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myriamlenys
Reviews
Further Abroad: Belgium (1994)
A pleasant watch
I can't say that I'm familiar with all of the work of Jonathan Meades - he strikes me as someone best enjoyed in moderation, like black olives or very dry cheese - but I did see this episode. In this amusing documentary, Mr. Meades crosses the Channel in order to visit Belgium, land of beer, builders and underpants collectors. Unsurprisingly, he ends up concluding that Belgians are, well, pretty weird.
At this point I've got some news for the British : while the Brits tend to think that Belgians are eccentric, Belgians tend to think that Brits are eccentric. It testifies to the power of small differences, which can disturb and disconcert far better than large differences. Think of looking into a mirror and seeing an accurate reflection of yourself, but for the sudden appearance of a moustache - wouldn't that be more unsettling than looking into the mirror and discovering the face of a grimacing demon ?
As Mr. Meades travels through Belgium, he discusses the local art and architecture, including everyday suburban architecture. He also visits some notable landmarks such as the Palace of Justice, in Brussels. Aaah, the iconic Palace of Justice, known locally as Palais de Justice / Justitiepaleis / Justizpalast / What happens when you pay your architects in opium. It's a divisive building - people either hate it or love it - but it remains endlessly fascinating. There's always a new detail to be discovered : a painting, a doorway, a sculpture. Like the Tardis, it could hide entire, as yet uncharted floors. Over the decades, three of its main characteristics - labyrinthine complexity, conflicting cultural influences and noble decay - have coalesced, delivering a superb metaphor for the impenetrable nature of the Belgian legal system. From this point of view, the Brussels Palace of Justice may be one of the most honest buildings ever.
Moreover, it is one of these places where one can observe lawyers in their natural habitat. Bold, clever and gregarious, these handsome scamps (black-feathered but for a white spot on the breast) show little fear of humans. If you sit down in order to eat a sandwich they're likely to hop close to you, warbling and chirruping. Contrary to rumor, an excited swarm poses no danger to life, although some of the more dominant males have been known to fly away with wallets clutched into their beaks. Beware of a swooping noise, followed by a triumphant cry of "En fait de meubles, la possession vaut titre !"
But I digress. Enlivened by the caustic comments of the presenter, the episode makes for an amusing introduction to the cultural and architectural assets of Belgium. Why not come over and see some of these delights in the flesh ? Our wipschieters, garnaalvissers, duivenmelkers and konijnenkwekers will be glad to show you around.
Jonathan Meades - Magnetic North (2008)
An interesting watch
In "Magnetic north", writer and presenter Jonathan Meades suggests that the inhabitants of Europe's colder climes are being told, from cradle to grave, that Mediterranean culture is better : the history is richer, the architecture finer, the cuisine tastier, the sex sexier and so on. Even the Mediterranean landscape is supposed to be more enchanting. As a result of this slow but steady indoctrination (or, as the case may be, self-indoctrination) northerners grow up with a sense of inferiority, believing they lead drab lives under drab skies.
Far from me to stop any presenter from airing his opinions, but I believe that nearly all human beings living on this planet suffer from a nagging suspicion that the grass may be greener elsewhere. Thus it's very likely, say, that for every Belgian who drools at the thought of Italy, there's an Italian to be found who melts at the sight of a belfry and who dreams of icy rains, slate-colored canals and endless horizons. This grass-is-greener thing is an innate instinct which requires no nurturing through indoctrination.
Anyway, I liked the documentary, which consisted mainly of an eclectic tour through the colder and/or flatter lands of Europe, under the intelligent but acerbic guidance of Mr. Meades. I especially recommend the second episode, particularly the segment about Lithuania.
The documentary examines the kind of common culture that springs both from exposure to the same physical characteristics (weather, available fishing stocks, vegetation, agricultural crops and the like) and from interconnectedness through trade routes. Interestingly, one of the main subjects being treated is the Hanseatic League, a once-powerful organization that seems to have disappeared almost completely from the collective memory. (At least that is the case in my part of the world.) Thanks to the Hanseatic League, many things travelled across a variety of borders : merchandise, recipes, fashions, architectural styles, ideas. Through factors such as the hiring of an armed bodyguard, the League even influenced Europe in a political, military and religious way.
At this point the viewer will notice that Mr. Meades is repulsed by religion, especially of the monotheistic type. According to him, polytheistic/pagan religions and monotheistic religions are both deluded, the difference being that paganism is unlikely to involve populations bashing each other's head in while trying to establish that spring rain god A is better than spring rain god B. It is a pretty safe bet that, circa 2008, the postbox of the Meades family did not overflow with invitations to come and write for the Osservatore Romano.
An intriguing work, especially for viewers interested in history, architecture and herring recipes. And in case.you're interested in a Belgian recipe for herring : me, I rather like a rolmops prepared with thin slices of onion, served with white beans, jacket potatoes and a knob of butter.
No Man's Woman (1955)
A murder case with a lot of suspects
Although a couple have separated, the wife refuses a divorce, for purely financial reasons. The husband, who would like to remarry, is left with a gnawing sense of frustration. About the best he can hope for, is for his spouse to set her sights on another rich man well-provided with cars and yachts...
