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An error has ocurred. Please try againMonalisa thief Vincenzo Peruggia (8 October 1881 – 8 October 1925); journalist William Monroe Trotter (April 7, 1872 - April 7, 1934); military Filinto Müller (11 July 1900 - 11 July 1973); painter Nair de Tefé (16 June, 1886 - June 16, 1981); sportswriter Martin Manley (15 August, 1953 – 15 August, 2013); terrorist Yakub Memon (30 July, 1962 – 30 July, 2015); criminal T. Eugene Thompson (August 7, 1927 - August 7, 2015); author Victor Thorn (August 1st, 1962 - August 1st, 2016) and Lula's mother-in-law Vani Terezinha Ferreira (October 28, 1940 - October 28, 2020).
Criteria: below ten titles, only counting films and TV films, and with less than two known works (that's why you won't be seeing Heather O'Rourke here, just an example).
Reviews
Bande-annonce de 'Sauve qui peut (la vie)' (1980)
JLG makes a typical trailer. Still good
Of all the film trailers Jean-Luc Godard made for his own movies (he provided one for Robert Bresson's "Mouchette"), the one made for "Every Man
for Himself" is the one that offers the least ammount of artistic creation, artistic/enigmatic curiosity as he abides for the typical film trailer done
at the time and later on (the format have changed so much that you don't need to see a movie after watching the preview). It's basically the title, many
clips presenting situations from the story but without revealing much. Since I haven't seen that
Godard film (yet) the trailer left me curious in seeing what he has to offer with stars Isabelle Huppert, Nathalie Baye and Jacques Dutronc. A minor
trailer of his, without the spectacle created in others he did ("Pierrot Le Fou", "Contempt") yet it's still something worth admiring. 6/10.
Roxy Music: Both Ends Burning (1975)
Song's good,video doesn't offer much
While there's a part of me that understands why this shamelessly low rating for the music video of "Both Ends Burning" as it does not bring
anything new or so groundbreaking about the media format, I'd like to assume that at least one must give credit to the song. In the words of admirer
Johnny Marr (The Smiths, Electronic) Roxy Music had delivered one of the greatest pop songs of all time, before the music genre inception.
Outside of the man's views, there's nothing wrong about the clip; it's a generic band performance on stage, they're all in the dark with lights
hitting them from time to time, but frontman Bryan Ferry and his suited beautiful female backvocalists appear in distinctive manners. The only extravagance
during the act comes when the director/editor decided to throw an X-Ray effect in the images, turning the brief moment into a psychedelic experience. Song is
awesome, but it gets a little cut in the video. Still worthy of view after nearly 50 years of its existence. 6/10.
Franz Ferdinand: The Dark of the Matinée (2004)
Pretty fun
Schoolboys either bored at classroom or performing small choreographies, a BBC heaven and countless old movies clips to expose the song's core. "The Dark of the
Matinee" has Franz Ferdinand amidst all of those settings, notions and ideas (flirting in school and the boring films shown there). Back in the day when "Take Me Out" was all over the world and it didn't
impressed me at all (it took me time to conquer me), this one and "This Fire" were their songs/videos that I really liked/care, and the proofs that
Franz Ferdinand were one of the most distinguished rock names of the early 2000's - nostalgia hits hard during those pre-YouTube days.
To the film buffs out there, your help is requested in finding the film titles that appeared in the quick montages. Lots of matinee westerns,
really old stuff, and it'll give you a nice challenge to work with as you watch the music video over and over. No harm to be done as the song is pretty
catchy - unless you're not a fan. 9/10.
Tori Amos: Cornflake Girl - US Version (1994)
Different than UK version, but good
This US music video version for Tori Amos' "Cornflake Girl" is slightly fascinating with its use of theme that seems to echo many feminist rebellion
from the 1990's and/or some literary work, almost like a prescient version of Furiosa and her group in 2015 "Mad Max: Fury Road". Tori drives a truck
with her female troupe moving through a desert place, nothing worries them in between the song performance, and there's also a bit of some plays in a park.
The sudden change in the setting comes with the presence of a longhaired cowboy (might be completely wrong but it could be a very young Billy Crudup). Will
he affect the outcome between the girlfriends?
It's a pity that that last bit isn't worked strongly enough to generate some chaos and some debate, as it'd relate with the thematic revolving on
girl's betraying one another for any particular reason (this is a quite obvious in reality). My other criticism of it all is that 1) it's way too
repetitive with its images and compositions; and 2) the UK version and its crazed yet artistic tribute to "The Wizard of Oz" was a more vivid and creative
experience, giving the song a more mysterious interpretation.
All in all, it's Tori Amos presence and her magnificent song that makes the viewing experience a delightful one. 8/10.
Tori Amos: Cornflake Girl - UK Version (1994)
Perfect in every sense
"Cornflake Girl" by Tori Amos is one of those songs that didn't enter my radar until recently, but once it entered it never left me.
The maddeningly beautiful piano intro and its progression within the song conquered for me good; and Amos lyrics certainly fit well with the
composition. Two music videos made for it: the UK and the US. UK is by far the better clip as it pays a wildly crazed cinematic tribute to
the classic "The Wizard of Oz" and turned into something darker than the "children story", far more elaborated than the American version with
the girls in the pickup truck trying to live their ideal world without men.
Small portion of colors to reflect the real-life, the dominating black-and-white scenario is the world of Dorothy/Tori where tornadoes,
flying houses, objects, bizarre imagery and the girl are all put against a pitch-black blackground, that has some "Eraserhead" vibes, and the girl
even gets attacked by a bully girl - if we go with the song's flow that bully was the girl's best friend, as it relates to the feelings of women
betraying each other.
