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Downton Abbey (2010)
Strange nostalgia for "good old times"?
I don't blame producers for making the movie. They are after all to entertain people and make money doing it according to old formula. And the movie certainly achieved tremendous popularity, even in USA - traditionally ignorant of foreign productions, even from English speaking countries. So it is not that much about the movie but rather the strange fact that it became such a hit. I had a few conversations with fans of the series and they all pointed to beauty of interiors, elegance of costumes,splendid manners, life of ease and comfort, and superiority of aristocratic classes... What those people ignore is the fact that behind all of this charm there was poverty forcing people to work in service due to lack of other options, awful conditions of work: low pay, no free time,extremely hard work, poor accommodation, child labour etc... It only means one thing: history goes in circles. If you are in love with the movie, just do yourself a favour and read some memoirs, for example - Margaret Powell's "Below stairs" - just for the balance of view and maybe you will see the whole picture of that splendour enjoyed only by a few but supported mainly by misery of masses of others. Beauty can't never be justified by almost slave work of poor. And I thought that it was established long time ago but apparently not and there is still some nostalgia for class society and underpaid servants.
Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
Mental illness looks like a lot of fun
I enjoyed the movie the way I like reading secretly "People" magazine as a sort of escapism but then feeling guilty that common sense lost a battle over knowledge of mundane details of real life. But after the movie had ended, I realized that it was just another example of surrendering my sense of realism to tricky ways of enternteintment industry - and its ingenious ways of manipulating even more sophisticated audience into believing that serious matters need only a layer of honey and all will be be good at the end. I admit that the movie was fun to watch for its quirky humor and eccentric characters, but was it a realistic description of mental illness? I dare say that not. Actually I think that being mental case looked in this movie like a lot of fun. You are crazy but there are still lots of people around you although in real life families and friends slowly leave you. In the movie our main characters are supported by many family members and friends - the idea I cannot buy easily seeing so many lonely, crazy people living on streets. And what about hard realities of life such as money? He is in a mental hospital for months, has a very patient psychiatrist(only in movies)and have no problem obtaining medicine which is quite expensive in USA. Who is paying for all of that? He has no insurance after being fired and his family doesn't look rich to me. And another perk of being a crazy person according to movie: you really don't have to look for work in this lousy economy ; you get off the hook because after all - you are crazy and nobody expect anything of you. What a relief! And you still are able to do all those funny things like going to games,participating in dance contests, living in nice places, meeting easily new love interest- and a quite hot one. Well, if mental problems are like that I wish to be put on the list of candidates. It certainly beats our mundane, boring lives and constant worries about jobs,children, pensions, getting old.ill and poor. Well, dear viewer - it is like that: a lot of mentally ill people end up on streets, neither get proper treatment nor medicine; many families reject them as too much of a problem to handle. So watch the movie as something to do on a boring winter night if you need some fun but don't believe it. Life isn't like that. If you really need to watch movie about realities of being crazy and living with a crazy person - watch "A woman under the influence" directed by John Cassavetes with Gena Rowlands as a crazy housewife and Peter Falk playing her husband. That's how life really looks like when you suffer from mental illness - not fun at all.
Stoker (2013)
If "House beautiful" was a movie
My first reaction after seeing this movie was to give it low rating for lame script, confusing plot, lazy dialogues and lack of point. People killing each other because they are psychopaths - so what? Haven't we all seen hundreds of movies like that? But then I stopped myself from dismissing it as a total waste of precious time of viewers just on the account of visual effects. As a matter of fact, sometime into 20 minutes of trying to follow the plot when I exactly knew when it was heading to, I completely concentrated on aesthetics: interiors, clothes, food, landscaping,constant retro references ... and I said to myself that perhaps we are on the verge of a new form of film making and what if I miss that point. I may look like those fools from the past who thought that Jazz was the vulgar music of unsophisticated people, or some other losers who didn't get Warhol. Maybe we are witnessing the birth of something totally new and need to be open despite of initial reaction. The movie certainly lacks traditional requirement of decent storytelling but is a filmed series of vignettes reminding me of similar artistically arranged photos of super slim models of both sexes photographed in splendid places in posh interior decoration or so called life style magazines such as "Vogue" or "Wallpaper" or something like that. So I would recommend it just for this particular potential of witnessing fusion of everything with anything just for the sake of exploring new forms even if the point of it is still not quite clear.
