'm a post-Rushmore Anderson fan. Which is to say that I saw Rushmore back when it was released on VHS and didn't enjoy it, but saw The Royal Tenebaums and The Life Aquatic and loved them. I can add The Darjeeling Limited to that list. Now I have to rewatch Rushmore and see what I've been missing.
PS There's a scene in a river that appears to break the movie in two. It becomes serious, whereas it hadn't felt too serious until then. I think it didn't feel serious because the brothers weren't taking their own lives seriously and we bought into it. Peter, in particular, has much to get serious about. Tragedy kick starts him and begins moving him in the right direction. There's a wonderful detail in this scene, one that touches me as a father: a boy holds another boy's hand. The context breaks your heart, it happens when the boys and the brothers are looking for their father.
Wes Anderson's The Darjeeling Limited is beautiful. It's main characters are bodies in orbit around an intangible and invisible center — family. Their orbits criss-cross and diverge in familiar ways, even family ways. The three brothers and their mother act in ways that evoke a typical family to most. Without taking too much time, the three brothers are Francis L. Whitman (Owen Wilson), Peter L. Whitman (Adrien Brody) and Jack L. Whitman (Jason Schwartzman). Their mother is Patricia Whitman (Anjelica Huston). There are other characters who are wonderful, but these four are the core — the orbiting bodies.
The most interesting aspect of this film is that it is about details, so much so that Mr. Anderson even employs slow motion several times. I'm sure that most of his films are full of details, but I noticed it prominently with this one. This is essentially a short film that has been expanded. I don't say that in the way such a thing is said of TV shows that become movies. I mean that the brother bit is so familiar that a short in the train car could have told a fine story, but we are treated to minor triumph in the lives of these men with a longer story.
My image of the orbiting planets is not accidental, the story is circular as are the lives of the members of this family. Or any family, for that matter. Just as in real life— this distinction is important not just because this is a work of fiction, but because it is borderline absurd — these brothers are imprinted with their own personalities. And those personalities don't change, even as they become better brothers. They each exhibit interesting and superficially outrageous traits and flaws. Francis, the firstborn, is both a leader and bossy. Peter, the second born, is competitive and resentful. Jack, the baby, acts like the baby with his constant refrain of "I don't know". Jack interests me because Mr. Schwartzman collaborated with Anderson on the screeplay and stars in the short before the film, The Hotel Chevalier (Really a prologue and vital to the whole experience). He's created a character that is not unlike his Louis in Marie Antoinette or even his character in Shopgirl. My first inclination was to wonder why, then it just came to me: Maybe they're not acting so much as being. Think of Wilson's ex boyfriend in Meet the Parents or even his voice-over Lighting McQueen — he's always the firstborn.
As they orbit, the brothers not only criss-cross and separate, they also bump into each other. The traits and flaws that are exposed on this bizarre trip into India provide some repeated pleasures. I particularly liked the way that Francis couldn't help, but to direct everything. Mr. Wilson strikes a balance between knowing that this is potentially a flaw in his character and not being able to control it. I feel like this is unusual, that normally actors are too self-aware and tend toward being tentative or cruel in their performances. A great example comes in the dining car as Francis is ordering dessert, he's been told that Peter hates when he orders for everyone. Francis begins ordering for everyone, stops and acknowledges that Peter wants to make his own choice, then proceeds to needle Peter with the choice Francis has already made. Peter agrees, reluctantly, that he wants what Francis said. It's as illustrative of Peter as it is of Francis and Adrien Brody is great as the brooder. While these men hardly seem to be different in age, though Jason Schwartzman is probably the younger of the three, their characters are well enough written and the performances well enough given that we're convinced.
And then there's the mother. Angelica Huston has never been one of my favorites, but I love the work she does with Wes Anderson. Here she is close shorn with a rough boyish haircut and untreated silver hair — she's fabulous. Her screen time is brief and much about her character and her location is a twist in the story. I won't give anything away except to say that it's clear that she's their mother. They take after her in ways that I found both surprising and typical. Also, she's so frank — she has the best face for frankness. When she says something that is direct, the effect is that she's just answered whatever question you might have had. And her eyes...