The presentation of everything is filled with art, terror, careful and symbolistic cinematography and art-direction, and there are thousands
of elements to be noticed in the "story" and transitions that one feels overwhelmed with everything. And the song, the song, the song! Can't stop
listening to it. One of the greatest 1990's classic songs that echoed with more intensity and relevance in the following decades. 10/10.
Dionne Warwick & Jeffrey Osborne: Love Power (1987)
Powerful duet
If there's one classic R&B song that I never get tired of listening all over the years and decades, than such distinction must go to the sweet, smooth
and amazing partnership between Dionne Warwick and Jeffrey Osborne in "Love Power". However, the music video was only seen by me this year (what a shock!).
Not the obvious MTV fair, but it's a little dated, a little corny, just as well. Nothing that affects the quality; after all, we're only in it for the
great music it carries with.
It follows the song story quite well, a couple (Dionne & Jeffrey) who are dealing with other people but knowing that they're missing each other -
the psychic character described was replaced with Dionne having a date for herself. The couple drive through their fancy cars in sunny L. A., so near
yet so far; then there's the club routine where they sing together (a hilarious bit comes from a background actor entering in front of the shot, blocking
Dionne); and there's the lovely sax solo from Kenny G., way before his worldwide fame. It's a little cinematic spectacle, that goes with two great performers
echoing the creations of impecable duo Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager. "Talking about...love power!" 9/10.
Travis: Why Does It Always Rain on Me? (1999)
Fun and philosophical
For all the souls who feels exactly as if receving loads of problems and mistakes from the universe over and over and over again, comes this
reflective, artistic and creative song and video by Scottish band Travis. Back in the late 1990's-early 2000's, they were one of the kings of clips
with many curious, funny and intriguing videos, such as "Side" (with the UFO's), the classic of classic "Sing" (food fight!), and this one. It truly
shows the emotions of the song but done in a mysterious yet humored manner.
"Why Does It Always Rain On Me?" presents lead singer Fran Healy trying to approach the other three band mates after the man himself was kidnapped
and put inside of a car trunk. He tries and gets rejected, again and again. It moves to surreal transitions as he jumps on a lake and wakes up in the
most unusual scenario. There's plenty of those transitions, and audiences try to keep on guessing where he and others are gonna land next. Images and
music are up to listeners/audiences to reflect and create their own special inner view.
The scenario and visual spectacle of it all makes of this clip one of the coolest, most insightful and most fun to watch. 10/10.
Cape Fear (1991)
A true classic by Marty, De Niro, et al
Martin Scorsese's experiment with the horror/thriller genre in "Cape Fear" (a remake of the 1962 film starring Gregory Peck and Robert Mitchum)
brought a great result to the audiences and the man himself as it gave his first big box-office hit (despite the impressive previous resume with the likes
of "Taxi Driver", "Raging Bull" and "Goodfellas" they were never massive moneymakers, but were amazingly and deserverdly acclaimed). But this was also a
swap of projects with Steven Spilberg, who end up favoring better with the Oscar winning "Schindler's List", an original project of Scorsese. But...
Putting aside those bits of trivia, one cannot admit that Mr. Scorsese has created one of the true classic of the genre in the 1990's, with its
terrifying update of the classic film turning twisted, darker, reflecting upon themes of society that were being discussed at the time, with some use of
the-then horror cliches that audiences loved to see (or hate too). Above all, it's his and writer Wesley Strick composition of Max Cady character and
how Robert De Niro excelled himself to an unseen point, becoming one of the most iconic and memorable villains of recent years. I'm gonna return to him.
This "Cape Fear" is the one I like to revisit time and again for plenty of reasons (not putting down J. Lee Thompson's film, as I'm a fan too, but I prefer
it less since the elements of that thriller are too-family friendly and it removes you a little from the horror that does exist there). Its themes of an
apparently perfect family that it's already dysfunctional before the psycho's arrival; the not-so innocence lost of a teenage girl; the "morality" of a
criminal versus the imorality of a lawyer when it gets to defend his family; it all results in a provoking story where we question the legal system;
bad guys who might have a point; and many other major themes treated in this dark, twisted tale of terror.
And Marty gives us
tough guy Nick Nolte playing an early vulnerable role with perfection the lawyer who has his family stalked by the creepy ex-convict Cady (De Niro);
Jessica Lange and Juliette Lewis, as wife/mother and daughter respectively, and Lewis all the needed credit for playing a curious teenager who barely
knows the perils ahead that Cady represents.
And then we have a masterful and horrifying performance of Robert De Niro. His fully body tattooed, southernly accented, slick smile that goes from
charming to frightening-moving-to-violence, makes of this man something unique in the world of movies. There's dark humor, bits of drama and a boiling
rage when attacking the Bowden family or others who comes his way; but he can also pretend to be the perfect victim that can fool the court system when
needed (Peck, Mitchum and Martin Balsam return for cameos as lawyers and judge). A horror and a delight to watch. Except for the infamous attack on
Illeana Douglas character - an amazing improvisation between the duo. That scene creeps me out so bad that I'm tempted to cover my eyes.
And it's needed to take a look at the craft and style established by Marty in this update as it goes on both fronts, by paying tribute to the
classic "Cape Fear", and uses of his bag of tricks to compose a visually exhilarating film. On the first, it's the a re-arrangement of Bernard Herrmann's
score and the opening titles; what comes as new are the photographic effects from director of photography Freddie Francis; the frantic editing of Thelma
Schoonmaker which makes even dramatic moments of relative tranquility feel like a thrilling event (the squash sequence is my favorite); and Marty even
makes use of many visual and colorful effects with an eerie aspect (the skies over the Bowden house; the fireworks behind Cady on top of the wall; the
clouds over the bayou).