In "No man's woman" an extremely unpleasant woman gets murdered, causing suspicion to fall on the many people she hurt either directly or indirectly. Probably the most memorable aspect about the movie is the anti-heroine protagonist, played with considerable gusto by Marie Windsor. Still, it is likely that a person of that calibre would have learned to hide her malevolence more cleverly.
For the rest "No man's woman" is a well-made and efficient representative of the mystery thriller genre. It doesn't offer much in the way of innovation or oomph, but it's decent enough.
It's a bit of a pity that the working environment of the victim, an art gallery, isn't used to the fullest, since that might have provided some visual flair or historic cachet. And why not go for an unusual murder weapon ? ("Are you telling us, doctor, that the deceased was brained by a Jervis McEntee ?" "That's right, Jack. I'd even be inclined to say a very early Jervis McEntee, but forensic science has its limits.")
Witch Hunt (1994)
Worth the detour
Several years ago I watched (and reviewed) the closely-related "Cast a deadly spell". I liked it but I've got to admit I like "Witch hunt" even better. To me it seems more eerie, more adult and more ambitious in scope. From an aesthetic point of view too "Witch hunt" is a delight, conjuring up a dream-like atmosphere adjacent to, but different from our own reality.
"Witch hunt" starts off with a classic noir and detective premise : a glamorous film star walks into the office of a private detective and asks him to gather material on her philandering husband. Since both the private investigator and the client live in a world where magic actually works, the tale then turns into a voyage through the wonderful and the uncanny. This is a universe where it's possible to listen in on a secret conversation by trapping the words in a bottle.
In the movie, the hunt for witches and warlocks - and, by extension, for casual practicioners of magic - is used as a stand-in for the real-life 1950's hunt for Communists under senator Joseph McCarthy et al. I'm not sure that the comparison functions completely. Still, the storyline does deliver an effective warning about the deliberate erosion of democracy by demagogues. Here, the main villain, a senator, has discovered that othering, scapegoating and scandalmongering pay, which is why he's fully prepared to burn a witch a day. A deeply immoral individual, he will say and do whatever it takes to reach his true goal - power. About the only way in which to stop him, is to make him reveal his innermost feelings, especially with regard to the electorate he is supposed to serve.
Since much of the tale is set against a backdrop of film stars and studio bosses, the viewer gets to enjoy some well-aimed barbs about the way in which Hollywood uses and abuses its own. The movie also points out that politics and entertainment tend to overlap, especially when demagoguery raises its head. A serious politician can deliver a captivating speech while sitting behind a plain desk in an otherwise bare room, but someone who's trying to bamboozle a credulous and resentful crowd is going to need a lot of razzle-dazzle. Beware the politicians who surround themselves with acres upon acres of flags, they rarely mean well.
Like I've said, "Witch hunt" is a sight for sore eyes, mainly thanks to an excellent art direction and an outstanding use of color. The visual and special effects are both accomplished and inventive - and what's more, they illustrate the plot instead of dominating it. Last but not least there's the acting, which is quite good. Julian Sands in particular makes a strong impression as a warlock with a well-developed taste for malice and revenge.
In conclusion : a very watchable blend of detective/noir and fantasy.
Invitation to Hell (1984)
Beware of country club culture !
A promising engineer lands a new job that comes with a lot of perks. The work itself - the development of a revolutionary spacesuit - is quite interesting. But what are his colleagues up to ? And why do they push him towards membership of a country club he isn't particularly fond of ?
I'm not sure that the term "a curate's egg" is appropriate for a movie that deals with devils from hell. Still, "Invitation to Hell" does contain both good and bad elements. To begin with the good, it's quite a bold and vivid movie leading up to an eye-popping finale. It also contains clever finds, such as the electronic recognition system issuing warnings about "Non-human life, malignant".
On the other hand "Invitation" doesn't believe in subtlety, emphasising its various points with sledgehammer force. Moreover, the movie has a suicidal tendency towards undercutting its own surprise potential. By way of exhibit A I introduce the title. By way of exhibit B I introduce the first five minutes, at the very beginning. Even before the opening credits start, the viewers realize they're about to meet a malevolent being of unusual power - let's say a demon.
The movie can be read in a variety of ways. Arguably it is just a Christian morality play at heart, since there's a pretty straight line to be drawn from "No man can serve two masters" to the idea that nothing good can come from exclusive clubs where the rich flaunt their wealth and conspire in order to become richer still. Looked at from this angle, the spacesuit donned by the hero becomes a modern-day armor of God. And the hero gains his eventual victory over wickedness through the great Christian virtues of humility, pity, constancy and self-sacrifice.
A more secular interpretation sees "Invitation" as an expression, deliberate or otherwise, of both class difference and class envy. In this case we get people of a modest background turning up their noses at those affluent enough to disport themselves amidst tennis courts and swimming pools. Hoo, hoo, look at the little madam sitting under the umbrella, slathering herself in French sunblock straight from Paree - who does she think she is, Cleopatra ? And look at that blonde sporting an engagement ring the size of an ashtray. You can certainly tell how SHE climbed the ladder ! Wait a minute, is that waiter serving lobster canapés to the eight-year-olds in the kiddie pool ?
