Wednesday, June 14, 2023
The Believer
- Commentary: Leave it to me. The day after I rummage around until I find a very reasonably priced copy of an old, mostly forgotten movie, I am inspired to conduct yet another rummage for yet another old, mostly forgotten movie and manage to find a new copy of it at a disconcertingly expensive price. Yes, Virginia, I ordered it. I'm not saying I can't afford it. I can. I was just, well, unpleasantly surprised. I'm asking, why isn't this movie more easily and cheaply available (it is in Europe but that's a region 2 area and I don't have an all-area DVD player)? Especially since it is about anti-semitism and fascism in the United States? Is this the reason why it is so expensive in the U.S., right now? Is the current political climate guaranteeing the enrichment of those who are bordering on fascism and anti-semitism?
So, why am I adding this movie to my collection? Well, during a conversation earlier today with MFS, we talked about how we were both looking forward to the upcoming Barbie movie in which Ryan Gosling plays Ken. We reminisced about my younger sisters' Barbie & Ken days, then slid into a conversation of some of the other movies of the two prominent stars. That's how I was reminded of this movie. We didn't discuss this movie because I couldn't remember the title or much of the content, but, after we disconnected I couldn't get it out of my head.
In isolation, memories of this movie flooded back. When I saw it (on a streaming service) some years ago it had a profound effect on me, and, by the way, my mother, who was alive at the time. We were riveted by the story and discussed the themes long after the movie ended. This didn't come as a surprise to me because my mother was a military veteran of WWII and I was raised on an island that, at the time I was there, was going through the beginning of a decade's long questioning of whether "Americans" should even be on the island, let alone own close to a half of it. Never mind that it had previously been held by the Japanese, previous to that the Spanish, previous to that the Portuguese. My dad used to joke, when we lived there, that the Australians would probably take over the island next. At the time I lived there, no one remembered the island ever having been other than under the uber-jurisdiction of some foreign country. This still holds true, today.
My mother and I both related to this movie as citizens and watchers of a world of humans seemingly terminally at war with one another. This movie encapsulates that war within the mind and soul of one person. It is based on a real life lived in real anguish in the long, seemingly never ending wake of WWII and the even longer, probably actually never ending wake of being human. I think the reason the only unused copy of it I could find was so expensive that it qualifies as the most expensive single disk I've ever bought is because that wake is being agitated, yet again, and people are wondering, yet again, why we are having such a hard time living together in peace. It's not about anti-semitism, really, nor is it about fascism, or anti-fascism. It's about the troubled and troubling spirit with which humans seem to have been born and can't seem to dispel. This movie looks at this perplexing situation from one particular perspective, but, as I remembered it, I realized it's really about a bedrock human condition, or perhaps, when I think about it, a bedrock creature condition: the ability/curse of being able to believe. So, I purchased it. It won't be arriving for about half a month. I'll write more, then, once I've watched it and considered it, again.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Ryan Gosling Danny Balint Jacob Green Young Danny Billy Zane Curtis Zampf Theresa Russell Lina Moebius Summer Phoenix Carla Moebius Ronald Guttman Mr. Balint Glenn Fitzgerald Drake Garret Dillahunt Billings Heather Goldenhersh Linda Henry Bean Ilio Manzetti Joshua Harto Kyle Elizabeth Reaser Miriam Judah Lazarus Avi Sascha Knopf Cindy Pomerantz Tovah Feldshuh Woman In Shul Roberto Gari Ancient Jew
Update 06/17/23: This movie arrived today, long before I was led to expect it. A very pleasant surprise! I just watched it, and the two special features that contained elaborations of the film. Extraordinary production! It is mind boggling to think that this movie, which is 22 years old this year, is presently pertinent. I am amazed that, being ensconsed in a virulent subset of U.S. culture that has existed for so long, the film remains topical, today, here, now. Ryan Gosling's performance is, of course, spot on, and, and, he is surrounded by astonishing actors, many of whom have earned top drawer status today, just as he has. Realizing this is disturbing, too. It is as though, at the heart of most of U.S. culture, we could have been fighting WWII on the side of the Nazis and, in fact, have been agitating to do this ever since. What is it about this culture?!? Why do we have a history, and present, of flirting with fascism and one of its offshoots, Nazism?!? This movie plays itself out on an undercurrent of answers, but doesn't settle on one in particular, except for this: in the end Daniel Balint (in the movie, Daniel Burros in real life) commits suicide in order to quell his own turbulence. Is that where the U.S., as a once robust empire, now a quarrelsome, fading tyranny, is, finally, headed? There are many cultural and political critics who believe this. Are you a believer? Am I? If so, what do you, or I, actually believe?