The objection of many fans goes with the third act, with Cady becoming like a horror villain with super strength and super abilities. That's a
tough bit to accept, but don't think it hurts the movie all that much. Marty had a reasoning for it that sort of feels valid, related with Cady's
religiosity.
Nothing more to add, except that I'd like the fans to keep on rewatching, and the new generations take a chance to witness the grandiosity of this
version and the original as well. True cinema classics! 10/10.
Paul Hardcastle: 19 (1985)
Unconventionally Brilliant
The mindblowing shock of the senses of "19" impressed me, moved me, and confused the life out of me to the point of not knowing how to define it,
how to deeply analyze it, and what to actually think about it. Except that I liked it as there's the kind of montage, effects, mixture of sounds,
colors, rhtyhm and use of a film project (in this case, "Vietnam Requiem") that appeals to my senses and generate countless feelings and sensations at the
same time, which intrigues me to the point of seeing a film, a clip or a work of art, for several times.
Some description/background: the music video uses of archive images and sounds from a TV documentary about Vietnam veteran, matching with Paul
Hardcastle song, an electronic/Synth-pop,freestyledance and full of energy song and with the mix of everything, where many lines from the movie are
intertwined goes into many directions: irony, but also a full combination between everything (well, sort of).
I guess the shock that made me question everything about this piece is: how can one dance to something like that? It defies everything - even
taste, and I'm very open-minded about the arts, but I simply couldn't see it people jumping, or breakdancing in full ecstasy to the sounds of Hardcastle
mixed with serious quotes about the Vietnam war, the veterans and the tragedy of it all. But on the other hand there are times when art and its creative
collage are defined and perfected exactly in not making sense, challenging our concepts and misconcpets, to break from our shells. Highly interesting. 9/10.
Vietnam Requiem (1982)
A war and its unhealed scars
"Vietnam Requiem" strikes such a powerful punch in our hearts and minds atfer the end credits roll, and all those tough/sad/terrible
stories told by its main characters are stick to the memory, that you can go with two emotions: you can cry or you can feel angry at nearly
everything that is shared by our main characters in this documentary or about the system of war. This is the story of five Vietnam war veterans whose
lives not only suffered and survived through the horrors of war but when it was all over they all shared the same fate back in America: they were incarcerated
criminal felons. When Coppola described "Apocalypse Now" as "My movie is not about the Vietnam, IT IS Vietnam!" he exaggerated a great deal as
we know how fantastic, mystical that masterpiece was, very unreal; Bill Couturié and Jonas McCord special here IS Vietnam, with no holds barred, and the
kind of aftermath that wasn't deserved of proud military men who served their country in an unjust war/cause.
It opens with the following statement, later on used on Paul Hardcastle's song "19": "In World War II the average age of the combat
soldier was 26. In Vietnam it is was 19." It's the story of five 19-year-olds Albert Allen 'Pee Wee' Dobbs, James McAllister, Raymond Baker, Duane Maybee
and Kenneth Patterson, all young men in their prime who followed in the many different fields of the military, dreaming about all the goods such
a career would give them, fulfilling their needs, truly becoming men and serving their country in an apparent great cause in the Vietnam. Many
can imagine stories of battles like the ones depicted by Hollywood, but the real horror is beyond imaginable, and each men tell harrowing,
shocking stories that I don't need to describe, you must hear it from them. There are a few images from many Vietnam archives, and Dobbs appears
in a few of them, you can see him in action.
But we're not immersed in the war, there's the kinds of lives they all lived and faced when they returned home; and throughout the piece
Couturie & McCord make insightful parallels between World War II (all about glories) and Vietnam (all about dishonor), which was easily perceived,
but not necessarily fully understood by most people. That's what hits hard viewers because the downer stories, albeit somewhat similar to what many
common man face (substance abuse, reckless behavior, family violence), gets a wider and darker aspect when you add that they fought a war and
seen things most of us never dreamed of. Their chance of returning to civilian life and becoming outstanding citizens felt like something impossible,
with PTSD's taking everything from them. It's either getting killed, committing suicide, becoming homeless, living in Veterans hospitals or going to
jail, as our heroes here, committing crimes they would never expect of doing when they were 19.
But there's a dark yet very heartfelt moment I need to share, and it comes from Dobbs brother when he recalls a suicide attempt his brother
was planning of using a shotgun. His reply was "If you wanna do it, please use something less noisy cause I need to sleep". It sounds harsh,
but it convinced a tear-eyed Dobbs to not do anything and simply go back to sleep. Hard lives can provide those things that can make us stop
and rethink everything.
I could go on and on with this movie, so I'll leave some final emotions, a final analysis. I couldn't cry (but almost), just stayed frozen,
silent and reflecting about all I heard and seen. Then came the thoughts of anger, contempt and outrage, as I was reminded about the war, the
system that allowed such unnecessary device (though scholars defend its purpose, sometimes useful) of creating killing machines that
can never go back to their natural state, it ages them very badly, injured and scared, and traumatized, and few are the winners. In this particular
conflict, a significant first American loss, those soldiers return were a second war, at home, with nearly no chances of winning. The American
military complex during Vietnam War had gains and losses that sort of balances itself; but the veterans and American society has lost plenty. Scars that hasn't healed. 10/10.
Maggie (2015)
A different (and very good) Arnold vehicle
For some reason I had not much interesting in watching "Maggie" ever since it out. Possibly a prejudice in seeing the Governator
doing a drama with horror, or whatever. But in what was one of the weirdest personal moods, this was on TV and I pleasantly warm and
surprised at how good it was, how envolving and characters I could feel something worth seeing, worth discussing too, and Arnold Schwarzenegger
delivered A phenomenal performance - not necessarily award-worthing but definitely considering. What kills the potential from the movie is some
of Henry Hobson's editorial-cinematographical choices, and some weird gaps in the story.