Anyway, lovers of the horror and fantasy genre will be able to spend many a happy evening playing "compare and contrast" with regard to "Invitation",
"The Devil's Advocate" (AKA Devil's Advocate) and "The Mephisto Waltz".
The Ruth Rendell Mysteries (1987)
fine, well-made series
(Review based on watching the first six seasons. Hope to watch the following seasons too.)
The series is carried by two main characters, to wit DCI Reg Wexford and his assistant Mike Burden. By the same token it is carried by the two actors who perform the roles, George Baker and Christopher Ravenscroft. Both actors do very well and as a viewer one gets a real sense of multi-faceted individuals going around their business. Fallible humans instead of supermen, Wexford and Burden sometimes get the wrong end of the stick. They're also affected by the stresses of their job, which confronts them with some of the worst horrors people are capable of.
Just like the books and short stories upon which the series is based, the various episodes are characterized by a subtle interaction between the protagonists' enquiries and their day-to-day concerns, home lives included. Themes like fertility, mourning, feminism or domestic abuse are examined through a whole play of echoes and correspondences.
Being based on Ruth Rendell's superb work, many of the episodes demonstrate bravura plotting. In "Wolf to the slaughter", for instance, the police start to worry after receiving an anonymous letter according to which a person A was killed by a person B. After a complex and twisty examination it becomes clear that a crime was committed, but that it involved a person C being killed by a person D. In the magnificently plotted "An unkindness of ravens" the question arises as to who - if anyone - entered into a conspiracy to get rid of a middle-aged bigamist. Near the end it turns out that the most helpful piece of testimony was the most misleading, too.
But while the series is good, I'd be inclined to describe Rendell's source novels and stories as better still. To begin with, Rendell's oeuvre tends to be concise and to the point. The series, on the other hand, suffers from some padding and pacing issues, especially when adapting short stories. Secondly, Rendell was scrupulously clear in describing the role played by each and everyone of the characters, minor characters included. Consequently the reader knows just why the police want to question, say, a Mr. Smith or a Mrs. Jones : one is the brother-in-law of a murder victim, while the other one is the witness who stumbled upon the body. In some cases the adaptations treat this information less carefully, causing the viewer to wonder at the character popping up on the screen. (A cousin to the deceased ? The son of a neighbor to the deceased ? A third party who went to the police, weeks earlier, in order to complain about a similar attack ?)
In conclusion : an engaging, accomplished series, although not quite as exceptional as the source material.
The Face of Fear (1990)
How to escape from a high-rise building
New York is haunted by a serial killer targeting unsuspecting women. Every now and then a man with psychic powers "sees" part of the crime being committed. Unfortunately the amateur psychic can't control his powers, meaning that his impressions tend to be haphazard. Still, the perpetrator does not like the idea that out there someone's observing him...
Based on a novel by prolific author Dean Koontz, "The face of fear" combines at least three genres, to wit thriller, action and horror/fantasy. As a thriller, the movie suffers from a lack of suspects. Just the inclusion of two or three extra characters might have made a world of difference. Furthermore, the theme of paranormal visions (or telepathy or precognition or whatever you want to call it) remains underused. I'm convinced that the "let's remove a troublesome witness" plot would function just as well if we were dealing with a regular witness who, when watching from across the street, had happened to catch a glimpse of the killer.
None of the above means that "The face of fear" is entirely without interest. While not a masterwork for the ages, it offers expertly made entertainment. The highlight consists of a perilous, increasingly desperate escape from a high-rise building. The escape combines fine stuntwork with an inventive use of sets and locations. After watching the movie you'll never look at Art Déco architecture in the same way again...
In the Red (1998)
Down with bankers !
In London, a murderer goes around killing bank managers and leaving pithy notes. A police inspector and his unruly civilian pal, a BBC crime correspondent, team up in hopes of finding the perpetrator. Meanwhile a political party sees the murders as grist on its mill. Will the inspired find of a single political speechwriter change the course of British history ?
In spite of the violence of certain scenes, "In the red" is pretty funny, which testifies to the wit and cunning of its creators. Its genre is probably best described as a blend of thriller, satire and black comedy, with an emphasis on the last two elements.
Alternatively mordant and flippant, the mini-series attacks several pillars of the establishment, including the BBC. The Beeb, for instance, is depicted as a nest of small-minded bureaucrats, Machiavellian schemers and drug-addled weirdos. (Look out for the golden-voiced announcer floating from illicit high to illicit high.) Impressively catholic in its ambition, the mini-series doesn't just attack the establishment but the counter-culture too. Sing some Punk-like protest anthem about the evils of the financial system and you'll soon be rolling in the stuff, meaning that you'll be looking for a good bank manager yourself. It's the circle of life !
"In the red" is notable for its fine cast and acting. It is home to some excellent comedians at the top of their form. John Bird and Stephen Fry, for instance, are irresistible as a pair of guileful plotters straight out of an Italian Renaissance court. (The pair also produces some of the most quotable lines.) Moreover, the mini-series seems to have been blessed with a considerable production budget, which translates as impressive sets and locations.
Viewers who've liked this sharp-witted and sharp-toothed satire may want to take a look at "Lord of misrule". (Wrote a short review there too.)