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 2001
Directed by Henry Bean.
Labels: biography3, political5, reflective, spiritual2
Tuesday, June 13, 2023
Imagining Argentina
- Commentary: Hmmm. What to say about this movie? Well, firstly, it was almost universally panned by The Critic Class. You know who I mean. The critics who get published in newspapers and magazines. Roger Ebert didn't even touch it. Surprisingly, there were two major critics who gave it high ratings: The critic for the LA Times (review attached to the title of this post) and the critic for the San Francisco Chronicle (here's the link for the sfgate review). Otherwise, the pros just generally stomped all over this production. However, secondly, among plebian movie watchers (myself included), it was almost univerally enjoyed and well rated. My experience is that I saw the movie on some streaming service not long after it was released for theatrical viewing and then pulled from theaters. I don't remember what service, nor do I remember what provoked me to watch it, but it stuck with me, so much that, when I was reminded of the movie earlier today (in an article delineating "movie stinkers") I decided, let me check the price on this, oh, it's reasonable, more than reasonable, in fact, it's a bargain, and I ordered it.
The LA Times review, by the way, includes cast reactions to the audience and critical reactions, as well.
I didn't know, until today, searching out the movie, that it was universally panned by critics and universally enjoyed by plebes, including me. Realizing this is a large part of why I decided to acquire it. I am not above enjoying movies that (many professional) others find downright detestable (and, believe me, many professional critics placed this film into that category).
So saying, since it isn't a popular movie, it'll take a few days to make it to my doorstep (or mailbox, whatever). I'll report back. I'm so very curious to see how this movie hits me, now, and, by the way, pleased to add it to my collection, in large part because of the contention surrounding it.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Antonio Banderas Carlos Rueda Emma Thompson Cecilia Rueda Leticia Dolera Teresa Rueda Maria Canals Esme Palomas Rubén Blades Silvio Ayala Irene Escolar Eurydice Fernando Tielve Orfeo/Enrico Mariana Seligmann Guzman Tochter Andreas Tang Himself Carlos Kaniowski Rubén Mendoza Claire Bloom Sara Sternberg John Wood Amos Sternberg
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 2003
Directed by Christopher Hampton.
Labels: haunting3, historical5, magical-realism, political5, tragedy3, war3
Monday, June 12, 2023
John Wick Chapter 4
- Commentary: Yeow! No, as I write this, I haven't watched the film, yet. I'm waiting until later this evening when I know I won't be disturbed and can really savor it. I must mention, though, that I acquired this movie from My Florida Sister, who is aware of my almost incomprehensible love of this franchise! What a wonderful surprise she's dealt me! Then, of course, as always, I'll spend the next few days watching the entire series, ending up with this fourth installment, allowing everything to settle into some kind of understandable-to-me-only order in my brain. I'm not sure if I'll write more of my initial reaction tonight, or later, maybe tomorrow. But, you can bet, there'll be more, so stay tuned!
Aiyee! Not my usual browser, but Chrome, which, unfortunately, pops up unbidden on my newer Windows computer at all the wrong times, just delivered an article to me that I couldn't avoid, at least not the title! Apparently, in this episode, John Wick dies! I refused to read the article. That's the kind of development for which I really want to wait! Fi on you, Chrome! I thought I deleted you! In fact, I'm sure I did, but you sneaked back in on the heels of the latest Windows 11 update. Hey, Microsoft, see this finger? It's for you!
More news, though, that's somewhat less shocking: Ballerina is still in production and scheduled for release in June of 2024. Here's another, more fleshy, article about what we might expect of this spin-off that is being billed as a separate John Wick franchise. It'll be a bit awkward (unless I have no idea what I'm talking about) because it's slated to be a story that takes place between the events of the 3rd and 4th John Wick films, but I'll be keeping an eye out for it in a year (or so), especially since it'll be co-written by Emerald Fennell, someone toward whom I am very positively disposed. I guess a spin-off franchise is being planned. Hmmm ... we'll see ...