In an apocalyptical rural America, a zombie-like virus took over the world, leaving the contaminated folks facing a certain routine
of which they'll evolve into unrecognisable creatures in a slowly progression, of which the local authorities rely upon quarantine centers
(pandemic feels with this one), of which is total exclusion from their loved ones and some mystery as for how they treat the ex-person-now-creature.
The drama of farmer Arnold comes when daughter Maggie is infected, and he doesn't want her to get interned, so he convinces medical doctors that
she'll be restricted at their own farm where she'll be taken care of (but you can understand it in a more lethal manner. Relax, only when she gets
worse). The obstacles rise when her stepmom (Joely Richardson) is afraid of being around Maggie, who initially has some purple injuries and eyes
turned white; a local family that everybody's sick and they went for the same treatment as Arnold (the creepiest bits), and the interference of
two cops who want to follow Emily's evolution and deal with her when she's no longer herself.
At the core of this story we have a film of powerful dimension with the family relationship, and this is the kind of film that really
questions the involvement, care and difficult dilemas when a tragedy hits them, the decisions to be made and if when the time comes we'll act.
The horror comes in a second place, no subplot about a potential cure is discussed, so we can move to the acceptance of a tragic fate, and
the family will decide to help Maggie all the way until the very last moment. The tenderness, the talks between Arnold and Maggie are genuine
and heartfelt, but never sentimental. It has all the needed emotion, the right moves - the garden scene can drive folks to tears. And that's
saying a lot when it comes to Arnold Schwarzenegger, whose action persona is completely subdued (but effective) and he can offer fine dramatic chops as
a loving dad.
But there a few bumps made by Mr. Hobson which affected me a little negatively. The editing of some scenes, the framing of some shots
and the cinematography made the experience weird to watch, and weird to follow, as we don't know exactly what to look and why're looking. It
feels as if the director was trying to be smart and original but without a sense of composition and how a story should be put together. A few
gaps relates to how they can sent Maggie brothers away and I couldn't figure out exactly where they're going and why it can be safer since
all the world is facing the chaos. Maybe I missed something.
Ultimately, I had a very good time with this picture, a very fine dramatic horror that makes us question hard decisions related to family (and
friends, as evidenced by Maggie's crush), extreme times, and seeing that love can't save everything. But it sure can try. 7/10.
Good Morning (1971)
It's so real that can be hillarious or painful to see. Loved it!
Ken Greenwald's Oscar nominated short film "Good Morning" blends humor, reality and drama as it tells the events that happens in an
ordinary man's life (played by Vern Rowe). Waking up to face a brand new day with positivity and with good things happening isn't
a possible reality, and in the already turbulent early 1970's with crisis going on in America and around the world, the man on the radio
doesn't help with an almost jolly presentation of countless bad news, which easily kills the common man's smile, and it's all downhill from
here as the man deals with apprarently simple daily tasks that all go wrong.
There's plenty of funny things in it, but seeing the overall mood of it all is what makes me look at it in a sad, disturbed manner as it's
such a series of plausible situations happening, a reality in the 1970's and a wider perception of such reality in the decades to come, that
it's impossible to not feel sympathy for the main character. But, to the ones who can see the bright side of everything, it's a delicious
comedy, well-acted, well-written and well-directed. And I like to think every single being on Earth can feel something with it. 9/10.
Moi, Pierre Rivière, ayant égorgé ma mère, ma soeur et mon frère... (1976)
The intriguing thin line between insanity and reason
As brutally shocking, displeasing and controversial as its title, this adaptation of Michel Foucault's report on a real homicide that
took place in 1835, in Normandy, France, is a pyschological analysis on the thin line between monomania and psychosis, murder with a purpose or simply madness as it
retells the tragedy of Rivière family, with three members of it being killed by 18-year-old Pierre Rivière. Foucault's detailed account, with a
gathering of several 19th century reports, news and legal transcripts, is a tough material to be absorbed except for the boy's written testimony
detailing his life and the reason for the murders; the film translates with a great sense of accuracy what was written by Pierre, and some of the
court testimonies, without approaching on the pyschiatric aspects of it all - those are destined for us in the audience to decide.
Newcomer Claude Hébert plays the title role with perfection, as there are detailed descriptions about his physicality and behavior, as an
outcast with serious mental problems, barely connecting with other people and living in his own inner world that was slowly affected by the care he had for his father, a farmer mistreated
by his own demanding wife in a loveless marriage where she tormented the life out of him. The boy moves to bizarre antics, hurting animals and once he
had a fixed idea that the mother and her sister (who was also against the dad) needed to be eliminated, after biblical and mythical reasonings,he
goes after the intent (the little brother was a case of wrong place, wrong time).
The view from afar benefits the film adaptation rather than having Pierre being the narrator of his own tragedy as it would alienate audiences
in not believing in the young man's intelligence (for someone who had little knowledge of words and expressions, he composed a fine piece to be read
and it's the most important parts of Foucault's gathering, an almost unashamed confession). And the challenge is destined for viewers to figure out
if he's acting out of madness, if there's a sole (valid?) purpose for the murders and how the legal system, doctors, lawyers and jurors saw the case
when it came the time for decide between capital punishment, life in prison or rehabilitate through a mental institution. It doesn't stay focused much
on that latter part (as it goes in the novel, which becomes a repetitive bore at the end), but it should as it'd give a fascinating view on how this
scenario, the French modification of laws related to patri-matricide at that time, and how society reacted to those horrific crimes.
And it's insanely bizarre how much the thinking audiences will be inclined to favor much of Pierre's actions, either reading his story or watching
the film. The mother is a devil incarnate with countless mood swings, completely erratic behavior and unstoppable, as there were always times when she
brought her husband to court and she always got favored over the poor man. Not that we defend the murderer and his barbarian act, but it's one of those
things that it's hard to defend a poor excuse of a wife and mother. Plus, his arguments of defense and protection of his father, through the use of
biblical and historical references is the kind of thing that could quiet any unwise prosecutor in charge of the accusation.