L'énigme blanche (1985)
Well-plotted and atmospheric thriller
A group of long-time friends retire to a distant chalet, supposedly for a relaxing ski vacation. Things go south after one of the participants announces that he has had his wife followed by a private detective. Consequently he has become the owner of a well-furnished file on his wife's adulterous affair. The party becomes less than convivial...
It's not easy to make a surprising and suspenseful thriller about a limited group of persons evolving in and around the same isolated spot. "L'énigme blanche" rises to the challenge, with considerable success. The characters are intriguing and the plot is quite ingenious, coming complete with a murder method of diabolical simplicity. Upon watching the movie, Dame Agatha Christie might have kicked herself for not coming up with the idea. "L'énigme blanche" also generates a pervasive air of menace. It is pretty clear from the beginning that someone or something will desecrate the immaculate beauty of the surroundings - but how ? And when ?
The movie showcases the talents of some very fine actors, who give beautifully nuanced and ambiguous performances.
I've never read the novel the work was based on, but now it's on my "to do" list.
Resurrection (1980)
Boasts a stellar performance by Ellen Burstyn
Having lost her much-beloved husband in a car crash, a crippled woman tries to rebuild her life. Her near-death experience as a result of the accident seems to have left her with unusual powers. An encounter with a little girl suffering a nosebleed - or worse - indicates a gift for healing the sick...
"Resurrection" is a striking mix of drama and fantasy/horror. Although a bit too sentimental in parts, it is kept on the straight and narrow by terrific acting. Ellen Burstyn in particular shines as the protagonist, a very human individual embarking on a long and strange voyage of discovery. The "near-death" sequence during the first half of the movie is well-done and quite evocative, what with a variety of friends and family members showing up in order to point the patient towards the light.
The movie provides a great deal of food for thought, and not just with regard to mortality and the after-life. Which would be the more unsettling - miracles that fit in neatly with an established religious narrative or miracles that don't fit in neatly with an established religious narrative ?
Would make a most intriguing double-bill with "Black rainbow". (Wrote a short review there too.)
Docteur Justice (1975)
Do take some more lobster, captain
"Docteur Justice" is based on the adventures of a 1970's comic book hero called Benjamin Justice, a good-looking medical doctor and humanitarian who also happens to be an expert in Japanese martial arts. (I've got to say that this strikes me as an admirably efficient protagonist : what's more humane than patching up an opponent after you've dislocated his shoulder ?) Sadly this is as far as my knowledge of the 1970's comic book series goes, meaning that other reviewers will be able to tell you more sensible things about the movie's origin.
The movie, which belongs to the action/adventure genre, seems to be targeted at adolescents - to be precise, adolescent males - rather than adults, which may or may not be linked to the nature of the source work. It tells a not entirely credible story about ruthless gangsters stealing whole cargos of petroleum. This dastardly plot ties in with an even more dastardly mad-scientist plot to combat overpopulation. You'll notice that our protagonist, the good doctor, is not especially daunted by the spectre of an ever-expanding human population depleting Earth's resources. According to him, it'll all come out in the wash. Possibly he's one of those people who can't grasp the idea of exponential curves.
Part of the action is set in my native country of Belgium. This results in a magnificently surreal scene where you see the protagonist fighting off his attackers against the backdrop of a jewel-like Medieval city. ("Oh-oh-oh-oh ! Everybody was kung-fu fighting, until it became time to visit St. Salvator's Cathedral.")
On the whole the movie is serviceable enough, as long as one doesn't expect anything in the way of societal insight or psychological depth. Admirers of Gert Fröbe can see him serving king-sized portions of ham in his role as the gang boss. Actually he's serving quite a lot of food, since the gang boss doubles as a highly competent ship's cook. (What IS this movie's obsession with multi-tasking efficiency ? Was the screenplay written by Henry Ford ?) One of the dishes whipped up by Fröbe is called "lobster stricken by love's madness", which find, in my humble, justifies a commemorative mention in the world's cookbooks.
The Final Curtain (2002)
intriguing but flawed
An aged entertainer has become a household name by hosting family-friendly game shows. A much younger rival, also a personal enemy, presents a more edgy and controversial show. In private both men turn out to be equally mean, grasping and manipulative. The budding author hired in order to write the old entertainer's biography gets sucked into a maelstrom of nastiness...
"The final curtain" stands at the crossroads of various genres, such as crime/thriller, drama, satire and even Greek tragedy. In order to function fully, such a work would need an exceptional surety and uniformity of tone. Regrettably this is not the case, as the tone flickers and wavers. Moreover, some loose plot ends are left dangling - especially, I think, with regard to the biographer character.
Still, the movie has its assets, most notably in the shape of fine performances by Peter O'Toole (who plays the old game show host) and Aidan Gillen (who plays his young rival). O'Toole in particular is outstanding, creating an old grotesque who has become monstrous both through an outsize hunger for popularity and through a refusal to accept his own mortality. The sets, props and costumes are all admirable, creating a convincing social environment.
As satires go, this one is mordant and bleak. The plot deals with two unpleasant men who hide their true nature behind a carefully erected façade. Both rely not only on their own ingenuity, but also on assistants (read fixers, troubleshooters and PR specialists) whose job it is to help maintain the façade. This involves squashing unsavory truths about their boss, while digging up dirt and inventing rumors about the opposition. Meanwhile the great television viewing public is being manipulated left, right and center.