La vita è bella (1997)
Not at all about human evil
Those who accused the movie of lack of realism missed the point. This masterpiece was not about Holocaust and its atrocities but rather this theme served as allegory for something so sadly rare that in order to show it the director had to use this controversial subject in a comedy. I am talking about something called "human spirit" although I don't like this phrase as it became slowly a cliché. I am Polish and had a few relatives who experienced concentration camps - some of them survived - one didn't. I also lived 100 km from Auschwitz which became sort of a destination for school field trips. On top of that - in schools we had an extensive course on camp literature and let me tell you that your typical Holocaust movie is not especially realistic either. The problem I have with those movies is that it shows always similar narrative: diabolical German guards (chosen from criminals), victims so sick and emaciated, and super obedient due to hunger, illness and extreme fear that you could not find the shred of humanity in them. Other people, outsiders, did not nothing because conveniently didn't know. Camps were super isolated so only a few could be blamed - that is typical narrative of movies which makes people feel good. After all: we are not so bad, it is just a few of us. As to camps: image of prisoners are totally inhuman which is probably the biggest injustice to those who suffered and died. But death, torture,hunger was just part of the camp experience, huge no doubt but not the whole truth about those places. There was camaraderie, help, compassion,medical attention done by prisoners doctors (some hanged for this),acts of incredible courage (Jan Karski, priest Kolbe)... And if you want to know how it really was like being there read Tadeusz Borowski's: "This way to the gas, Ladies and Gentelmen" or "Men's search for meaning" by Victor Frankl. Yes, it was abyss but people reacted differently. Many became a part of killing machine, many gave up any struggle for survival but few remained humans despite hell. There was even humor, nightly reading stories by some writers, teachers inmates without books, some sort of lectures, art performed with coal, games done with sticks or balls made of rags and yes - there were some attempts at saving small children although rarely successful. What I am trying to say that clichéd, tired image of big cruel guards, sheep like prisoners walking in mud,slowly,in perfect order towards death without any protest, piles of corpses really say nothing about Holocaust. It only desensitizes viewers and pose a threat that it will be forgotten by younger generation, or perhaps even repeated. Before extermination camps were built there was the whole decade of injustices, watched by the Western world with indifference , which started small but slowly precisely because of lack of reaction from the World, snowballed to gas chambers. If you don't believe it could happen now. Just listen to people with their stupid simplistic explanation to complex problems. I heard statement from so called decent people that in the light of recession and lack of jobs for born citizens all foreigners, including their children should be deported to their countries. Here you go. That is how it starts. And Roberto Benigni made movie so original, so different from other of this sort that said more about humans that all other films combined. combined.
Intouchables (2011)
Pragmatique
"Pragmatic" is the way Griss, an ex-convict from Parisian projects hired by super rich paraplegic Phillipe, as a caregiver describes himself and for me that one word captures the essence of the whole movie. Trough his eyes we see our world in a new and fresh way which is actually - a simple, pragmatic, "tell it how it is" narrative. The movie is a delightful version of the old fable about The Stranger who comes to a new place and shows everyone how things really are, not the way people are told them to be. Sort of Polyanna story but here it is not a girl feeding you saccharine but street smart immigrant from Senegal who tells us some unpleasant truths and delivers them as super funny commentaries on some of follies of modern Western society. What are those "discoveries" that Griss helps us to see? Perhaps being a disabled person is hard but certainly it is better to be a rich disabled person than a poor one. Maybe the best way to act towards socially superior is to behave as there are no differences at all instead of our usual docility which only gives more power to already powerful. And perhaps some modern art is really nothing more than overpriced crap where experts have integrity of used car salesmen who cheat confused public. And be honest - deep down we prefer pop to classical music but would not admit it because we don't want to be perceived as uncouth. And look closely when movie pokes fun at the way we are taught to apply for a job according to scripted, nailed into our heads set of questions and prepared answers. Griss with his honest chutzpah makes all other identical applicants look like a bunch of robots and phonies. Although telling truth all the time could be problematic but telling politically correct lies all the time so we all feel nice and comfy can leave Western people not well prepared for setbacks. Phillipe knows that very well when he hires Griss. Though money can buy the whole crew of helpers, he needs something more than advanced but somewhat mechanical care to live a full life. He needs somebody to treat him honestly. Pragmatically.