Interesting and believable performances, wiht a cast formed mostly by locals of the actual place of the homicide happened 100 years earlier. By
today's standards it's somewhat tame when it comes to its actual title and never exploitative as a Hollywood film would be, but it serves a higher
purpose in documenting a classic criminal case in France, how it was dealt, and the many inner questionings that revolved on people's minds about
Pierre's insanity or his monomania. It's all about sorrow and no one wins. 9/10.
The Razor's Edge (1946)
A splendid spiritual work
This first adaptation of W. Somerset Maugham's "The Razor's Edge" was surprisingly faithful to the novel and a great presentation of
everything, from its all-star cast (Tyrone Power, Gene Tierney, Clifton Webb, Herbert Marshall, Anne Baxter), to Edmund Goulding's direction, and the great efforts of the crew in recreating the many places and many
eras covered by the story, and the transposition of a spiritual and universal quest some of us have in life was brilliantly told, which makes of this
film adapation as something to be seen and deeply analyzed.
It's quite a shock that a Hollywood adaptation of a classic novel wasn't significantly modified in order to please audiences, as it was the
usual route back in the golden era of cinema. The few changes, like not give a specific religion defined as our hero ventures through the world, was
understandable, just as removing much of the buddhist teachings or Larry's explanations of lived situations that pointed him to an enlightenement. Now, the movie: Maugham (Herbert Marshall) tells us the story of an acquaintance of his named Larry Durrel (Tyrone), a WWI soldier
who returns to the civilized world as a changed man who seeks a new direction in his life. Whatever happened in the battlefield made him re-evaluate
life and search for a deeper meaning, even if that meaning might alienate the love of his life (Tierney), his rich friends who later on will face
many turbulent crisis, and the snob carefree Elliott (Webb), the girl's rich uncle, a small spirit who likes to throw lavish parties to people who despise
him.
"The Razor's Edge" touches the complexities of life in a sweet romantic tint rather than the apparent sadness and neutrality of Maugham's story.
It works, and it's a better presentation of elements and everything than the 1984 remake starring Bill Murray in his first serious role. This is about
finding life fulfillment through abnegation, hard-work, helping those in need and giving up the luxuries life can offer, renouncing a dreamed love life
and going after something and someone different, even if it may cause a sense of ruin and despair. Yet Larry struggles, learns everything he feels the
need to learn about people, the human condition, the wisdom from ancient religions and wiser older man, and practices what they preach that one can find
himself in a better comprehension of life if going after its simplicity and nothing else.
It sounds corny that definition, but it's never a corny film and neither a corny thing one can apply to life. The progress of human hearts and minds
doesn't depend on unparallel wealth, sticking to a profitable career that doesn't allow the freedom of living and experimenting the something more that
humans treasure through centuries, and that void within can be fulfilled if one knows what and where to focus. The mysterious Larry who enters people's
lives is a fascinating character; and Power has the magnetic charm needed for such guy but doesn't play as the smiley/positive character described in the novel.
We easily buy his transformation, the difference between the initial romance with the cheap-hearted sweetheart, and the love found through the helpless
Sophie (Anne Baxter, Best Supporting Actress win in this role), a tragic character you cannot take your eyes off her and her suffering.
In a long spiritual journey through the movies, never had I felt such a comforting and life-affirming experience, despite the up's
and down's of the life chosen by journeyman Larry, specially from classic Hollywood. It's not that it inspires an exact act like whatever he does
in the movie, but it gives a meaning to whatever particular journey one is facing, redifine purposes and go after an ideal life, or a certain
detachment of things, people and situations that are troublesome or not personally rewarding. A choice, plenty of renounces, and I like to think
Larry was the wisest of them all, despite everything he threw away. 10/10
P. S.: On a final note, having seen those two adaptations of a great novel that were close to the written word but not fully, I'd like to see a 2-part
miniseries happening. It would be terrific, and it'd bring new audiences for both 1946 and 1984 versions. And the book.
Franz Ferdinand: Michael (2004)
"So come and dance with me, Michael!"
And the story goes that a male acquaintance of Alex Kapranos was at a club, very drunk and enthusiastically dancing with another man, and
that's the origins of Franz Ferdinand's single "Michael", one of their very first songs to get released. The music video for it sort of follows that
ideal, obviously the "closed times" of the early 2000's wouldn't go for the homoeroticism of everything and the song but no one can say the band didn't
try it.
Kapranos and his band mates perform the energetic song and they're presented in a different, unusual manner (palefaces, lipsticks, heavy makeup
and all dressed in dark clothing) as we also have sinister men in a similar fashion and their attention goes to the title character, who feels awkward
as he walks in the place, and doesn't understand some of the surreal aspects of it all (presented through nice editing special effects). Instead of
a lustful scenario between two men, who were probably having fun with each other on the dance floor, FF goes into a slightly darker mode that offers
some interpretations. Of Michael being afraid of the place and the men, or trying to find a special someone, or as if he was transported to the sinister
club and just wants to get out. Anyway, all is valid with those readings, but it's definitely something that resonates with the LGBT experience.
Not sure
if it actually serves the song, since there's plenty of funny, colorful, seductive and sexy vibes in its lyrics and the rhythm, but it was brilliantly
well-made. 7/10.
Franz Ferdinand: Walk Away (2005)
Lovely and enigmatic film noir tribute
This amazing tribute to film noir gives us Franz Ferdinand at their most cinematic moment of all, if compared with the previous artistic
performances in other music videos. Like many films of the genre, "Walk Away" has a little story that goes into some enigmatic ways that are a
little hard to solve or to figure out what's real and what's imagined, or differences between past and present.