So much more can be said about this film: the ancillary characters are amazing and vivid or the locations are characters too and so on. Because I've focused on some things and not others, you need to see it so you can fill in the blanks I've created. If you've seen it already, throw in some stuff that you love below. A word of warning, and perhaps admission, see another recent Anderson first if you're a newbie — The Royal Tenenbaums or The Life Aquatic will do nicely. Actually, here's the admission: I'm a post-Rushmore Anderson fan. Which is to say that I saw Rushmore back when it was released on VHS and didn't enjoy it, but saw The Royal Tenebaums and The Life Aquatic and loved them. I can add The Darjeeling Limited to that list. Now I have to rewatch Rushmore and see what I've been missing.
PS There's a scene in a river that appears to break the movie in two. It becomes serious, whereas it hadn't felt too serious until then. I think it didn't feel serious because the brothers weren't taking their own lives seriously and we bought into it. Peter, in particular, has much to get serious about. Tragedy kick starts him and begins moving him in the right direction. There's a wonderful detail in this scene, one that touches me as a father: a boy holds another boy's hand. The context breaks your heart, it happens when the boys and the brothers are looking for their father.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Be Kind Rewind. Life is Swede.
Be Kind Rewind is Michel Gondry's endearing film about salvation. Not the religious kind, though spiritual salvation isn't out of the question. There are two storylines: Mr. Fletcher's (Danny Glover) struggle to keep his home and business and Mike (Mos Def), Jerry (Jack Black) and Alma's (Melonie Diaz) creative effort to remake — Swede — erased feature films on video. See IMDB for more plot summary. I will add, or emphasize, that the story is set in Passaic, New Jersey.
This is unmistakably a Gondry film. Like the more dramatic, different and slightly better Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, strange things happen to people who aren't quite normal. Likewise as in The Science of Sleep, fantastic and hand-made props show up all over the place, especially as the three friends set out to replace the erased videos with their own recreations. Here, though, the hand-made stuff is meant to appear that way, as movie props. Other effects, which are reminiscent of some used in Eternal Sunshine, are realistic and organic. Take Jerry's unfortunate magnetic body — the reason all the videos in the store are erased — as he walks back to his trailer from the video store: the camera is stationary at the store watching Jerry walk down the sidewalk. His body interacts with any large metal item he passes — a light pole is hard to get past only to be sucked in by a chain link fence. And then there is the very Gondry-like sentiment...
A key moment early in the film is a big wink at the audience that we're in for something uplifting. In a sad, bureaucratic office Mr. Fletcher is told that a bland condo complex intended for the site his video store and home are on is "just trying to improve people's lives." We don't believe that for a minute nor does Mr. Fletcher, who just sits and stares in his disbelief. What we do believe is that Mr. Fletcher was beaten to the line by the smarmy developer, because Fletcher is the one really improving people's lives. We can't forget that Mike, his adopted son, and Jerry are also trying to improve people's lives. What's kind of great is that the do gooders know they're doing good. It's what makes them try harder. In many movies, people do good things then appear humble to point of being oblivious. In reality, people feel better when they do good and sometimes they even gloat. In doing good Mike and Jerry sometimes break the law, which never seems too threatening. Despite the realistic characterizations of these odd folks, this is every bit a fable as those told by Aesop.
There are lessons out the wazoo here, but what makes Be Kind Rewind fun is watching the lessons play out and watching the characters learn them. There is so much wonderful variety in the characters. In many ways, I'm reminded of Do the Right Thing — a recent favorite of mine that I tried, but failed to write about. The neighborhood and its inhabitants, the local mythology and the sense of place that binds the locals and transplants together — it just reminds me of it. I don't think it's an accident that I'm reminded of a New York film. There is a certain tone that pervades post-Scorcese New York film regardless of the filmmaker. Whether it's Spike Lee or Wes Anderson or Noah Baumbach, even Whit Stillman, these filmmakers mix fantasy and reality in different amounts to spin their tales. Michel Gondry brings a French sense of adventure to his filmmaking, a desire to go into uncharted waters with his stories, while grounding them with this New York sense of reality — one not overly concerned with the truth.
