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KaoticKelly
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Looking Through Lillian (2001)
a strange find
This film was a strange but refreshing find hidden amongst much more familiar titles on the video store shelf. If it had not been for my complete lack of interest in the other DVD I picked (Baise Moi), I probably would never have gotten around to this one. That being said, obviously I did and it is well worth commenting on. The film hinges on the story of a young woman, Lilly/Lillian played by Jade Henham who is lifestyle consists of being kept by Gene, a wealthy man played by Sam Bottoms. During the course of the story, she finds herself placed in a situation that for most of us is a completely normal part of life, but in her case is something of a dilemma that threatens to unravel the fragile balance that she has created living in the situation that is her everyday life. That dilemma comes in the form of a dual combination - the wish to learn and a boyfriend named Luke (Robert Glen Keith) and the opposing opinions of her confidante Andrea (Essence Atkins).
I found it interesting when reading the credits that none of the characters has last names which led me to the thought of what would Lillian's last name be if listed. My first response, especially if the film had taken place outside of the state of California, would be Rampling. While Henham is not a dead ringer for Charlotte Rampling, she is somehow very reminiscent of Rampling in the fact that she appears not to need to do anything visible to the human eye to justify her appearance on the screen. It is this very quality of the character or of the actress that makes this film as quietly compelling as it is. The story itself is just as enigmatic and difficult to put in a box and at times highly uncomfortable. Yet the movie would not work without the degree of discomfort that it puts the viewer in. For at the very core of it, what one is really really watching is a life built on falsitude and when Lilly's heart opens, it is her horror at having to look at the lie she is living and her desperation to somehow backtrack and rectify all the wrongs that lead to an emotional commitment in this film. This is when I found myself to be truly, truly touched by her.
Much more of a character study than anything else (think the opposite end of the scale from Buffalo 66), the beauty of the story and the woman lies in the quiet nuances that are placed throughout and her complex and very entangled relationship with Gene, who turns out to be a truly fascinating character played wonderfully by Sam Bottoms of all people. Where the film is flawed leans more in the direction of the boyfriend plot. Glen Keith was not convincing enough for me and I wondered if she would really go for such a guy as the one he brought to the screen. Her tie with Atkins is a somewhat better constructed relationship, but all in all, the film's magnificence lies solely in Lilly and Gene. If I had been the creators, this is where I would have focused all my energy on. For when the two of them are together or when we are spying on her in the aftermath of each encounter, this is when this movie flies. Reality becomes real enough to transcend film into quasi-documentary, whether this was random or intentioned is impossible to tell, but it is refreshingly 'new' to watch.
An unlikely find in today's array of choices and a very satisfying emotional ride, Looking Through Lillian lives and breathes outside of the box.
The Weight of Water (2000)
And what a weight it is on the viewer
It was an annoyingly hard decision as to what to vote for this film. Really, in all fairness, I think IMDb should make an exception with this film and allow each person two votes. One for the modern day story with Sean Penn, Catherine McCormack, Liz Hurley and Josh Lucas, and an entirely independent vote for the original mystery in the 1800's centered around Sarah Polley's character. Since there is no exception though, I found myself having to split it down the middle and give it a 5. Frustrating indeed given the excellent work of Polley.
The 'story' centers around a couple (Penn and McCormack) whose marriage is troubled and who decide to leave their kid at home for the weekend while they use a photographic assignment that McCormack has as a chance to hook up with her brother-in-law, Lucas and his new girlfriend, Hurley. This part of the film is nothing less than discombobulated from the get go. And really, given the lack of any really stake behind it all, it's less than boring, it's just downright annoying. Elizabeth Hurley as Adaline seems to think that it's enough to wear itsy-bitsy tiny white bikinis and suck on a lollipop to show her oral skills. Penn as McCormack's husband, spends the majority of his time either looking at Hurley, smoking, or looking at Hurley while he smokes. McCormack as Jean tries to give her character whatever depth one can in the middle of a masturbatory set of acting sequences but still manages to fail, and surprisingly, at least for me, only Josh Lucas as Penn's younger brother comes across without making you want to put a fly swatter to the screen. In fact, this side of the plot is so self-absorbed that one wonders why it was even included, besides from the fact that it was in the novel, thus making it necessary to be put down on film (what a waste).