The group performance on a room moves to a black-and-white film noir scenario where lead singer Alex Kapranos plays the hero, along with a beautiful femme
fatale girl, as they escape from another car with a mystery trio (Nick McCarthy, Paul Thomson, Bob Hardy) following them very closely. The brief romance is cut
when the man is suspicious about the woman, who cries without understanding why her man got mad. The other two acts are even more enigmatic and I won't deal with
them except for ways and alternatives it suggests: is this about a film director (Kapranos) imagining a film he wants to make or he actually lived that tense
story? The who's and why's of it all are up to audiences imagine, as time and again they all shift characters - except Alex.
It's always nice to take a look back at this, now, classic clip that was quite a phenomenon back when it was released. The song is great but I
must say that I got little tired of it, recently. But if the clip is on, I have to watch it. Everything works, the little time recreations, the
use of cinematography, the triple shadows appearing with guitars, which was a nod on drummer Paul Thomson who also played guitar on that album tracks -
the clip of "Do You Want to?" also gives this idea. It's ellegant, vibrant, with some twists of suspense, always fun to watch. 9/10.
Deadly Deception: General Electric, Nuclear Weapons and Our Environment (1991)
Powerful, tragic and brutal
A powerful and brutal documentary like this saddens and angers viewers due to everything that is presented in it, while addressing the
damaging scenario General Electric was responsible while manufacturing atomic bombs, missiles and warfare technology at the same time it cuts costs
and pollute the American soil with nuclear waste leaving rural areas in a dire state of sickness and death. At the end of it all, it makes us question
the value of human lives; the quest for profit as desired by companies; and the efforts of preserving one's life, culture and identity while creating
tools that can end other human lives, but at the same time there's the loss of the lives the system wants to protect - it's totally counterproductive
this arms race which started during Cold War and hasn't finished with its ending, as more and more nations also wanted to built new weapons of mass
destruction.
A most deserving Academy Award was given to Debra Chasnoff, as her film is an unforgettable combative piece that stays with you for a long time,
and there are many dramatic and horrific stories told that not even Hollywood could come up with recreating it or fantasizing about them. Beyond the
environmental tragedy that caused cancer and deaths on several people in the state of Washington, it also goes on two other fronts, by exposing
the policy enforced by GE while manufacturing weapons, telling that no harm was being done with their facilities, and Mrs. Chasnoff careful research
presenting how the company was advertising itself on television with colorful, happy commercials of people smiling and enjoying their products
(light-bulbs and refrigerators) and the director juxtaposes those images with the chaos left by the same company with alarming news - even a farmer
saw that the Chernoby situation was handled better by the repressive Soviets than what happened in his own state.
The other front covered is the activists who made boycotts against GE, one of those small efforts that manage to bring some early results but it
doesn't help to make companies pay for damages, change their environmental and institutional policies, neither make them bankrupt. But it never goes
unnoticed and plenty of noise can be made.
And I insist to go back on those questions raised early on and the counter-production of it all in this thing we can life. I watched this film
along with the recent feature documentary "The Conqueror: Hollywood Fallout" which covered the tragic deaths of celebrities and local people from a
small area of Nevada that firstly was used during atomic bomb tests, and secondly became the filming location of the disastrous epic "The Conqueror".
Both were depressive rides into a period in American history that still lingers, and we wonder if the arms race, its development and how AEC and
companies involved felt if it was worth the cause, worth the profit (as in some cases, the government had to give compensatory damages that can never
bring back people, neither restaure nature as it was).
One has to be brought to some senses in shock and awe as hard-working citizens had their lives
cut short by their own powers of be, and with regulations enforcement, costly procedures and ethics none of those lives would be lost. This isn't about
creating a perfect world; it's about getting close to an ideal where the things that need to be done have to be done to favor a majority rather than
shareholders and lobbysts. Here's an eye-opener film to give you all of those insights and more. 10/10.
The Conqueror: Hollywood Fallout (2023)
The disastrous and tragic aftermath of a wannabe classic film
For those who never heard about the disastrous aftermath revolving the filming of Howard Hughes-Dick Powell epic failure "The Conqueror"
(1956) and its filming on a desert area used for atomic tests in the 1950's and what would cause hundreds of deaths in the following years, this
special documentary is an eye-opener and a must-see film, not only just to follow the case but also in witnessing a wider scope that goes beyond
the Hollywood film and its quest for perfection and accuracy that end up resulting in a massive tragedy.
This is the story of a proposed Genghis Khan epic adventure produced by Howard Hughes in the hopes of making one of the most important films ever made, but it
turned out to be a laughing-stock that failed with critics and audiences, and when several residents of the area near the atomic tests began to
feel sick and die, and later names such as John Wayne, Susan Hayward, Pedro Armendariz, Lee Van Cleef, Dick Powell, a total of 90+ personalities
involved with the film started to develop cancer, the story broke out in the media when a local woman made an extensive research that wasn't a
coincidence, it was a fact that something was happening in that Nevada area.
The challenging aspect of it all, the big question audiences will make with this film is to whom do we blame and point our fingers as
being responsible for everything that happened in the town of St. George? The AEC (Atomic Energy Comission) and the authorities for lying to the
public saying that the environment was safe and uncontaminated? The government for creating a red scare and an alarmist defense response in hurrying technology and bombs fabrication, for an attack that'd never happen? Hughes and the film crew knew about the real extent of everything or were lied to?
To whom the families of artists and the locals affected with several forms of cancer in the decades following the filming would recur?