Be aware that the movie contains some shocking violence, such as a scene of an innocent man being beaten round the head.
Appointment with a Shadow (1957)
a member of the noir/crime family
An alcoholic newspaperman has been trying the patience of his nearest and dearest. Now he is given the opportunity to cover a sensational story sure to relaunch his faltering career. However, this would mean him staying sober for a whole day...
"Appointment with a shadow" is doubtlessly a member of the vast and sprawling noir/crime family, coming complete with evil or morally ambiguous characters, ethically dubious situations and touches of dark, absurd wit. The plot takes an unforeseen turn and there's a clever riff on the trope of the treacherous gun moll. The whole is professionally made and the various actors do their best.
Sadly enough the beginning of "Appointment with a shadow" is both slow and static, meaning that it takes time for the ball to get rolling. The movie as a whole could easily lose a quarter of an hour.
One of the storylines concerns an alcoholic who obtains a new lease on life thanks to the love and trust of a devoted fiancée. At this point I'd like to draw your attention to a noir/fantasy movie called "Repeat performance", the plot of which deals with a woman trying to keep her alcoholic husband on the straight and narrow. Months of helping, comforting, cajoling and cuddling do not - to put it mildly - lead to success. I rather fear that "Repeat performance" may be closer to the truth, statistically speaking.
Blindpassasjer (1978)
Deserves wider attention and popularity than it's currently getting
Refreshed and merry, the crew members of spaceship Marco Polo awaken from their artificial sleep. However, all is not well with their spaceship. After a study of the surveillance data the five people involved - three women and two men - discover that someone or something has slipped aboard, with unknown intent. The hunt for the mysterious stowaway is on...
To divulge more about the plot would be a crime against suspense, so I'll just say that "Blindpassasjer" is based on an original and striking premise. This Norwegian mini-series is a fine example of ideas-driven science fiction. The viewer is invited to ponder a whole new type of conundrum ; at the same time, the viewer is invited to think about the infinite dangers and opportunities involved in a further exploration of the cosmos.
The ending of the mini-series is bitter. One is left wondering at the ultimate fate of the survivors, who have found out unpalatable truths about themselves and about each other. The survivors have also discovered that their bosses think they're dispensable, which will probably shut down any future cooperation. Now that the mirror has cracked, there's no going back.
"Blindpassasjer" is quite a good mini-series : well-directed, well-written and well-acted. The five main characters emerge as recognizable individuals, each with their own personality and skill set. Thankfully the female characters too are depicted as fully adult experts capable of analyzing complex problems. (Note their practical, sensible clothes.) It's a pleasant change from the many science fiction movies or series where the women exist only in order to scream, to faint and to provide eye candy.
I thought that the interior of the spaceship looked convincing enough, but that the scenes showing the spaceship in motion left something to be desired. Still, one can't have everything...
Norwegians may be interested to know that in my mother tongue, Dutch, stowaway translates as "blinde passagier". The similarity is obvious.
Age of Treason (1993)
Odd doesn't begin to describe it
Working as a private investigator in imperial Rome, Marcus Didius Falco is even shorter of money than usual. His attempt to jog a customer into paying his bill leads to an unforeseen result : he becomes the owner of a giant gladiator. It's yet another headache to add to a growing list of worries...
"Age of treason" is based on the work of Lindsey Davis, the author of numerous comedic detective novels set in ancient Rome. As an adaptation it's pretty bad. The intrigue feels like a slapdash mix of plot elements, characters and incidents developed over several books.
Time for me to go into one of my favorite rants, to wit : why would anyone want to acquire the rights to source work, only to twist it beyond recognition ? There is no law that says you have to like the oeuvre of author X, Y or Z, but the least you can do is to leave it alone. And if you feel you can devise better detective or thriller plots on your own : please go ahead and write your own books, the world is anxious to welcome new talent.
But I digress. "Age of treason" functions - I use the word loosely - as a buddy cop mystery set in the first century A. D. Two mismatched men gradually learn to understand and respect each other. Meanwhile they have to navigate a series of criminal puzzles which, taken in conjunction, point to a high-level political conspiracy. Both actors involved are pretty likeable and there are some funny wisecracks to savor, but it is difficult to take the whole enterprise seriously. The effects, for instance, are crummy, screaming "Fake ! Fake !" at every turn. Consequently the viewer's suspension of disbelief takes a battering worthy of a hard-fought boxing match. The movie's canvas also feels too small, as does the budget. This is history reduced and condensed to some surreal bouillon cube format.
The viewer will notice that the Rome depicted in "Age of treason" is a hellscape that would give pause to a Hieronymus Bosch. This Rome is a seething cauldron of violence, injustice and inequality, where orphaned children can be turned into killing machines and where starving war veterans can be hanged for stealing a loaf of bread. Behind every street corner lurks a scavenger. The violence goes hand in hand with vice, to the point where even religion has become an excuse for adultery and debauchery. About the only thing the average citizen can hope for is that the current emperor will prove to be reasonably sane, given that a non-sane emperor might want to kill people for existing on the same planet as him. (The giant baleful head of Nero that pursues Falco through the streets is one of the movie's best finds, both visually and narratively.)