Evil Dead (2013)
One dead viewer
Please, I am begging all of you not to see this movie. It is not because I especially care how people waste their time but my fear is that if many viewers watch this crap and even worse - like it - then companies are going to make that kind of horrors again and again and again. And what I mean by "that kind of horror"? Basically the formula works like this: introduce a group of young people with girls wearing always something super tight and made wet by some incident in the plot which is really a cheap trick of writers; acting skills are optional; gather all characters in a lonely cabin in the woods with only one road which is cut off right away. By the way, where are those cabins? If anyone has seen some recently, then perhaps alert the government and they could be given to those who had lost their houses in the recession. Another important element of the formula is to avoid any substantial conversations which may conflict with super heavy amount of action with people screaming and running constantly and instead limit the dialogue to few self-explanatory statements such as:"something is wrong here", "Oh my God!", "let's get out of here", " "you will all die tonight" or "fuck you Satan!... There must be lots of black,greenish substance pouring out from mouth of the cursed; there will be blood, dirty water,mud,broken glass, ugly faces appearing all of a sudden in mirrors to be met with yet another scream,doors which always close and very strange trees without leaves. There also should be a few mythical genetically deformed Ozark type of creeps to run after characters, or just watch them through windows and maybe eat their flesh. And let's us not forget about The Book which gives answers only young do not read nowadays with the exception of one guy in glasses. It is always a nerdy type who knows first The Truth and tries to warn others but he is being ridiculed until it is already too late. In my opinion The Devil should communicate via cell phones or text messages. Even Vatican uses Internet. And really Satan! - those old hints with shadows, axes, dead dogs and heroine speaking in tongues are becoming a bit tired, don't you think so? I strongly suggest that you do some makeover of your helpers and modernize the way you communicate with victims. Now dear viewer, if you need to watch this movie because you want to avoid mowing lawn,doing dishes or you can't sleep (my case) - then, there are all legitimate reasons for watching this colossal waste of money. Otherwise, avoid it at any cost and rather read the Holy Bible or the Communist Manifesto. Or knit yourself a nice pair of mittens or tea cozy. Enough said.
To Rome with Love (2012)
Another European travel ad
Don't get me wrong. I love Woody Allen and always enjoy watching his movies even if they not always his best. His genius allows him to pepper occasionally incoherent plots with enough funny moments to make them worth watching. But I wished that he would go back to the old Woody of movies such as "Bananas", "Take money and run", "Manhattan", "Don't drink the water", "Annie Hall" and other he had made in the past. Or even better: came up with other formula than the one he has been using in the past few years which is nothing more than series of disconnected little stories about people I don't care about and placing action in all predictable places such as Paris,Rome, London or Barcelona. I would prefer that either he finally explores USA beyond New York including older characters, or at least - moves action to more original foreign places. As it is now his choice of classic European cities makes his last movies more like tourist folders for cruises. And plot definitely would gain with less characters. The movie could be better, in my opinion if the plot had concentrated only on the clerk who became a celebrity for one day played by excellent Roberto Benigni. He was the best actor playing the most original character - sort of Buster Keaton of our times - trying hard to be a proper member of society but having too many hidden quirks which makes him a very fascinating comedic personality. He certainly was much more interesting and realistic actor than other members of the cast - all acting in the same "Woody Allen" manner which after seeing so much of it becomes a little tired. Not to mention that they all speak in a similar fashion which is a big mistake of any script (as a rule people talk differently). The idea of instant celebrity would be enough to build the whole movie around it as a comment on our world - a bit of reality which so often is missing in movies of the director. There is still plenty of imagination left in Woody Allen to try something completely different.