All of that being said, the real 'mystery' in this story lies in why after viewing all the footage, Bigelow didn't just decide to put politics aside and focus only on telling the events of the double killing in the late 1800's on Shoal Island. Because that is where the story came to life, the characters became compelling and the actors morphed into all too human people that were worth the watch. Sarah Polley. One could stop there without adding a word. Polley's performance as Maren Hontredt, a young Norwegian woman bought to this far away land far from her family and married to a much older man, is not only compelling but mature beyond her years. It is Polley who not only brings her own character to life but also seems to bring the everyday life of the island itself and it's history and it's lonely location to reality vs. film reality. As I watched this film, I would increasingly be waiting for the 'modern' day bunch to finish spouting off their lines so that I could get back to Maren and the other interesting and diverse characters that comprised the REAL story. The actual mystery of Shoal Island is well worth the watch. The details of daily life and the characters that occupied it are wonderful to watch. Their chores, the way they interacted as a society, the hardships that were normal for that time period in such a location - all of these things were like a wonderful education of the past and seemed quite authentic to the untrained eye.
All in all, I believe if Miss Bigelow had just gone with a murder mystery in the 1800's with the extremely talented Sarah Polley delivering the performance she did, this movie would have really been something. As it is, it is mired in so much babble and imperfection that would be hard to recommend this film to anyone besides from die hard Polley fans. Too bad.
White Oleander (2002)
A wonderful bittersweet warning
While White Oleander didn't totally live up to what I had expected from it's trailer, the one thing that did live up to or surpass my expectations was the discovery and performance of Allison Lohman as Astrid. She did such a great job that it wasn't until after the movie that I realized that this girl had just held her own against Michelle Pfeiffer, Renee Zellwegger and Robin Wright Penn! And she's how old? White Oleander is, of course, the story of young Astrid, the daughter of the talented and wickedly beautiful artist, Ingrid. Her struggle during the course of the film is to somehow come out from behind the looming figure of her complex mother and try to navigate her own journey through the journey that is being thrust upon her. While all 3 actresses were good, I really felt that Zellwegger and Penn actually far surpassed Michelle Pfeiffer. In fact, Zellwegger came close to breaking my heart. I would have liked to have seen Michelle Pfeiffer somehow go deeper into herself and give the character more nuances but that failed to happen. I went into the film with my expectations set on Pfeiffer and finished with them fulfilled not by her but by Lohman and the other two main women who take care of her.
White Oleander is flawed, but it is a wonderful bittersweet warning about the necessity of self and the seduction that can sweep it out from under one's feet without one realizing. In the end, Lohman triumphs, just as Astrid does.
Secretary (2002)
A Hilariously Beautiful Love Story
Maggie Gyllenhaal is brilliant in this film and absolutely one of a kind. She brings such a wonderful bubbly energy to the character that has one rooting for her safety and happiness from the minute the film starts. I don't know how long it took the writer to write this script, but however innumerable the hours, they did an exquisite job. And what a pleasure to see not just Gyllenhaal but also James Spader bring these characters to life as truly 3-dimensional people. I can't remember the last time that I've watched a movie with such a feeling of satisfaction balanced within my viewing experience between discomfort, laughter, tears and happiness.
A completely new take on the classic love story, whoever thought of this was genius. I love, love, love this film and would recommend it to anyone. 10+.
The Man from Elysian Fields (2001)
Coburn and Jagger save the day, respectively
This movie is a swan song for James Coburn. It is interesting to note that his last two strong performances came at the tail end of his career, first in Paul Schraeder's Affliction and secondly in this film as Tobias Alcott. The film rises to a level of energy that would most likely otherwise have been devoid of without Coburn in it. Every scene with him is a delicious morsel of life being lived. Which is bittersweet given the circumstances in the film. Mick Jagger as Luther Fox also stands out. Why is it that British rock stars seem to be able to act on film but american rock stars seem to suck at it? As Luther Fox, he uses his sarcasm, jadedness, and also a certain romantic vulnerability in a unique way. As for Garcia, Margulies and Williams - they do their part, but the scenes where either Jagger or Coburn are not present just don't hold up as well. No, this is James Coburn's movie and given his recent passing from this world, I'm doubly glad to have seen this and have the last remaining picture of him in my mind of a man full of life and vivacity. For that reason alone, it's a movie definitely worth watching.