It's a gripping, fascinating and explosive documentary that debunks myths, proves its facts and manages to interview many people related with
the fallout disaster, specially the town's people who followed in great detail the shooting of that film, and even military personnel involved with
those early tests in 1950's America present the work pattern of those days.
I was expecting to see the typical Hollywood tragic/E! Kind of special,
and I was greatly surprised that there's a focus beyond the film as it is a serious topic that affected regular people who never expected that they
would have to deal with sickness and numerous deaths in a same household or neighborhood. Sure, it's very interesting when we follow the John Wayne's
son or Susan Hayward's son detailing curious stories about the filming and their final moments, but following the locals and the battles they faced
against authorities to prove that wrongdoings were made and they fought for some form of compensation, is exhilariting, nervous and sad - and those
facts weren't familiar to me as I knew about the making of "The Conqueror" - also worth pointing out that it wasn't just the actual location
responsible for the problem, but an enormous quantity of sand from the place was taken to Hollywood to recreate the desert on a soundstage.
We're told, through an animated sequence narrated by actress Sophie Okonedo, about a legendary story revolving Hughes watching the film
repeatedly during his reclusive days - I always heard that "Ice Station Zebra" was a frequent private session of his, a clear obsession. It'll
die with him as to why he watched "The Conqueror" ad nauseum, if it was a regret for making it since he had high hopes that went nowhere and he
never returned to movie making, or because of what happened later on (a little unlikely but possible). I can't talk about that movie, as I still
haven't seen it; but just the story alone from its making creates an appaling tragic record that gladly Hollywood never returned to it - the excesses
done ever since all relate to bad scripts and lousy filmmaking. But it makes me wonder if those powerful men were simply cutting costs while choosing
location and if they knew about the atomic tests conducted there. 10/10.
Oingo Boingo: Just Another Day (1986)
A different Boingo but very cool
The song is one of my favorite of Oingo Boingo as it shows they can make a hit outside of the typical colorful new wave songs, and show something
darker and more serious both with lyrics and music. But the video for "Just Another Day" is just another band performance, always depending on
Danny Elfman's part charisma/part craziness as the band appear on stage to deliver an act in front of sinister-looking women, all dark-haired
and with pale faces, staring at the guys if they were a cult. Is there a meaning to it or some wild entertainment happening? Not quite. It's
curious to see as most audiences keep expecting some supernatural/horror to come around but it never comes, it's just the idea of fright. Elfman
and Boingo's existential reflections to a sound that you can dance is lots of fun. 7/10.
Memorial: Letters from American Soldiers (1991)
Different wars, but similar sentiments through the decades
A short documentary like this, covering the many different interventions and involvements of the United States forces during wars in the 20th century,
makes us question not necessarily about the times young soldiers had lived, but mostly the spirit of combat, fear, terror, tragedy and how different
situations, political/historical scenarios and wars have a certain uniqueness that doesn't change through nearly 100 years of letters written by soldiers.
We go from the WWI (American forces joined the conflict in 1917), move to WWII, Korean and Vietnam wars, and close with the Gulf War in the early 1990's.
Actors such as Val Kilmer, Tony Goldwyn, Blair Underwood, Tom Hulce, Bill Irwin, Eric Stoltz and others read many letters from soldiers of those combats,
and we watch news and archive images from those, following a certain modus operandi: letter and conflicts, and then an important message from a president or
a general claiming for the efforts of peace.
Different men and different times and experiences, but once inside the context of fire, shootings, bombs and attacks, the pressure
of everything changes their essence of young men who feel as if living as older man, just waiting for death or trying to escape it, always with the intention of
returning home safe and sound to their loved ones. And the shock and awe of everything is seeing that a written word in the early 1910's would sound similar
as one written in the early 1990's. If love has a uniqueness through descriptions and certain feelings, so does the nature and horrors of war through the ages.
While technology and new weapons can allow that conflicts can end sooner (allegedly) or cause a mass destruction against the enemy, the feeling expressed in
the letters narrated by the Hollywood actors is something universal, everlasting, with small variations of tone and descriptions.
Bill Couturie made a very
expressive gathering of elements that makes us reflect about war and peace, the human condition through drastic and terrible scenarios, and the humanity that
exists at war, that deep down those young men in uniform would never want to fight for older gentlemen, unless if extremely needed and urgent, and their youthful dreams
of living in a world united in peace, as they're just discovering the world around them. Despite everything you see and hear in the documentary, the struggle for peace
speaks higher all the way through the film. 8/10.
The Last Temptation of Christ: On Location in Morocco (1988)
Scorsese: A vlogger on the set of his own movie
Martin Scorsese was a vlogger way before the term exist and what a fun experiment this was. The man and his video camera registered a
little portion of the behind the scenes from his classic "The Last Temptation of Christ" in the Morocco location. Stars Willem Dafoe, Andre Gregory,
John Lurie and Harvey Keitel appear during filming in between curious and amusing moments in the long shooting, barely reflecting the exact nature of
a serious and religious experience as adapted from Nikos Kazantzakis book.
It's far from the typical making of we're used to see, as Marty carries the camera with him, details what they're about to shoot the next day, the
complications and logistic of everything and then he proceeds with distant shoots from cast, crew and the extras in movement. It's a pity that his video
diary wasn't longer and done each day, from the film conception up until his editing, as it is a film I have the utmost respect and consider one of his
finest. A bigger pity that the studio did not release it as a bonus material on the DVD, neither the audio commentary track, at least here in Brazil.
Only major releases from that decade earned interesting and fascinating materials back in the day, and this one was pretty good and should attract a wider
audience to witness the brilliance of Scorsese in movie making. 9/10.