Marty (1955)
Obligatory viewing for everybody
If I could organize life according to my wishes, movies like books would be discussed at schools and "Marty" surely be the obligatory viewing. It is the only known picture which shows that affection can happen between people who are neither conventionally attractive, nor compatible educationally. The movie based on the idea of possible marriage between overweight butcher and mousy college educated teacher is a miracle by Hollywood standards which always followed wishes of audience. And typical viewers, actually all people reject such possibility that love can exist between elderly, disabled, less attractive etc... It seems very illogical taking into account that most of us are precisely like our heroes. It looks like we need to be fed candy and can't stand the truth because it would tell us something about ourselves which could be very uncomfortable. But as the movie shows, this kind of delusion may actually be dangerous. Our hero played so brilliantly by wonderful Ernest Borgnine almost missed his chance to get involved with an intelligent and charming woman under advice of his stupid friends. But he listened to his own intuition and to our delight had the guts to make the phone call to the lady - the critical moment for which we all waited. And this is a good "happy ending" - non saccharine, with music at the background but a shabby bar, realistic and gutsy - the only type which I can bear without cringing. The love story for intelligent people. Watch it and don't be ashamed to use a Kleenex.
Meek's Cutoff (2010)
Not your John Wayne's West
My! If all movies were like that, I would spend my time sitting on the sofa and watch them. Fortunately there are only a few such gems which makes me walk, bike, work and do other things with my life. What an excellent portrayal of the pioneer experience as it probably really was unlike saccharine Technicolor productions with actors in clean clothes, with full makeup, high ethics, civilized, never tired and always with superb leader of John Wayne type who get them precisely to green pastures against all the odds such as lack of directions and maps, heat, Indians with unknown motives, conflicts among pioneers and diminishing slowly amount of water and food. Our movie is nothing like that. It is about a few confused people led by even more clueless pseudo leader who all got lost somewhere in the plains of Dakota. And unlike in a typical Western it is not men with their guns who may save them from death but one woman who takes upon herself the role of a leader in the face of a total failure of others pioneers. In her new role as reluctant guide she is inspired by an Indian - another delicious exception from your Western genre. The fact that we don't quite know what he says and what would come from this strange connection between him and heroine played by excellent Michelle Williams - sounds truthful compared with other movies where everybody illogically speak English and communicates in a few seconds. Please do more of this kind of movies. We are sophisticated viewers and want to know how things really are and were. We don't need to be fed with honey. Let us see the truth.
The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne (1987)
Read the book first
It is quite a good adaptation of an excellent book by the same title written by Irish-Canadian author Brian Moore, sadly - one of the most under-appreciated writers of our times. The book deserved some major award, possibly even a Nobel price, for its portrayal of a lonely spinster living in the world of fantasy and her delusions until a moment when truth comes like a thunder but doesn't crush her but like in real life - makes her only stop for a while, gather emotional debris and continue on her usual way to oblivion. Like in real life she accept the sad reality - the fact so often forgotten by other writers who always long for happy end. There is no happy end if you are old, poor, lonely, eccentric, forgotten... The movie certainly captured the basic plot and dreary atmosphere of Dublin (or was it Belfast, can't remember) of the fifties. The author tried to show what character in the book thought and how interpreted situation - quite a novel approach in art of writing. In book it was awfully important as they all saw themselves and everything differently - another human habit which causes conflicts and wars. We really do have different minds which meet only sometimes and when that happens -there is a lot of denial, temporary confusion but at the end running away back to the comfort of our own thinking. The truth as objective is the most painful thing in the world to swallow. Unfortunately the movie couldn't show this the way book could. And about the actors. Maggie Smith and Bob Hoskins are certainly good performers, though typecast too often, but they were not the best choice for the movie. Judith is a mousy, slightly eccentric,not in tune with reality and hidden alcoholic which despite the best effort of afflicted would manifest itself in behavior. And Maggie is too rigid and dignified like all her upper social characters. The real Judith also tries to behave like a lady but something always gives her away. As to Bob - he is too sophisticated for the part unlike our hero - primitive sort of a chap with ugly motives. Much better are secondary characters: the housekeeper and her creepy son - the couple worth of a separate story. So watch the movie but read the book first. It will show you how the real world works which will be sort of discovery after watching sentimental products of TV or reading books recommended by our guru celebrities, where everything always has some higher purpose. But life as we see in the movie - often doesn't but is just a pointless journey towards nothing.
