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Reviews
Sweet Country (2017)
Beautiful, indisputable, but a tad predictable.
Beautiful cinematography and interesting cut, the length and pace are part of the scenery to me. The story itself is a bit predictable, but conveys a politically sound message. Those complaining about its unmitigated accusation of colonialism are proof of the movie's efficiency: it made them uncomfortable. Like almost every good fictional work (or documentary for that matter), it simplifies the context to carry its message. If you can't cope with that, your problem is really with yourself and your real views on the subject.
Overall a far better than average effort.
Leaves of Grass (2009)
Southern comfort.
This has been compared to Fargo for good reasons.
The regional depiction, funny (on a light side) but above all respectful. Nice approach. Bursts of absurd violence, a work on some secondary characters, the Jewish clin d'oeil, even the music, and the knowledge we now have of the author's admiration for the brothers... Yes, a lot calls for this comparison.
Above all, the Coen's cynical morals and views on human condition and destinies bathe the movie, but here are finally uplifted by a conscience opening. This is both moving and enlightening (where the Coens left you desperate and lost).
(and to note is past collaboration and probably current admiration of the author for Terrence Malick)
I have not read the Whitman poems the movie ultimately (and quite frontly) refers to, excuse my french, but I can imagine they are of that "nature" of transcendence. Is the movie a manifest ? Far from it, but now I have to look for a good translation of the book, as I have been for a "Walden" one...
We don't have to score the comparison, suffice to acknowledge the brothers stay in a class of themselves (the amazing work on their characters, the focus they keep on their development, the total absence of unconscious clichés, etc...).
But here we have an entertaining but not shallow, referential but honest, and overall greatly pleasing movie on itself.
Nice work, Tim, Blake, Nelson...
Let Me In (2010)
Almost good enough...
Not a bad movie, it would have been a shame regarding the original material it is based upon, but here you can measure the difference between good, and really good. And as in every arts and crafts, the higher you get, the harder it gets to find that little thing which makes the difference.
And the biggest little thing here is Lina Leandersson whose presence is sorely missed. As Eli/Abby, she was far more ambiguous, complex, strangely mature, eerily ironic, and... simply ghoulish. Chloe could not bring these dimensions here, she's not bad either, just too cute and childish for the part. Thirteen years old miracles are that rare. It was just a unique combination.
What Matt Reeves added can often been seen at best as surperfluous, and at worse as flirting with ridicule, like the long shots on Abby's transfigured, evil face. A kitsch Tomas Alfredson rightly avoided. Make-ups and effects here just distract from the dark, but essentially realist core of the original. The emphasis on the police inquiry, both in story and construction (the initial flashback), is just another concession to a supposed hollywoodian canon, with its feeble attempts at some good old suspense. Again, more is often less.
Regarding the cutting, some important scenes (like the two main protagonists encounter) seem to be rushed in, again, Reeves (or a higher hand) did not trust his audience.
All this is revelatory of the principles behind the project : this is a production, not an original vision. In the end, an acceptable, but dispensable effort of a remake.
And as an effort, it can only trail behind the grace and subtlety of the original.
Black Hawk Down (2001)
An American Monument
Truly one of the bests.
An astounding, masterful, thrilling, engaging, utterly racist US propaganda vehicle.
This is one of the most deeply pro-war movies I ever saw (and we know how deep that goes). Sure to fire some vocations on both sides, and thus to feed the eternal flame at the empire's fist.
Evidently, for international distribution purpose, two or three scenes and "dialogues" at the end try to mitigate this pure, grand and global message, fortunately this is far too late and just a vain, generic effort. You know, "we only fight to save ourselves" (nothing personal guys), "it's not for us for say we are heroes" (just let the idea float in the air, martial music can subtly help), "don't run over this surviving father carrying his dead child with great dignity" (that would be kind of mean), etc. ...
Truly a blood'n'guts spangled masterpiece.
The Invasion (2007)
Stay awake from this !
This movie itself is the vehicle of a nefarious Hollywood grand plan.
The only way you can appreciate this is by falling asleep during the projection, later waking up an ideal, happy cinema goer, eating popcorn when lights dim, crying & laughing when you're told to, and above all asking for more.
If you're still human, though, you ran off the theater, and were caught at night shooting hysterically at traffic in the streets.
The saddest thing here, is that contrary to the original, the ending was spontaneously written to supposed audience deficiencies. Nobody had to snatch it.
Two stars for the political statement, comparing the Bush era to the McCarthyism of the original, even if 2007 is a bit late to join the choir...