Classics teachers of a more adventurous nature could try and show "Age of treason" to their class, as part of a discussion as to its realism - or lack of it. However, this could be a double-edged sword, since the teacher might end up facing twenty teenagers who speak Latin with an Aussie accent. Horresco referens, mate !
Assignment K (1968)
Drowns in vast amounts of couleur locale
A toy manufacturer leads a double life, running an independent network of spies. The network has already scored admirable results while working for British intelligence. During the smuggling of an important piece of microfilm it becomes clear that adversaries are watching...
"Assignment K" is a spy movie, although a spy movie disastrously overgrown with couleur locale. The first part is basically a travelogue about expensive wintersports. There's many a scene of beautiful people indulging in skiing, in après-ski badinage, in travels across Kitzbühel, in romantic outings to snug little inns and picturesque guesthouses, and so on. As a viewer you sit there thinking : "That's all very well, but I was hoping for more espionage stuff - you know, some tale about spycraft, calculation and betrayal, preferably told with a bit of flair. But perhaps that's about to improve". Alas, it's back for another round of sightseeing, complete with ravishing locations and picturesque attractions. And once again the espionage intrigue takes a back seat.
After the movie's ended viewers may feel as though they've been buried under a stack of travel leaflets.
It's a pity because one senses that, half-hidden in the movie, there's a better movie trying to claw its way to the surface. It's also a pity because Stephen Boyd does quite well playing the lead role. Moreover there are some funny lines, hinting at a sense of humor.
"Assignment K" is another one of those movies that invite the question : how many hours are there in a day ? The protagonist is a person who manufactures toys AND who runs a network of spies. He's also a fine sportsman and skier. In between these activities he hangs out with glitterati and pitches woo at society lovelies. Let's say that he begins each day at 5 a.m., taking a healthful cold shower followed by a quick but well-balanced breakfast. That would still leave a lot of stuff to cram into his waking hours. And remember, there might be yet other facets to his personality than the ones highlighted in the movie, meaning that, on top of all that, he might be a prison chaplain, a Morris dancer and an expert on Turkish health care. It's probably we, the viewers, who sabotage our own lives...
The Sorcerers (1967)
Sure to stick in the memory
In "The sorcerers" a bored young man participates in a test of cutting-edge technology. This turns out to be an excruciatingly bad idea, as he now finds himself under the mental control of two old people. One of the old people is a well-meaning but deluded idealist, while the other one is a vicious beldame who combines a liking for vicarious living with a craving for strong sensations. Bloodshed follows.
As a horror movie, "The sorcerers" is a knowing, intelligent update of all those age-old beliefs about people obtaining unearned power through occult means. Notable for its fine direction, casting and acting, the movie generates a highly sinister atmosphere. There is a sense of a dark and messy evil rearing its head in a modern city full of expensive shops, fast cars and bright young things in fashionable clothes. About the only serious criticism I've got, is that the violence starts and escalates too quickly. It might have been more effective to start with a few silly incidents - the young man sticking out his tongue at bobbies, for instance, or drawing a beard on a portrait of prince Philip - before moving on to full-blown crime.
In a way, "The sorcerers" can also be read as a warning against idleness, aimlessness and ennui. Here we've got a clever, healthy and handsome young man who doesn't seem to have much purpose in life beyond making love to girlfriends, hanging out with mates and visiting popular nightclubs. (Note the female singer singing a tune that might have pleased Amy Winehouse.) In spite of, or perhaps because of, all these attractions he has grown bored, bored, bored to the point where he is desperate for something new. Consequently he accepts a most peculiar offer from a stranger, whereas the normal response would have consisted of running away screaming. Thus - arguably - he becomes complicit in his downfall.
In short, an intriguing and striking horror movie. Might make an interesting double bill with "The Ipcress file" (1965).
Fortune Is a Woman (1957)
Well-made thriller, very British in style and feel
An insurance investigator is asked to visit the site of a small accidental fire. Much to his surprise, he discovers that the lady of the house is the woman with whom he had a passionate love affair five years earlier. Still a most attractive woman, his old flame has married into a once-prominent family fallen upon hard times...
"Fortune is a woman" is a well-made and enjoyable thriller with a twisty plot. Called upon to examine a routine case, our insurance investigator gradually finds himself facing ever more puzzles, both of an intellectual and a moral nature. At one point his clandestine incursion into a mansion will have him confronting not one but two unforeseen problems at the same time. (A very suspenseful scene, this one.)
As befits a British thriller movie, "Fortune is a woman" uses wit and humor as a counterbalance. There's even a successful running joke, in the shape of a posh sexpot who is convinced she's made yet another conquest. The character is but seconds away from pulling the protagonist's earlobe while growling "You're a naughty, naughty boy - but I like it".
Behind the thriller intrigue there arises a wider societal environment, made up of members of the aristocracy and landed gentry confronted with crumbling mansions and rising taxes. So how does one repair all those leaking gutters ? By cutting down on the breakfast kedgeree, by marrying an American heiress or by selling that old Dutch master that papa liked so much ?