The Dust Bowl (2012)
Of human endurance
As an immigrant I was not familiar with this episode in American history besides a few facts connected to Great Depression and migration of thousands to California so well described by John Steinbeck. This movie however showed me that it may not be only about economic woes of that era but other factors played significant role such as greed, cheating of poor farmers by unscrupulous developers in a sort of Alaskan scheme,disregard for needs of a land (notice that historians point to the fact of that area used incorrectly for wheat instead just for grazing), over extensive farming resulting in erosion and general lack of paying attention to climate. All this unfortunately reminds me of our times which makes this movie especially troubling. What saved us completely from total gloom after watching are people: beautiful farmers undefeated in the face of such calamity. I just wish that those types of Americans would be shown more often to the rest of the world and maybe they will be more liked by others. Instead what the world see are shallow celebrities, rich and arrogant businessmen. Show the world more that woman in the beaten truck with her hungry children in that famous photograph made on the way to California and she should be real American lady not Modonna or similar types. Now, on another note: what struck me about the movie is how well our heroes looked despite poverty, lack of food, dust and proper medical care. I even cracked a joke to my family that they all looked as they had just left Gap store. Compare them with contemporary society and see difference. Obesity, bulky faces, sloppy clothes, lack of grace, a hint of stupidity on our faces coming from constant looking at commercial surroundings and see how those old farmers looked dignified compared to us. They ate less but purer food, were surrounded by nature and beauty (with the exception of those 10 years of dust bowl), had deep connection to others, walked constantly... - perhaps these things made them prettier. So if there are messages coming from this movie there are following: treat nature with respect, plan for the future, save water; and in other realm: dress better, walk more and with poise and clean your house. If they could do it despite all the odds, so can we.
The Others (2001)
The masterpiece
After "Rosemary baby" this movie to me ranks second in the excellence of storytelling, acting, directing, mood, suspense and terrific twist at the end. As a lover of horrors I know how difficult it is to do a good thriller, and as a matter of fact despite my love of the genre, there are only a few good ones I had actually seen in my long life. It shows you how difficult it is to do it well. Therefore I am still on the quest for masterpieces such as above movie. I was absolutely impressed and just wish that Alejandro Amenabar would do another horror as sophisticated as this one. And acting should also be mentioned as superb. Nicole Kidman of whom I am not a special fan,is to my surprise excellent in her portrayal of deeply depressed, psychotic wife; Fionnula Flanagan - fantastic actress with amazing voice and presence, and two other actors also splendid - the producers couldn't choose better players. And children were also great compared with typical Hollywood annoying kids who speak like adults and behave in the most artificial, phony manner. Please, watch this movie. It is not just your plain horror taking place in a spooky house but psychological drama about religion, motherhood and mortality. And dear Mr. Amemabar - make another horror. There are excellent stories written in Victorian times. Take one and show young viewers something besides vampires and zombies.
In Their Skin (2012)
Social status hidden in this banal horror
This movie reminds me of many other films I had watched and they all seem like simple horror/thrillers without any special depth or meaning. But look closely. Almost in all of these flicks there are white, rich, good looking, pleasant, upstanding families (always family with those annoying cute children) against The Others. Who are those others? Poor. Degenerate, immoral, stupid, isolated from the real world and living in their own wretched places;ready to shoot without any reason... just for fun. But it is not merely about some brutal games; it is about their resentment towards successful. It's envy that motivates them because they (poor)are told by society they are idiots,lazy, brutal, prone to vice so they get nothing that "good" citizens enjoy. Brutes get none and the only joy in life seems according to all those movies is tormenting good citizens. They can't have what wealthy do so they would torture and kill out of pure jealousy. Watch when they observe the luxurious cottage. Their eyes ooze with hate mixed with envy. The only way they can get even is to terrorize good upper middle class and they do it for some time - just to give viewers necessary thrills. But fortunately goodness prevails and police is there to restore order to our relief. Happy ending is imminent(minus brother who does play minor role and can vanish without a pity).The movie shows tendency about what our world is slowly becoming: returning to Victorian times with their strict social order and moral judgement about rich, middle class,and poor - who all get what they deserve. And for wretched ... well there will be noting but misery of their own doing But wait: there are more and more of those destitute souls because of messy economy. And then what? Will Hollywood dare to continue this negative portrait of new impoverished masses? Be warn. You and me may find ourselves among them.