There is so much more to talk about with this movie, like Swedeing — what!? And, Alma is a fabulous and indispensable character. I don't recall critics I read referring to her as much as they should have. I'm only mentioning her greatness here at the end, but that's another reason to see this movie — figure out what's so great about her. One thing to look for early on is a great sight gag: Mike has a note that he's trying to decipher, even as he and Jerry are attempting to sneak in to a power plant. The gag's at the plant. I laughed. Netflix it! Or go to your corner store, if one still exists, and rent it. Here in DC, I guarantee you that Potomac Video and Capitol Video will have one waiting for you.
This is unmistakably a Gondry film. Like the more dramatic, different and slightly better Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, strange things happen to people who aren't quite normal. Likewise as in The Science of Sleep, fantastic and hand-made props show up all over the place, especially as the three friends set out to replace the erased videos with their own recreations. Here, though, the hand-made stuff is meant to appear that way, as movie props. Other effects, which are reminiscent of some used in Eternal Sunshine, are realistic and organic. Take Jerry's unfortunate magnetic body — the reason all the videos in the store are erased — as he walks back to his trailer from the video store: the camera is stationary at the store watching Jerry walk down the sidewalk. His body interacts with any large metal item he passes — a light pole is hard to get past only to be sucked in by a chain link fence. And then there is the very Gondry-like sentiment...
A key moment early in the film is a big wink at the audience that we're in for something uplifting. In a sad, bureaucratic office Mr. Fletcher is told that a bland condo complex intended for the site his video store and home are on is "just trying to improve people's lives." We don't believe that for a minute nor does Mr. Fletcher, who just sits and stares in his disbelief. What we do believe is that Mr. Fletcher was beaten to the line by the smarmy developer, because Fletcher is the one really improving people's lives. We can't forget that Mike, his adopted son, and Jerry are also trying to improve people's lives. What's kind of great is that the do gooders know they're doing good. It's what makes them try harder. In many movies, people do good things then appear humble to point of being oblivious. In reality, people feel better when they do good and sometimes they even gloat. In doing good Mike and Jerry sometimes break the law, which never seems too threatening. Despite the realistic characterizations of these odd folks, this is every bit a fable as those told by Aesop.
There are lessons out the wazoo here, but what makes Be Kind Rewind fun is watching the lessons play out and watching the characters learn them. There is so much wonderful variety in the characters. In many ways, I'm reminded of Do the Right Thing — a recent favorite of mine that I tried, but failed to write about. The neighborhood and its inhabitants, the local mythology and the sense of place that binds the locals and transplants together — it just reminds me of it. I don't think it's an accident that I'm reminded of a New York film. There is a certain tone that pervades post-Scorcese New York film regardless of the filmmaker. Whether it's Spike Lee or Wes Anderson or Noah Baumbach, even Whit Stillman, these filmmakers mix fantasy and reality in different amounts to spin their tales. Michel Gondry brings a French sense of adventure to his filmmaking, a desire to go into uncharted waters with his stories, while grounding them with this New York sense of reality — one not overly concerned with the truth.
There is so much more to talk about with this movie, like Swedeing — what!? And, Alma is a fabulous and indispensable character. I don't recall critics I read referring to her as much as they should have. I'm only mentioning her greatness here at the end, but that's another reason to see this movie — figure out what's so great about her. One thing to look for early on is a great sight gag: Mike has a note that he's trying to decipher, even as he and Jerry are attempting to sneak in to a power plant. The gag's at the plant. I laughed. Netflix it! Or go to your corner store, if one still exists, and rent it. Here in DC, I guarantee you that Potomac Video and Capitol Video will have one waiting for you.
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