Flight to Mars (1951)
A bland, tepid piece of space opera
In which astronauts from Earth make it to the planet Mars, only in order to discover that Martians can be two-faced and treacherous too. (Mind you, female Martians really rock those micro-skirt and ankle boots combinations.)
Apart from some interesting uses of color, "Flight to Mars" is a remarkably bland and tepid piece of space opera. The plot is pedestrian and most attempts at generating awe, excitement or suspense fall flat. Little effort was made at giving Martian civilization an alien look or feel.
Still, "Flight to Mars" does offer moments of involuntary humor. The movie pretty much starts with a group of stalwart heroes declaring that they really, truly, deeply want to travel to Mars, even if that were to mean death or permanent exile from Earth. Nothing is going to stop Mankind from exploring the solar system ! Our common destiny calls ! As soon as the spacecraft takes off, the stalwart heroes begin to moan and mope about the dangerous nature of their mission. Meanwhile their intellectual and emotional unpreparedness is such, that someone has to explain where the term "shooting stars" came from. Possibly their training consisted of frequent outings to the beach.
The Tower (1993)
Work, the key to health and happiness
Modern business culture has unleashed at least three types of godawful workplace on the world. First comes the kind of workplace led by a self-proclaimed visionary who cultivates his eccentricities like orchids and who expects his employees to tremble before his slightest whim. Secondly there's the workplace that pummels everyone into conformity with regard to every possible aspect of office life, including the length of shoe laces and the content of lunch boxes. Last but not least there's the workplace situated in a fortress maze where badge-toting people need to navigate a multitude of checks, codes and passwords. If, as an employee, you are particularly unlucky, you may find yourself working for a business that combines all three of these characteristics. In this case it won't take long before you start praying for a black hole to swallow Earth.
Enter the protagonist of "The tower", who, on his very first day at work, discovers he's strayed into one of these hell-holes. His unwitting transgression of house rules causes him to catch the eye of the genius loci, a computer system tasked with supervising and protecting the towering office building. Having decided that the new employee is both a threat and an intruder, the computer system sets out to remove him. With extreme prejudice.
"The tower" unites at least two genres, to wit science fiction and dark social satire. The tale being told is a cautionary one about the ever-continuing dehumanization of employees. Here, the flesh-and-blood creatures working in the building have become mere cogs in a machine. As a result they can be replaced or discarded without compunction.
So is it a good movie ? I've got to say that my own impression was mixed. On the plus side, the movie does offer an enjoyable blend of action, suspense and tongue-in-cheek wit. It also offers some memorable portrayals of unpleasant people, such as the boss who sees himself as a peerless leader and visionary. The character - aptly named Mr. Littlehill - bears an uncanny resemblance to some of the current celebrity oligarchs who bend our ears about their desire to colonize Mars / to sire superior offspring / to bring back flogging / to build a luxury yacht capable of catching whales.
On the other hand the visual and special effects do not always convince. Moreover, the movie rather insults the viewer's intelligence by having the protagonist walk away from accidents that should have killed or maimed him. (Just watch him fall through that succession of screens.) That's some sloppy writing right here.
The Mad Magician (1954)
Prepare for some industrial-strength creepiness...
"The mad magician" may be drenched in liberal amounts of melodrama and coincidence, but this does not keep it from being relentlessly entertaining. The movie is also magnificently creepy. The great Vincent Price, who plays the protagonist, shines as a talented artist and inventor whose work gets stolen by more rapacious men. Pushed into a corner, he embarks on a journey of retaliation and revenge. (The "mad" in the title is relative, since the protagonist has good reason to feel hard done-by. Still, what to think of a person who invents magical tricks based on a crematorium-type oven ?)
The tale is mainly set in a world of professional magicians. Good prop work creates chaotic interiors strewn with accessories and masks, suggesting an environment where normal boundaries and constraints have been catastrophically erased. Such an environment might generate everything and anything, from a deceased man stepping out into the streets to a faceless mannequin who used to be alive.
Sadly enough, the ending feels like a concession to the "crime is always punished" convention. Well, there's always something...
Le roi carotte (2015)
Welcome resurrection of a much-neglected work
"Le roi carotte" resulted from a collaboration between Jacques Offenbach (music) and Victorien Sardou (libretto). It is one of the lesser-known works by Offenbach. It has been neglected by history not because it is bad - it is actually quite good - but because it demands huge efforts in terms of costs, costumes and stagecraft. There's also a question of length : a performance of the full, unabridged version is said to take half a day. Consequently it takes an enormous amount of pluck in order to tackle this sprawling, gargantuan creation.
What we've got here is a modern adaptation plus abbreviation, which wisely reduces the running time of this opéra-bouffe-féerie to more normal lengths. The main plot deals with a weak and incompetent prince who is ousted by... an XXL carrot. While the usurper carrot rules, the prince desperately seeks to redress the situation. The whole is doused in liberal amounts of magic, sleight-of-hand and fantasy, complete with witches and enchanted princesses. At one point the action consists of a voyage back into time to a soon-to-be-destroyed Pompeii. (Why Pompeii ? Because !)
