Director: Oliver Stone
Year: 1987
Writers: Stanley Weiser, Oliver Stone
Cinematographer: Robert Richardson
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Cape Fear **
Director: Martin Scorsese
Year: 1991
Novel "The Executioners" by: John D. MacDonald
1962 Adaptation by: James R. Webb
Adapted by: Wesley Strick
Cinematographer: Freddie Francis
Scorsese actually made a much worse film than the original. The first one may not have been perfectly directed (music cues were too strong for example), but it moved along and created a slowly growing wave of terror that by the end had me on the edge of my seat, screaming at the screen. I think the original ranks up there with The Shining as the two most terrifying films I've ever seen. Here, Scorsese is way too heavy handed for my liking (and I thought the music was too strong in the first one... HA!) and I'm sorry but I just didn't find De Niro anywhere nearly as terrifying as the calm, cool and collected pervert that was Robert Mitchum's portrayal of Max Cady. The terror lies in fearing that a man might rape your wife or daughter... that's what riled me. In this version, the script has De Niro more of an indestructable psychopath bent on biting peoples cheeks, who's desire is to murder, and rape doesn't seem to be his primary interest.
Its interesting that Scorsese made room for Peck and Mitchum in his remake, but maybe that contributed to the way he got distracted from slowly racheting up the fear. Also, the script had some sloppiness to it I thought, with the order of dialogue and events. I don't know why Juliette Lewis has to narrate the beginning and end, and for example, when Nolte gets pissed at the parade and punches De Niro, it doesn't make as much sense, why he's so angry as it did in the first film, when Cady is leering at Bowden's daughter in her bathing suit.
Also, the script tries to build up the tension between Bowden, his wife, and their daughter... but never quite successfully. I think the film worked better when it was just Bowden protecting his wife and daughter. Lots of little things that got on my nerves in the remake, and the more I think about the original, the more I can't wait to see it again.
Oh, and the constant tracking in shots, panning from close up of a detail up to a medium shot and all that just frustrated me and took me out of the experience. I felt there wasn't much rhyme or rhythm to the editing either. Felt sloppy. A lot of the camera angle transitions felt contrived.
Cape Fear *****
Director: J. Lee Thompson
Year: 1962
Novel by: John D. MacDonald
Adapted by: James R. Webb
Cinematographer: Sam Leavitt
One of the best suspense thrillers I've ever seen. I was on the edge of my seat, and terrified. A great movie.
24 Hour Party People ***
Director: Michael Winterbottom
Year: 2002
Writer: Frank Cottrell Boyce
Cinematographer: Robby Müller
Friday, July 1, 2011
The Switch **
Director: Josh Gordon, Will Speck
Year: 2010
Short Story by: Jeffrey Eugenides
Adapted by: Allan Loeb
Cinematographer: Jess Hall
Hollywood poop. I'm sorry I refuse to waste my time offering an explanation of why I didn't like this movie.
McCabe & Mrs. Miller ***
Director: Robert Altman
Year: 1971
Novel by: Edmund Naughton
Adapted by: Robert Altman, Brian McKay
Cinematographer: Vilmos Zsigmond
X-Men: First Class ***
Director: Matthew Vaughn
Year: 2011
Writers: Matthew Vaughn, Ashley Miller, Zack Stentz, Jane Goldman, Sheldon Turner, Bryan Singer
Cinematographer: John Mathieson
Fun action movie, not too much annoying stuff in it.
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer *****
Director: Tom Tykwer
Year: 2006
Novel by: Patrick Süskind
Adapted by: Tom Tykwer, Andrew Birkin, Bernd Eichinger
Cinematographer: Frank Griebe
I was surprised and delighted by this film. Tykwer knows he can't share the scents with his audience, so he heightens sound and visual detail to evoke smell without ever resorting to a kind of colored smoke drifting into someone's nostrils like a Tom and Jerry cartoon. The character surprised me, with his lack of dialogue, with his complexity of character, and the frustration of my emotions... then the end finishes with one scene in particular that was incredible. This film is CINEMATIC just as all films ought to be, surprising and fresh... new. I felt that I experienced something new and I LOVE that. That's why Tykwer earns himself a 5 star review.
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