Cara a Cara (1967)
A terrible nuisance
"Cara a Cara" ("Face to Face") marked as writer/director Julio Bressane's feature debut and what a chaotic and disastrous
early film for him and everybody involved. Nothing to say, nothing to show except for brief moments where the style and its
presentation looks a little groundbreaking in Brazil cinema, but the substance is null, horrific, tedious and a massive snooze fest
that will make you fall asleep and wake up over and over, due to its ugly-sounding soundtrack.
It's said that this is a dramatic tale of obsession, as experienced by a poor public servant (Antero de Oliveira), dealing with
a dying mother (Vanda Lacerda), who distracts himself in following and observing a wealthy beautiful woman (Helena Ignez) of whom he's
in love. While those characters lead their lives in separate ways and barely communicating with each other, there's a bigger picture at
play with the girl's father, a rich man (Paulo Gracindo) making a scheme to overthrown a leftist politician - a jab at president João
Goulart and the '64 coup, possibly.
The girl spends her days with a boyfriend or studying ballet, while the poor man just stumbles into things, suffers a lot and
keeps following the girl without trying anything but we know something terrible might happen. And does Bressane have anything so
interesting to say or show about those characters, their different realities where they simply cannot connect? Not really. It's pointless,
weak and weird to follow.
A painfully tedious and excruciating experience that I cannot recommend and I can't describe more about
how messed up everything was, no chance of salvation and neither a bright thought came across as I was watching this thing - two attempts
and it didn't impress me in no possible way. 2/10.
Men at Work: Maria (1985)
Nice music video, underrated song
It's a pity that this single from Men at Work's final album "Two Hearts" didn't become a hit as there are plenty of good
qualities and a catchy mode to the song that makes it appealing and very memorable. Must say that I got acquainted with it a little
recently, but it become one of my favorite tracks from the group and also one of my favorite music videos too.
Basically, we follow the song's idea and story as it follows the title character, an immigrant young woman who goes to another
country, gets married (singer Colin Hay plays the groom) but life doesn't seem to improve with all those new changes. The video is
very creative and economic with its set design and visuals, but it works with great effect as it allows viewers to imagine everything
that's described in Hay's lyrics (except when the actual description is shown through the story).
A serious, romantic song from the
band while it deals with scenario faced by many female immigrants around the world, it's almost like a hym. Just as good as the fun
ones like "It's a Mistake" and "Down Under", that also have classic music videos. 9/10.
Os Inquilinos (2009)
Nervous tension all around
A dramatic thriller that really keeps its viewers on the edge of the seat and also makes them reflect about the people who live next door, "Os Inquilinos" ("The Tenants") is probably the easiest film of Sérgio Bianchi's career, which always includes a heightened complexity and a load of social/political criticisms related to the reality of Brazilian people ("A Causa Secreta", "Cronicamente Inviável", "Romance"). This one has plenty of those issues, but it feels more focused on the hard drama of everything without finger pointing to the bigger yet underlined problematic faced by the community shown in the story. There are questions, as usual, but this time it feels like Mr. Bianchi has answered
them all (or close to it).
We follow the couple Valter and Iara (Marat Descartes and Ana Carbatti) living in a poor community on the outskirts of São Paulo, raising
their kids and leading an honest life. She's a housewife, he carries loads on a market and studies at night. The apparent peace at home is
disturbed with the arrival of new tenants on the next door neighbor, a poor senior citizen (Umberto Magnani) who clings at that house of which
his ex-wife might want it back. The tenants are loud, unfriendly, unpolite and of violent manners, and each new arrival or new party, disturbance
comes to break the family's peace, and slowly a sense of danger seem to approach everyone around the neighborhood, and Valter might
want to take action.
The family household becomes a prison cell, and the neighborhood also another prison from the violent trio of friends who more bicker
at each other than have an actual cumplicity (but there is). Valter's small escapes comes from work, of which he feels exploited and wants
more rights, and at night school where the education he's getting seems to echo the problematic of violence, through the poems read
by the literature teacher (Cassia Kis) which awakens the students, but it affects Valter as a hopeless reality.
Here's a story that makes us wary about the world around us, especially when it comes to the ones who lives next door, and to make us
pause and question our decisions, if action could be needed or not. It dares such thoughts on viewers, even if you live without a neighbor.
Mr. Bianchi always comes with hard-hitting questions and situations revolving social clashes and the human condition while facing poverty,
injustice and the dangers of such issues, but here one can sense that he might be a little off-depth, with a clean view of favelas and criminals
who are too obvious and too loud with their acts, more like a cinematic kind of poverty rather than the down and dirty view, as things are. Doesn't work completely, but it doesn't remove you from the scenario and the dramatic and tense circumstances of it all.
Besides the thematic and all, "Os Inquilinos" is a triump of acting, with high caliber performances, most notably Marat Descartes as
the leading man with his transformation slowly turning into something dark and mysterious; the cameo by Caio Blat as the angry student;
and Sérgio Guizé playing the menacing/tough leader of the group who moved next door - you can't take his eyes off of him and the character
is not made into the expected cliche, there's always some surprise with him.
Once again, Mr. Bianchi succeeds with another critical urban tale, with plenty of honesty, some dreams and nightmares, but reflecting
the dire reality of a huge portion of São Paulo and its crazed routine. 10/10.
Romeo Void: A Girl in Trouble (Is a Temporary Thing) (1984)
A small classic, but still a classic
While not a massive hit as "Never Say Never", "A Girl in Trouble (is a Temporary Thing)" manages to become a very good song just
as the other song by Romeo Void (that bass, that sax, and the girl's great voice). The clip is quite curious, almost surreal with its presentation revolving a couple trying to figure things out
in order to stay together (it's a girl and one of the guys from the band). Or at least that's my perception of it, since the artistic presentation of
everything, which revolves around painters working on billoboards and walls, offers such perception that goes in a enigmatic style. A very good
video and once again, the music makes the spectacle a grandiose event. 8/10.