It's an outstanding production where everything shines : the singing, the acting, the costumes, the sets, the stagecraft. (The costumes and make-up of the carrot king and his followers are particularly impressive.) Offenbach's music still ravishes and Sardou's wit still sparkles, for instance when satirizing the kind of all-round education for girls provided by a city like Paris. "Le roi carotte" also satirizes political opportunism, pointing out that many successful courtiers and many successful politicians owe their careers to an ability to turn like wind vanes.
Much recommended.
The Hot Potato (2012)
It fell off the back of a lorry, guv
Two shady chancers liberate a lead-lined box from the ruins of a destroyed building. Upon discovering that the box contains a lump of uranium, they realize they may be holding on to a fortune. Still, finding a reliable fence (or a consortium of reliable fences) isn't all that easy. Accompanied by a female accomplice, the thieves embark on a magical mystery tour of Europe...
"The hot potato" is said to have been inspired by a real-life story, which, if true, would indicate that humanity is even more completely scr*w*d than thought. "The hot potato" is a breezy mix of drama and comedy, notable mainly for its loving recreation of a certain time period, to wit the late 1960's. The movie is also notable for the quality of its acting. As a Belgian I'd like to point out that part of the action is set in Belgium, in cities like Ostend, Bruges and Brussels. (Go Belgium go !) The overall impression isn't bad, although the fun arrives mainly in discrete bursts.
In my humble the nature of the movie - a lighthearted, lightweight comedy - is not well suited to the gravity, indeed the horror of the premise. Here you've got a duo, later on a trio, of chancers who happen upon an object of great mystery, power and danger. So what do they do ? Well, their first thought is to sell it for a great deal of money, no questions asked ; they don't care whether the uranium is used in order to power a lighthouse, to heal the sick or to rain destruction upon millions of fellow human beings. As the movie progresses, our antiheroes meet ever more like-minded people with dollar signs in their eyes. It's not the stuff of comedy, unless we're talking about some bitterly twisted political satire/black comedy à la Dr. Strangelove.
Looker (1981)
a blend of thriller, science fiction and satire
Just now a politician campaigning for the presidency of the USA has seen fit to claim he's endorsed by an unsuspecting pop star. Some kind of visual trickery based on artificial intelligence seems to be involved. What a time to be alive !
It may also be time for a watch (or rewatch) of Crichton's "Looker", a prescient movie about the use and abuse of computer-generated images. The plot deals with a celebrated plastic surgeon who discovers that his patients are dying. The victims in question all share a common oddity : they were all gorgeous women who came in with very specific demands for minor alterations to face and body. When the plastic surgeon goes looking for answers, he uncovers a daunting conspiracy.
"Looker" succeeds best as a mix of satire and science fiction. In the movie, cutting-edge science and technology are being used in order to influence a passive and mesmerized television audience. Anything can be packaged and sold : perfumes, meals, detergents, policies, politicians. Meanwhile the models whose images are used over and over and over again have become surplus to requirements. And since capitalism is all in favor of removing the dead wood...
As a thriller, however, "Looker" falls into the "painfully obvious" category. There is never a doubt as to the identity and nature of the villains, who seem to be very very very bad at covering their tracks or defending themselves against intruders. (The mustachioed henchman in particular might have been more happy working as a pastry cook.) The main chills - sometimes also the main laughs - come from a series of inventive fights and pursuits involving a new type of weapon.
It needs to be said that "Looker" sends out some mixed messages. For a movie that deals with themes like the commodification of female beauty, it feels surprisingly comfortable showcasing a lot of female flesh. Moreover, the character of the male protagonist - our plastic surgeon - is problematic. Here we've got a doctor who is perfectly willing to cut into healthy bodies in order to make trivial pseudo-improvements. The man is not curing the sick and helping the disfigured : he shortens noses that do not need shortening and lengthens earlobes that do not need lengthening. It is hard to see such a man as something else than an insult to medicine and a drain on society. Heaven help us, if "healers" like these are all that stands between us and a torrent of malignant illusions.
Ligne de mire (2014)
a mix of thriller and drama
A teenage girl isn't particularly fond of her mother's boyfriend, who is unemployed. Every now and then she sneaks away without her heavily pregnant mother's permission in order to visit her biological father, a painter. This isn't a barrel of fun either, because the father wallows in self-pity. The whole group is engulfed by a sense of social and financial failure. Surprisingly, things are about to get worse...
There exists a Pierre Richard comedy in which a random citizen gets mistaken for a cold-blooded hitman, as a result of a trifling coincidence. Here the same premise is used as the starting point for a non-comedic mix of thriller and drama. An unemployed man steps into a taxi on his way to a job interview - and enters a whole new universe of temptation, violence and crime. The plot moves in unexpected directions, building up to quite a far-fetched climax. Swallowing, say, the last fourth of the movie requires an impressive suspension of belief on the viewer's part.
"Ligne de mire" also overflows with characters capable of predicting, analyzing or reconstructing almost any concatenation of events. It is likely that real-life individuals (whether policemen, criminals or ordinary citizens) would lose much more time pursuing false leads and distracting hypotheses.
Still, the acting is nice and the character of the relentless hitman is an intriguing one.
If you like this one, feel free to have a go at the Belgian movie "De premier" (The prime minister).