For those of you who are John Wick fan-people, rogerebert.com has published an interview with Chad Stahelski about the series by Nick Allen with inside/background information that is lengthy and interesting.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Keanu Reeves John Wick Donnie Yen Caine Bill Skarsgård Marquis Vincent Bisset de Gramont Laurence Fishburne Bowery King Hiroyuki Sanada Shimazu Koji Shamier Anderson Mr. Nobody/The Tracker Lance Reddick Charon Rina Sawayama Shimazu Akira Scott Adkins Killa Harkan Clancy Brown Harbinger Ian McShane Winston Scott Natalia Tena Katia
Update 06/13/23: So, no, I did not watch this movie last night. As I was about to settle in with it, I was called to join an emergency visitation of one of our book club members who is in the hospital, awaiting, well, as of last night, no one knew quite what she was awaiting, turns out it was surgery and it was successful, so I took two shifts, the second late last night and a final shift very early this morning. So, tonight I watch this movie!
Update 06/15/23: This update is taken from an email to MFS containing my part of a discussion about this movie, so I'll put it in quotations: "I rewound scene after scene of 'John Wick Chapter 4', so much that I didn't really finish it until early this morning, between 3:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m., after taking a middle of the night nap (which is usually called 'going to bed'). Then, I watched all the special features, many of which were about the fight choreography and the cinematography. I was so dazzled by the movie that I was glad they were included. Then I took a much longer nap.
"The ending satisfied me, as well, which surprised me. Previous to watching it, I experienced a minor twinge of agony that the saga of John Wick was going to end [which I'd learned, by the way, from the titles of several articles fed to me by my search engine, which is not, I repeat, not a Microsoft search engine]. Now, I'm not only totally okay with that, his death seems justified, like he earned it, and I think, if the film makers somehow resurrect that character after his death, I might feel cheated."
Aside from what I wrote to my sister, above in quotation marks, I scanned (with my eyes, children, not with my printer or a mobile phone [which I do not own] app. I'm old school. I prefer to do things with my body over doing them with a machine or software.) several articles written about the movie that contained multiple spoilers. It seems that John Wick's death was so momentous in the movie and mythological kingdoms that writers simply couldn't put their pens down. There are lots of people (both professional critics and amateurs) who are trying to figure out ways to resurrect John Wick. Even the producers of the film are waiting until its debut in Japan before deciding whether to figure out how to do a fifth. For myself, if a fifth Resurrected Wick film is produced, I'll likely watch it, maybe even add it to my collection as a curiosity, as I did with Glass of the Eastrail 177 (Unbreakable) Trilogy, but I kind of think I will find it unsatisfying, just as I find the story of Resurrected Jesus unsatisfying.
In the meantime, I find the multiple alt-character franchises that are in development surrounding the original "John Wick" series franchise questionable, especially the proposed series about the Continental Hotels [BTW, did you know that a Continental Hotel chain actually exists? It's in Romania, exclusively, and is targetted toward business tourism.]. I mean, really? You're going there? Yes, so-called inanimates can, and usually do, have character (versus being characters; let me explain: to have character does not imply movement or growth; being a character implies both movement and growth, which is what movies, stories, are about) but, I don't know, in this case, it seems like an awfully long reach just to make a little more money. For me, it's kind of like with the Marvel super-hero franchise(s). I loved Iron Man but didn't at all care for the direct spin-offs and, if you'll notice, don't own them. I was okay with Avengers: Endgame, found it entertaining, but only watched it once and have yet to write-up that watching. I collected Captain Marvel and watched it but was not impressed. My write-up for Captain Marvel contains a list of all the other MCU movies I own and my appreciation (or lack thereof) for them.
I know I'm not done watching super-hero movies. I'm probably not done adding to my collection of super-hero movies. I have, however, developed a dogged skepticism of super-hero sequels, no matter what excuses creators (or, as nouveau-lingo labels them, "creatives", jesus, where did that come from, and why) use for their existence. At this point my experience suggests to me that the first in a franchise series is the best that will ever be offered, even if succeeding ones are quite good. In the first, an idea is fresh, exciting and approached as an idea, not as a possible money maker. I mean, initially you don't know if you're going to make any money off the first project. You don't even know whether it'll be the "first" of a string. From then on, though, all bets are off. It's no longer about character development, or at least not purely about character development, it's about extracting more money from fans of the franchise. At that point, not everything about succeeding movies in the franchise passes the smell test, and, almost like a rule of thumb, the more sequels, the more it's not a case of "smell" but of "stink". I know, I know, mixed metaphors and all that shit. All I can say is, read me for meaning, not for art.
All that being said, I really enjoyed this iteration of John Wick. I especially enjoyed the fact that this movie ended his story, at least seemingly. We'll see what happens next, whether the smell of money becomes more tempting to the "creatives" involved than the smell of freshness.
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 2023
Directed by Chad Stahelski.
Labels: don't-ask-me-why, laurence-fishburne, neo-noirD, revenge2, super-hero3
