An impressive blend of Hong Kong-like action choreography and a Skyfall-like focus on set-piece background visualsThere’s a stunner of a teal stain-glass window The entire glass house section towards the end of the film (the
Episodic but interconnected- Jarmusch, the formal master, repeats the same set up (five conversations between strangers in taxis at night). This is, of course, is linked to his previous work which all employ a three-part
Another in a series of artistic triumphs for Jarmusch to close out the 80’s from Strangers in Paradise to Down by Law to this in 1989. Like the other two, it’s a film structured in
Melodramatic but entertaining and strikingly beautiful (both John Toll’s images and James Horner’s music)—Toll would win the Oscar here and again the next year in Braveheart but his best work would be Thin Red Line.
Another film to embrace the square 1.33 : 1 frame- First Reformed, Cold War, A Ghost Story, sections of Grand Budapest90’s nostalgia and some coming of age clichés- it’s a borderline recommend- but there’s enough
The final film from Chilean master Raul RuizThe narrative is messy (evaluation)— surrealism, time travel, stream of consciousness (Beethoven and Long John Silver just show up) (description)- An odd heavy use of rear projection—I like
An accomplishment for its Jarmusian qualities: first and foremost a three-part structural film—New Orleans, then prison, then the escape/swamp. Shot in crisp b/w (Robby Muller is the dp from Paris, Texas- the remarkable Kings of
A stunning achievement and the announcement of Jim Jarmusch as a major force in world cinema—deadpan comedy, formal master so few films are ambitious in their structure- and I don't mean complicated the film is a
A different kind of coming of age film—you keep thinking it’s going to turn around and have the mood shift up, or even turn into a star-crossed lovers teen love story with the girl at
It’s not Bigelow’s Hurt Locker or Zero Dark Thirty (military story, Mark Boal script) – Chandor doesn’t have Bigelow’s talents for action direction--- it’s also not Ocean’s 11 (male-heavy, star-studded heist film)—Chandor doesn’t ooze breezy
a great combination of who-done-it mystery and an investigative/courtroom dramaadored by Ebert and Travers- 4 stars a piecethe narration is a pulpy choice (it’s from Glenn Close as she’s in a coma—reminiscent a little of
A stagy depression allegory—notable for the fine performances- particularly of an up and coming young Humphrey Bogart- a Warner’s contract player at this point—he’s 5th billed- apparently Leslie Howard (who did the stage version together)
